HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Arena League Football has returned to The Natural State.
The Hot Springs Wiseguys were introduced on Thursday at a press conference held at the Gangster Museum of American in the Spa City.
‘Wiseguys’ was the selected mascot as a tribute to the city’s gangster history, as well as being a place where horse racing is a national staple.
“We hope that it will be a name that we can all be proud of and stand behind when we play football starting next June,” The Arena League commissioner and Hall of Famer Tim Brown said in a press release. ”
Hot Springs’ inaugural season will kick off in the summer of 2025.
Here are a few different versions of the logo:
The community was awarded the opportunity to select the team name and there was a plethora of feedback.
“We had hundreds of entries for this name from spring water references to some truly wild ideas, but I believe the theme of this team is tough, yet fun, and something that Arkansas will be proud to root for and represented for years to come,” Hot Springs General Manager Chris Goodman said.
The Wiseguys will be one of six teams as part of The Arena League, which launched this summer and currently fields four squads – Duluth (Minn.) Harbor Monsters, Iowa Woo, Kansas City (Mo.) Goats, and Ozark (Mo.) Lunkers. The Eau Claire (Wis.) Jammers are the other team who will be added next summer along with Hot Springs. Hot Springs will play its games at Bank OZK Arena and the fast-paced contests will be played on a 50-yard field. Rosters will consists of 15 players with six on the field for each side and will compete ‘Ironman’ style, meaning they will play both offense and defense.
Visit www.HotSpringsWiseguys.com for more information.
Kyle Sutherland is a journalist and podcast host (Arkansas Preps Weekly) for The Natural State Sports Network. His written work has been featured in outlets including the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Best of Arkansas Sports and Hooten’s Arkansas Football. He is also the color commentator for 103.7 The Buzz’s high school football Game of the Week. Email Kyle at kyle@naturalstatesports.com.