In response to the Oct. 26 front-page article, “River Monsters leave the BOKC,” a league official and team representative contacted The Northerner.
Ultimate Indoor Football League President Andrew Haines said the league “did not jam anybody with fines.” According to Haines, the reason the deal fell through was that Northern Kentucky Bulldogs owner Joe Euton “never filled out financial information,” and the league was “waiting on financial information, and the time passed” for negotiations.

“We were not interested in having the River Monsters back,” Haines said. “We want to work with people who want to work with us. We didn’t feel that with the old ownership.”

However, a team will play at The Bank of Kentucky Center: the Kentucky Monsters. The head coach is Brian Schmidt, the offensive coordinator for the River Monsters last year. Also, 12 players from the River Monsters have signed with the Monsters. They have local ownership; and according to Haines, the owner(s) will be announced soon, possibly in mid-November.

“For a fan and casual observer, the only change they will see is in the colors and in the name,” said Monsters’ front office executive J. Ameer Rasheed. “It’s the same league, same offensive system and the same players.”