Rapid City Marshals Pro Arena Football Team

Rapid City Marshals Cease Operations Effective Immediately

Rapid City, SD – May 24, 2024 - The Rapid City Marshals regretfully announce the cessation of operations, effective immediately. This decision stems from a lack of leadership from previous Arena Football League (AFL) league officials and their unfulfilled promises rendering it impossible for the team to sustain its operations.

This difficult choice follows a recent incident where players refused to take the field and a subsequent last-minute game cancellation, eroding trust between the players and the organization. Coupled with unmet financial obligations, this has become an insurmountable obstacle, leaving the Rapid City Marshals with no viable alternative but to cease operations.

Wes Johnson, co-owner the Rapid City Marshals, expressed deep concern over the situation, stating, "We understand the struggles and frustrations our players have faced with us and with the league. As an ownership group, we feel that the league put us in a terrible position. We hoped we’d be able to find a way to survive, but unfortunately that is not the case."

Reflecting on the team's journey, Johnson added, "My sister and I invested in this team out of a deep love for football and a desire to build a lasting legacy here. We believed that joining the AFL would be a great opportunity for our team, this community, and arena football for many years to come. We are devastated to find ourselves in this position."

The decision to cease operations affects not only the team but also its fans, sponsors, and the wider community. The Rapid City Marshals extend their heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported the team throughout its journey.

Johnson further expressed appreciation, saying, "There are numerous individuals and companies in this town who stepped up and supported us through sponsorship, trade agreements, you name it. This community has been good to us, and even in our struggles, they were here to lend a hand. We can't thank them enough for their patience and understanding."

Regarding ticket reimbursements, The Monument will handle refunds for games not played. Credit card payments will be automatically refunded within 7-10 days. For cash or other payment methods, checks will be mailed to the address associated with the ticketing account

May 22, 2024 - Rapid City, South Dakota

The remaining Marshals team members were asked to travel to Washington to play in this week’s game against the Wolfpack. Unfortunately, only two team members were willing to travel to Washington to play in this game.

After much last-minute deliberation, Marshals ownership worked with the Washington ownership to assemble a team to represent Rapid City in the Thursday night, May 23rd game.

Rapid City ownership is working diligently with the other AFL team owners, administration, and teams to rebuild the remaining schedule dates and fulfill Rapid City’s remaining home dates, reschedule canceled games, and accommodate the obligations and commitments made to our corporate partners and season ticket-holders.

Marshals co-owner, Wes Johnson has issued the following statement:

“We have been noticeably quiet over the last week as we have been working hard to ensure our organization continues moving forward in the Black Hills. We have directed our time, energy and resources into strategizing with other owners how we can assure our playing partners and fans that the Marshals will remain here to complete this season and beyond. The challenges we have faced beginning with the failed commitments of Lee Hutton and Arena Football Management, LLC have undoubtedly disrupted all of the plans and ambitions Rebecca and I had for this season. We have always been a “mom and pop” business with limited resources, but we have also always led with a commitment to honesty, transparency, and dedication to the community. We continue those commitments now and will have more updates in the coming days. We understand frustration from lack of communication from us, but we have also had limited confirmed information to communicate. Therefore, we didn’t want to release statements over and over that were vague and uninformative.”

Rapid City Marshals Home Game on May 18th Cancelled Due to League Re-alignment and Schedule Changes

Rapid City, SD – May 15, 2024 - The Rapid City Marshals regret to announce the cancellation of our upcoming home game scheduled for Saturday, May 18th. This decision stems from current league re-alignment and schedule adjustments.

In light of these developments, The Monument, will initiate refunds for all ticket holders of the cancelled game. For the convenience of our valued fans, all credit and debit card transactions will be automatically refunded and may take 7-10 business days to be reflect on their respective statements.

For patrons who used alternative payment methods, including checks and other forms of payment, The Monument will issue refunds via check. These checks will be mailed to the address on file, ensuring a seamless refund process for all attendees.

The Rapid City Marshals express our gratitude for the continued support and understanding of our loyal fan base during this transition period. The team remains committed to providing timely updates to season ticket holders and fans regarding future home games and schedule adjustments.

Things keep evolving, but the League is finally moving forward in a positive direction.

Arena Football League announces leadership change, revised schedule for the Marshals The Arena Football League announced on Tuesday that Jeff Fisher, the former NFL head coach of the Tennessee Titans and St. Louis Rams and current President of Football Operations for

Another special thanks today to Taco John's (Rapid City), Wings and Rings Rd), and Pizza Ranch for your continued support of the team!

Thank you to Piesano's Pacchia & Holy Sm-oaks Craft BBQ for providing your regular meals to the team today.

- Wes & Rebecca

"When I was 8 years old, still naive and adventurous - I jumped over a wall wondering what was behind it. To my surprise, it was 3 hornets nests that I landed on, enclosed in a 4 wall room. My mom, deathly allergic to bee stings, without hesitation reached over while I was in terror to lift and pull me out. Only suffering from 30 stings and me still landing in the hospital, she may of very well saved my life without thinking twice about hers." - Tim Lukas

Happy Mother's Day!

Marshals Kicker, Aedan Johnson says there was a time when he didn't want to play football anymore and he was going to pursue another sport in high school. His mom pushed him to out onto the field again because she knew he wasn't done with the game. It's because of her resilience and belief in him that he is now playing professional football and continuing to live out a dream.

Happy Mother's Day from the Marshals!

Marshals player, Breon Michel says his favorite memory of his mom is when he was in a basketball game and his mom went into labor with his little brother. He found out mid-game she was having him!

Happy Mother's Day from the Marshals!

Marshals Player Tahj Brighthaupt wishes his mom Happy Mother's Day and wants her to know he appreciates how she always stays positive and pushes him to be better everyday.

Happy Mother's Day from the Marshals!

We regret to confirm the cancellation of tonight’s game due to the continuous ongoing issues within the AFL and their inability to meet the commitments made to the owners, teams, players and coaches.

All ticket holders will be refunded for this evenings game.

As we have more information we will share it in the upcoming days.

GAME DAY‼️
Rapid City Marshals v Billings Outlaws 🚨
The Monument Saturday, May 11th 📅
Doors 5:30 - Kickoff 6:30 PM MST ⏰

Tickets >>> MarshalsFootball.com/tickets 🎟️