SPOKANE, Wash. — The Spokane Shock has been kicked out of the Indoor Football League (IFL), according to a tweet from the IFL.
The league previously told the KREM 2 Investigators it is unprecedented that at this point in the season, a team would not have secured a place to play their home games.
"Due to multiple issues in the Spokane market, including a dispute with the arena, the IFL board of directors have terminated the Spokane Shock effective immediately," the IFL said in a tweet.
The news comes as Shock owner Sam Adams ran out of time to provide the Spokane Public Facilities District (PFD), which manages the Spokane Arena, with the $128,000 security bond needed to play at the arena.
The IFL season is set to begin on March 12, and the Spokane Shock’s first game was scheduled for March 18.
“This is not an ideal situation to say the least; you never want to see a member going through issues in such a public way. We felt it was necessary to move on from the Spokane market and adjust our schedule accordingly," IFL Commissioner Todd Tryon said in a statement. “We have so many positive things we are experiencing in our league and as unfortunate as this situation is, we will get better as we move forward.”
Adams signed a contract with the PFD on Feb. 15 but did not provide the security bond, which is essentially proof of collateral to cover rent costs at the arena through the upcoming season. The security bond is in addition to the $153,000 Adams has already paid to secure the arena for the upcoming season.
Because of his failure to pay on Feb. 15, the PFD issued a default letter, giving Adams five business days to issue the security bond. On the final day, the PFD granted Adams an additional 24 hours to make the payment due to a misinterpretation in the contract.
Ultimately, Adams failed to supply the security bond and the PFD terminated the Shock's contract.
For the latest development on the Spokane Shock, click here.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.