A new franchise will play its home games at the Nassau Coliseum, the former home of the NY Islanders

Fort Never Lose is about to gain a new tenant, as Nassau Coliseum will become the home of the New York franchise of the Entertainment Football Association (ENTFLA). It will be the second franchise to call the arena home after the NY Islanders left for UBS arena, joining the Long Island Nets.

The ENTFLA is set to kick off this summer, with the new league being a similar style of play to the Arena Football League. There will be four home games played at the Coliseum.

Football returns to Nassau Coliseum

The team that will represent New York hasn’t been named yet, with fans being afforded the opportunity to name the team and even select the colors of the new organization.

“This is Long Island’s team, we want the people of this community to name it,” said the ENTFLA commissioner and NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver from the Buffalo Bills, Andre Reed according to Matt O’Leary of Greater Long Island. “We love this community, its arena, and the people who run them, so we look forward to making this team and these events something Long Island is proud of.”

The last football team to call Nassau Coliseum home was the New York Dragons of the Arena Football League, which played its last game there in 2008. Though the team no longer exists, its memory lives on as Sparky the Dragon remains a visible part of the Islanders organization. 

The Islanders played their final game at the Coliseum on June 23, 2021, memorably closing the final chapter on their former home with an OT win against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals.