Why Are The Duluth Harbor Monsters Moving To A New League, Changing Their Name? GM Answers Fan Questions

Yesterday, a bombshell dropped in the Twin Ports area sports scene, as it was revealed that the Duluth Harbor Monsters are no more. The team made a huge announcement that they will be rebranding to the Minnesota Monsters as part of a move to a new league.

What does this move mean for the team? For fans? I spoke with the team's CEO and General Manager, Steve Walters, to get the answers.

What league are the Monsters moving to?

Formerly known as the Duluth Harbor Monsters, the Minnesota Monsters are moving to a different arena league called Arena Football One (AF1 for short).

The AF1 played its first season in 2025, with teams in markets like Albany, New York; Nashville, Tennessee; Beaumont, Texas; Redmond, Oregon; and Everett, Washington (in the Seattle area).

Branded as "The Premiere Arena Football League", with deep ties to professional football and the original Arena Football League.

Monsters GM Steve Walters says the move to this higher-level league will give bigger and better opportunities to everyone involved - the team, players, fans, and the Duluth community. More on that below.

What is the AF1 League? How is it different than the Monsters' previous league?

While AF1 is a newer league than The Arena League, Walters says it is a higher level of arena football with better opportunities and even more exciting football for fans.

AF1 is led by Commissioner Jeff Fisher, who played NFL football and spent decades as an NFL coach, including a Super Bowl appearance as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans.

The AF1 CEO is Jerry Kurz, who was one of the founding fathers of the original Arena Football League, where NFL figures like Super Bowl-winning quarterback Kurt Warner and NFL coach Jay Gruden both played. Speaking of the Grudens, his brother John Gruden is an owner of the Nashville Kats.

Walters says while the AF1 is a newer league, its deep ties to the origins of the sport, the prominent people involved in the league, the national reach the league has, and the opportunities all of that affords Duluth's team are a big part of why it is a major step up.

On the note of stepping up, the new league offers teams the opportunities to pay more for team talent, which means an even higher level of competition on the field with players who are even closer to the NFL's ranks playing in the league's games.

The national appeal of the new league, Walters says, will also afford Duluth and the Twin Ports area another national spotlight shining on it

Why the name change? Are the Monsters leaving Duluth?

Walters says this is one of the top concerns fans have shared since the news broke about the new branding and new league. In short, the team is very much continuing to proudly make Duluth its home.

The reason for the name change comes down to business.

The Arena League owns the name and branding "Duluth Harbor Monsters", so they can't bring it with them to the new league. Because of that, Walters says, they had to come up with a new name - but they will still proudly be calling Duluth home.

While they had to change their name, they were still able to hold on to the "Monsters" legacy as part of the new brand. We look forward to seeing more of their "new look" soon!

When are AF1 games? When will the Monsters play?

The AF1 is in the process of admitting 4 new teams to the league as a part of their expansion from 2025 to 2026. Duluth is one of those teams joining the league for the 2026 season.

As the league figures these new teams into their schedule, we'll be getting a look at the 2026 season soon - but we have an idea of when they will play their games.

Walters says the 2026 season will start in the spring, likely sometime in April. The season will run into the summertime, covering "a similar, but larger" footprint on the calendar.

How will Monsters games be different in the AF1?

Walters was very excited about this question. Fans who have enjoyed the last two years can expect an even higher level of play, more scoring opportunities, and an even more exciting fan experience.

Besides higher-tier athletes improving gameplay overall, Walters says some changes fans will notice include kicking and trench battles.

The Arena League has no kicking at all, while AF1 has kicking that affords scoring opportunities and interesting and exciting new wrinkles to the game and strategy. In addition, those who are used to watching traditional collegiate or NFL football and seeing "trench battles" between an offensive and defensive line, will see those elements in this game.

Walters says 3-on-3 offensive and defensive lines will add another element of strategy to the game and offer more to watch on the field.

How will fans be able to enjoy Minnesota Monsters games?

The team will still be playing at the DECC, welcoming fans to cheer them on in person for their 2026 season. If you can't make it to home games or want to check out the team's road games, there will be a few ways to enjoy them.

Walters says he looks forward to extending his radio partnership with The FAN 106.5 to provide radio coverage and analysis on the air at 106.5 FM, 560 AM, and through the station's streaming platforms. While the radio home of the team will stay the same, he looks forward to some exciting new things coming to broadcasts.

On the TV side of things, the AF1 has a national TV contract with A&E Networks, which affords the league a national spotlight for TV broadcasts. In 2025, the A&E station VICE TV was the home of weekly "Game of the Week" broadcasts that will continue into 2026.

For the rest of the season's games, teams will be making video broadcasts available via a stream for free. While games in the past had also been aired on local broadcast TV in the Duluth area, Walters had no specifics to share on plans for 2026 at this time, but I'm sure there will be more to come on that soon.