About

The Georgia Force is the name of three separate versions of Arena Football League (AFL) teams based in the Atlanta Metropolitan Area of Georgia, United States, that played in the South Division of the American Conference. The first incarnation of the Force resulted from the relocation of the original Nashville Kats franchise in 2001 and beginning play in 2002 at Philips Arena in Atlanta, then relocated to The Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Georgia in 2003, then back to Philips in 2005. Following the termination of operations of the Arena Football League on August 4, 2009, Georgia Force officials quickly followed with a release that indicated that they, too, were ceasing operations. The franchise was last owned by Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank. In 2010, the Alabama Vipers announced they would leave Huntsville, and would move to suburban Atlanta as the second incarnation of the Force for the 2011 AFL season, once again playing home games at Arena at Gwinnett Center. That team was owned by Doug MacGregor and Donn Jennings. Following the 2012 season, the franchise folded citing, "The market never responded to our extensive marketing and sales campaign," said team president Corey Remillard. "With all of the outreach, marketing, community and public relations that we put forward, it would have been impossible to not know that we were playing here, and the city simply did not respond. Atlanta is simply not a football town." A third version of the Force was announced in November 2023 to begin play in 2024 in the Atlanta area, this time as a full-blown expansion team with no ties to the original two. The new Force will play their home games at the Georgia State Convocation Center in Atlanta.