Introducing the Third Incarnation of Austin Wild

Albert Einstein is credited with saying: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results”. 

If that is true, then the managers of the Austin Wild arena football team must be geniuses. 

Two years ago the team was known as the Cap City Bulls in the Supreme Indoor Football League.  Scarce sponsorships and lean financially backing forced the team to regroup. 

The second incarnation of the team was the Austin Wild in the American Arena League.  The AFL is primarily an east coast association making it an expensive travel proposition.  As Associate members they avoided league fees and gained the flexibility to play non-league opponents. 

The team had grand ambitions, playing two games in the high-end HEB Center in Cedar Park, until the Center stopped play and retained the playing turf until the team settled their accounts.  The Wild moved to the less expensive Travis County Expo center to finish their season, but the opposing teams reneged on their commitments to play. 

Taking destiny into their hands, the owners of the Austin Wild established the International Arena Football League headquartered in Austin. Michelle Higgins and Tim Cook, league co-owners and co-founders, who are also the co-owners of the Wild, teamed up with five teams across Texas and two teams Mexico City to form the League. 

The league is fledgling nonetheless.  Three of the seven teams don’t have websites.  Scores from two weeks ago cannot be found on the league or team websites, Twitter or Facebook.  And salaries are modest: players earn $125 per game with a $50 bonus for a win.