AFL’s Tampa Bay Storm suspend operations

Winners of five Arena Bowl titles, the Tampa Bay Storm announced Thursday that the franchise will suspend operations for at least the 2018 season.

The Arena Football League had only five teams last season, with Baltimore, Cleveland, Philadelphia and Washington also home to organizations.

In November, the Cleveland Gladiators announced that they would take a two-year break because of a renovation project at Quicken Loans Arena.

“This was not an easy decision, but after deep consideration, evaluation and introspection, we have elected to reallocate the resources dedicated to arena football for other uses within our organization, including the growth of Tampa Bay Entertainment properties,” Tampa Bay Sports and Entertainment president Steve Griggs said.

Former Palmetto High star Joe Hills had two stints (2012-14, 2017) with the Storm, catching 129 passes for 1,353 yards and 36 touchdowns last season. He has 726 receptions and 230 touchdowns during during his six-year AFL career with Spokane, Jacksonville and Tampa Bay.

The Storm, who lost to Philadelphia in the 2017 title game, debuted in 1991 and hold league records for wins and championships.

“We are eternally grateful to the Storm fans, current and former players, our sponsorship partners and the Tampa Bay community for their continued support during the team’s 26 years of operation in Tampa Bay,” Griggs said. “We are proud of the five ArenaBowl Championships they all earned throughout our history.”

With operations for the Storm suspended, Tampa Bay Sports & Entertainment will look to fill those dates at Amalie Arena with events such as concerts and family shows.

This story was originally published December 21, 2017 at 4:54 PM with the headline "AFL’s Tampa Bay Storm suspend operations."