Former NFL great running back Marshawn Lynch won’t let his hometown of Oakland lack a football team after the Raiders leave for Las Vegas.
“Beast Mode” is a co-founder of the Oakland Panthers of the Indoor Football League, the San Jose Mercury News reports.
The Panthers — a nod to Oakland’s Black Panthers history of the 1960s — will be a member of the Indoor Football League. The team will formally announce its ownership group, name, and head coach, former Piedmont High head coach and A-11 offense co-creator Kurt Bryan, at a Tuesday press conference.
Lynch’s interest was sparked when he went to see his brother Davonte Sapp-Lynch play in a game in the league.
“Yeah, I went to go check my brother out and I kind of ran into them after the game,” Lynch told columnist Dieter Kurtenbach. “I had a good-ass time while I was at the game. When they said ‘We’re going to bring a team to Oakland,’ I didn’t really believe that.”
The IFL season is expected to feature seven homes games. Management hopes the Panthers will draw between 6,000 and 8,000 fans to Oakland Arena, which used be known as Oracle Arena and was home to the Golden State Warriors.
