The team's home opener at the Comerica Center was canceled hours before kickoff on March 12. On April 13, the Indoor Football League announced that it had canceled the remainder of the 2020 season because of the continuing coronavirus pandemic. That covers the Fighters’ entire season, which was to include seven games in Frisco.
“This is a decision we take very seriously, and it comes as a result of extended, thoughtful discussion among our Board of Directors,” IFL Commissioner Todd Tryon said in a news release. “Because there are so many critical unknowns that are out of our control, we feel as a league we would be best served by taking a proactive approach and focusing our talents and our resources toward preparing for a breakout 2021 season.”
Stephen Evans, Fighters president and general manager, said the team has gone “into offseason mode” and is preparing for the 2021 season and its debut in Frisco.
“We obviously want to celebrate our first game and our inaugural season of being in Frisco,” Evans said in an interview with Community Impact Newspaper. “We had some big plans for our first game this year that didn't happen, so we'll just have an even bigger and better one next year.”
Since that first game was postponed, Fighters’ players have remained in the area and have been helping out in the community, Evans said.
“Between packaging, delivering and serving meals, we’ve probably done over 1,000 meals in the community with people like Meals on Wheels and Grace Bridge Food Bank,” Evans said.
The team’s dancers, the Frisco Fighters Bombshells, visited Victoria Gardens of Frisco senior living center last week to help spread Easter cheer to residents. On April 13, players and staff members delivered 100 catered meals to the Frisco Police Department.
Evans said the players have enjoyed being able to get out of the house and give back to the community.
“This community is new to most of the players on our team, so they enjoy being here and they enjoy everything that Frisco has provided to them so far,” he said.
The team is owned by Steve Germain and his family, who own Germain Automotive Group, a privately owned dealer group. The Fighters are not affiliated with Texas Revolution, Frisco’s previous indoor football team.
