PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – The Pueblo Punishers start its ignagural season in the National Arena League with a preseason game this Saturday at 6:30 a.m.
“We wanted to change the look for people in Colorado towards Pueblo,” team owner Lisa Rohrich said.
The Punishers are part of the National Arena League (NAL), a professional indoor football league. Indoor football teams have a long reputation of being short-lived. Rohrich said she’s moved to Pueblo full-time, and she is all-in on the Punishers.
“I’m building this, so I know there’s been a lot of stigma around arena teams, that they’re not gonna stay here. That’s what’s different,” Rohrich said.
Two coaches on staff are Hall of Famers from the Indoor Football League. On the field, the team has collected talent from all over the country, with former D-1 and NFL ball players on the roster.
The team will host its home games at the Colorado State Fairgrounds inside the Southwest Motors Event Center. Its first preseason game is Saturday against the Northern Colorado Nightmares at 6:30 p.m., followed by its regular season home opener against the Colorado Spartans, an NAL team based out of Denver. Tickets start at $30.