Report: Arena Football Returning to Lafayette Next Week

Sports fans in Lafayette, Louisiana who have been around town for more than a few years will remember names like the Lafayette Wildcatters or perhaps the Lafayette Roughnecks. Those were the two "indoor football" teams that once graced the "turf" at the Cajundome.

If memory serves me correctly the Roughnecks were in Lafayette for just one year. I believe it was 2001. They posted an impressive 3-13 record during their brief tenure in the Hub City. For the Wildcatters the stay was a little bit longer. They played two seasons in the Cajundome from 2009 to 2010. And if I remember correctly they didn't play under the moniker "Wildcatters" that first season. I believe they were called the Acadiana Mudbugs.

Of course, the only professional sports championship banner to hang inside the Cajundome belonged to Lafayette's indoor soccer team the Swampcats. The Swampcats brought good crowds to the Cajundome from 1997 to 1999. They were EISL champions their first year and finished with the best record in the league the following year winning the league championship again.

Louisiana Voodoo Moving From Lake Charles to Lafayette

George Faust of KLFY Television in Lafayette was the first to report that the Louisiana Voodoo of the Arena Football League will be moving their home games to Lafayette. The team, according to Faust, is set to begin play on April 27th in Lafayette's Blackham Coliseum.

According to the story published by Faust on the KLFY website, the team is moving to Lafayette because of issues with the management firm that operates the Lake Charles Civic Center.

The Voodoo are scheduled to open play against the Philadelphia Soul on April 27th. So modifications and field installation inside Blackham Coliseum are expected to begin immediately. The Voodoo are scheduled to face the Georgia Force on May 4th and then host the Orlando Predators on Thursday, May 9th. That game will be broadcast on the NFL Network.

Familiar Football Names Returning to Lafayette with Arena League Team

If you're a fan of the New Orleans Saints you might remember Michael Lewis, aka the Beerman. Lewis will be an offensive analyst for the team.

In addition to Lewis' input on team operations a former coach of the Lafayette Wildcatters, John Fourcade, will also be adding his input to the team as an offensive analyst to.

Louisiana Voodoo fans might already be familiar with a player who has the last name Fourcade, Chase Fourcade is the team's quarterback. He's John Fourcade's nephew, that's the relationship between those two. Chase Fourcade is also familiar to Louisiana college football fans too, he was the starting quarterback for Nicholls State just a few years ago.

Details on the Louisiana Voodoo's move from Lake Charles to Lafayette are still being finalized and there will be more information to pass on to you in the coming days so do check back with us for the latest.