| Rapid City Marshals | |
|---|---|
 Current season | |
| Established 2021 Folded 2024 Played inSummit Arena at The Monument inRapid City, South Dakota www | |
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| League/conference affiliations | |
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Current uniform | |
| Team colors | Black, silver, red |
| Personnel | |
| Owner(s) | Wes Johnson and Rebecca Chapman |
| Head coach | Shon King |
| Team history | |
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| Championships | |
| League championships (0) | |
| Conference championships (0) | |
| Division championships (0) | |
| Home arena(s) | |
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TheRapid City Marshals were a professionalindoor football team based inRapid City, South Dakota. The Marshals played their home games at theSummit Arena at The Monument. They began as an expansion team inChampions Indoor Football in 2022 and played in that league until 2023. They became members of the revivedArena Football League and began play in 2024 before folding midseason among labor strife tied to a wider league instability.
The Marshals are the third indoor football team to be based in Rapid City following theBlack Hills Red Dogs (2000–2005) and theRapid City Flying Aces (2006).
On April 30, 2021, Keith Russ and Tel Koan, owners of fellowChampions Indoor Football (CIF) teams theWyoming Mustangs andBillings Outlaws, announced launch of another CIF team to be based in Rapid City with their name, logo, and color scheme.[1] The Marshals name was chosen to reflect the Rapid City area's passion for the Old West, as well as to provide a contrast to their CIF league-mates the Billings Outlaws andSioux City Bandits.[2]
On October 3, 2023, the Marshals announced their move to the revivedArena Football League and would play there starting in the 2024 season.[3] The Marshals were one of several teams from CIF that merged with the AFL, with owner Wes Johnson conceding that he saw major warning signs with AFL Commissioner Lee Hutton making unattainable promises but had hoped that Hutton would deliver on half of what he promised.[4]
On May 2, 2024, the Marshals indicated that the Arena Football League had not compensated the Marshals for promised expense reimbursements, as a condition of the Marshals and other CIF teams joining the league. Unlike theIowa Rampage, which folded due to that lack of compensation, the Marshals remained committed to playing the season as long as possible in hopes of a resolution.[5] The team offered new contracts rolling salaries back to CIF levels and granted six players their release when they declined in an effort to keep the team operational.[4]
Immediately prior to the team's May 11 home game against the Billings Outlaws, the Marshals players went onstrike, refusing to take the field for the game as fans and the Outlaws had already arrived for the game. Outlaws owner Steve Titus, while expressing solidarity with the Marshals' cause against the league central office, expressed outrage at the strike having happened so suddenly.[6][7] The following week, the Marshals cancelled their newly-scheduled home game with theSouthwest Kansas Storm on May 18th; after losing to the previously winlessWashington Wolfpack on May 23, the Marshals folded the next day, stating that the labor issues the team faced were "insurmountable" despite the ownership's best efforts to keep the team together.[8][9]
| Rapid City Marshals roster | ||||||
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Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
| Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
| Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
| Reserve lists
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