Celebrity Owner Gets NY Arena Football Team Kicked Out Of League

The infamous celebrity owner of the team allegedly refuses to pay its bills. The National Arena League kicked the team out after the highly controversial owner hasn't paid the team's share of operational expenses and didn't pay a fine.

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What Is The National Arena League?

The National Arena League (NAL) is a professional indoor football league that began play in 2017. It consists of teams based on the East Coast of the United States.

With the departure of the Albany Empire, there are six teams remaining in the league:

Carolina Cobras - Greensboro, North Carolina
Fayetteville Mustangs - Fayetteville, North Carolina
Jacksonville Sharks - Jacksonville, Florida
Orlando Predators - Orlando, Florida
San Antonio Gunslingers - San Antonio, Texas
West Texas Warbirds - Odessa, Texas

The only other team previously in the league from New York was the New York Streets from White Plains.

Albany, NY Arena Team Owned By Antonio Brown Kicked Out Of League

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In a press release, the league said that it has done all it can to get controversial former NFL player Antonio Brown to pay the team's bills and the fine he owes,

After exhausting all avenues, the NAL board of owners have decided unanimously to terminate the membership agreement of the Albany Empire. The decision was reached after an emergency conference call of the members in good standing to discuss the Empire’s failure to pay their league mandated and overdue assessments.

The league said that each team was responsible for paying 1/7 of the operating expenses, which was assessed monthly beginning in April. The league alleges that Brown hasn't paid the team's assessment. He was also fined $1,000 for Conduct Detrimental to the League and allegedly refuses to pay the fine. According to the league's press release, the team was given until noon on Thursday, June 15, 2023, to pay, but did not. Hence, the team's membership was terminated.