Washington Wolfpack brings Arena Football League to Western WA

The Arena Football League, the gold standard of indoor football, has been reincarnated for 2024, and our state is represented by a team that embodies the spirit of high-flying fun and excitement of this sport: the Washington Wolfpack.

The Wolfpack kick off the home portion of their 2024 season at 3 p.m. this Sunday, May 5 at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett. The Wolfpack roster is stocked with homegrown talent, including former tight end/defensive end DeShon Williams, a former UW Huskies player who had a stint on the Seahawks practice squad.

Check the official threads for @AflWashington #uniswag pic.twitter.com/uDkOPCVKnJ

— UNISWAG (@UNISWAG) April 16, 2024

Four straight home games in May provide a great opportunity for fans to learn or re-discover how fun this sport is. It’s basketball, hockey, and football all mashed into one chaotic, fast-paced, high-scoring event. I mean, who doesn’t love a lot of offense and scoring in football?

Don’t take it from me, just listen to the conversation with Wolfpack head coach JR Wells. He will have you not only wanting to attend a game but maybe even wishing you could suit up and get on the field as well.

And one of the best parts about Arena Football, you technically are in the action. Those front row seats along the padding often see players, and footballs, flying into the stands.

More football is always better, especially when tickets start as low as $20, which you can find at this link right here.

Frequently asked questions that I think you might have

• How long is the Arena Football League season?

Ten games. The Wolfpack played their season opener last week in Oregon, falling 47-40 to the Black Bears. The Wolfpack have four straight games at home and then aren’t home again until their season finale on June 29.

Washington Wolfpack season schedule

• Why do the goal posts have those big nets?

It is a unique and fun quirk of Arena Football. Touchdowns are encouraged but the tiny goalposts and huge nets lead to a lot of adventures. If a kickoff goes through the uprights, the kicking team gets two points. The nets are also in play and it’s a live ball when it rebounds off the net and back into the field.

• Can you keep a football that goes into the stands?

Absolutely! It’s the best part of the game, and as JR Wells says in our interview, “You can keep the ball but you can’t keep the players,” because not only do footballs frequently fly into the stands but the players will as well. Tackling them into (or over!) the pads is the only out-of-bounds on the field, so keep that head on a swivel if you’re sitting close to the action.

Listen to the full conversation with Washington Wolfpack head coach JR Wells in the podcast at this link or in the player near the top of this post.

Follow @MikeLefko