Maine's newest professional sports team made it official today in Portland. The Maine Mammoth will be an expansion team of the National Arena League (NAL) and indoor  football begins in April at the Cross Arena.

At a press conference at CIA this afternoon, NAL commissioner Craig Siegfried and Portland city officials announced plans for the new pro team. The club will be owned by a company in Georgia called National Sports Ventures.

“In only our second year, the NAL is poised for a breakout season” stated NAL Commissioner Chris Siegfried.  Our returning teams, coupled with these additional new markets will continue to build upon the firm foundation of the sports premier arena league. April can’t come soon enough to showcase what we have accomplished this offseason.” - NAL Press Release

The Maine Mammoth head coach will be James Fuller, a former NFL player with San Diego and Philadelphia. He has coached various teams for 17 years.

The team also announced its first player signing - quarterback Jonathan Bane, a 26-year-old Texan who has played for various arena teams since 2014.

2018 will be the NAL's second season. The Maine Mammoth will be one of eight teams (Worcester, MA, Greensboro, NC, Lehigh Valley, PA, Trenton, NJ, Columbus, GA, Jacksonville, FL and Monterrey, Mexico.

Indoor football is played on a 50-yard long field with eight players on offense and eight players on defense.