Mass. Pirates to leave National Arena League after merger

Photo | Courtesy The Massachusetts Pirates of the Indoor Football League.

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By Zachary Comeau

Worcester arena football team Massachusetts Pirates are ending their affiliation with the National Arena League after league officials announced a merger with another indoor football league.

In a statement on its website, the team said its founder, president and general manager Jawad Yatim opposes the merger with Champions Indoor Football beginning with the 2020 season and is exploring other options.

“As much as we respect our partners, there is a disparity in opinions of how the league should move forward,” Yatim said in a statement. “I don’t feel it is in the best interest of the Massachusetts Pirates and our fans to choose to participate in the NAL-CIF, and we are exploring alternate options for 2020 and beyond. We wish our fellow NAL partners the absolute best and continued success.”

Yatim and his family are owners of the Yatco Energy chain of gas stations and convenience stores in Central and Eastern Massachusetts.

On Friday, Yatim declined to elaborate on the business decision, saying only that it was in the team’s best interest to leave the league.

He said the team has been in talks with DCU Center’s General Manager Sandy Dunn on the team’s plans moving forward, but didn’t commit to keeping arena football at Worcester’s civic center.

“When we’re ready to make announcements, we’ll do it publicly,” he said.

The Pirates began play at the DCU Center in 2018 as an expansion team of the NAL, making the playoffs each year and winning a total of 19 regular season games, tied for second most in the league over that span.

The leagues announced the merger Thursday, which will establish a two-conference league with a playoff format to pit the winner of each conference against one another in the championship game.

Including the Pirates, the merged leagues would consist of 13 teams.