The Orlando Predators are leaving downtown Orlando and moving to the University of Central Florida’s CFE Arena for next season.
Predators’ owner David Pearsall confirmed Wednesday night that the indoor arena football team, which previously played at downtown Orlando’s Amway Center, will play their 2014 season on the University of Central Florida’s main campus.
“We are excited to partner with the Orlando Predators, and the hard hitting, fast paced action of the Arena Football League,” said Global Spectrum’s Brian Hixenbaugh, General Manager of CFE Arena. “The Orlando Predators will continue to provide our community with more family friendly, affordable sports and entertainment.”
The announcement comes after the city declared the team was in default on its lease at the Amway Center back in September for not having a contractually agreed number of fans attend games. The lease required 6,000 fans on average per home game but the city said the Predators only averaged around 5,878 during their last season.
The new arena brings a new chapter in the Predators organization, and owner David Pearsall, who recently acquired the team, could not be more excited. “We are thrilled to start a new chapter of the Predators organization at CFE Arena,” said Pearsall. “Our fans are going to experience a new theater style jumbo screen on the back wall of the arena that will show larger than life football like they have never seen.”
The Predators first game in the arena will be on Sunday March 16, 2014 against the Jacksonville Sharks. Below is the regular season schedule for home games played at CFE Arena.
Predators 2014 Home Schedule at CFE Arena
3/16/14 – Jacksonville Sharks at Orlando Predators
3/21/14 – LA KISS at Orlando Predators
4/10/14 – Philadelphia Soul at Orlando Predators
4/19/14 – Tampa Bay Storm at Orlando Predators
4/26/14 – New Orleans VooDoo at Orlando Predators
5/24/14 – Pittsburgh Power at Orlando Predators
6/12/14 – Jacksonville Sharks at Orlando Predators
7/10/14 – Iowa Barnstormers at Orlando Predators
7/26/14 – Arizona Rattlers at Orlando Predators
