When you approach Wilson Logistics Arena minutes before an Ozarks Lunkers game is scheduled to kick off, you'll find a number of fans crossing the street from an auxiliary parking lot because the one next to the venue is full.
There's an excitement among the young fans who are getting their first taste of what is promoted as "professional football." No, it's not the Kansas City Chiefs, but it's what those running the Lunkers promised to be an entertaining and affordable product.
Walking into the venue, located on the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds, fans aren't treated to a livestock show nor smacked in the face with the smell of manure. Instead, the lights are off as the public address announcer welcomes the Lunkers to the field. An engaged crowd of about 3,500 cheer loudly for the likes of former Hillcrest and Missouri State standout Matt Rush or big man Ell Teycer.
For the next few hours, fans at what the Lunkers have dubbed "The Tackle Box" were treated to an entertaining product where it didn't matter what was happening on the field. Yes, fans were engaged, oohing and ahhing with the biggest hits and getting loud whenever the ball hit the ground on one of the many laterals, but the show around the game helped make it an entertaining evening.
Even the most skeptical about the Ozarks Lunkers and the creation of another indoor football league would have left Wilson Logistics Arena on Saturday night pleasantly surprised and excited to return in 2025.
The Lunkers want to create a 'circus-like atmosphere'
Ozarks Lunkers owner Mark Burgess said an investment into game production has been critical to the team's off-the-field success. There are plenty of lights, smoke and fog. Music is constantly played during breaks, the Lunky the Lunker mascot is always walking around and there are on-field games for prizes during each timeout.
Spectators are close to the action, with many luxury boxes surrounding the playing surface, allowing younger fans to high-five players during the action and adults to cheer on the team while sipping their drinks. Fans also get to keep the footballs that go into the crowd.
Different stations are placed around the field, including a photo-op with a dinosaur, Disney princesses and Spider-Man. On-field entertainment includes Diskey the Wonder Dog, team dancers and a raffled-off boat for one lucky winner. Saturday's game featured a Make-A-Wish announcement for a young fan who will visit Disney World in the near future.
"It needs to be a circus atmosphere," Burgess said. "The idea is to take a really cool, circus-like atmosphere and wrap it around a really good professional football game."
How good is the actual football?
Somehow, football can be an afterthought with everything going on, but it's what ties everything together.
The 6-on-6 action fits the space on a 50-yard field, half the size of a traditional setup. Centers can go out for passes, players aren't afraid to lateral the ball to teammates and you'll occasionally see a player get hit over the wall and into a luxury box. The only complaint may be that the game might drag on for a little too long.
The Ozarks Lunkers are mostly local, with several former players from Missouri State, Evangel and area high schools. It's fun to see a player like former MSU running back Tobias Little play linebacker or see Teycer, a 300-pound center and defensive lineman, catch a pass or two as an eligible receiver.
You can also tell how much the players care. Some fans are almost right there in the huddle and can feel a connection with the competitors that they're not able to get when watching the NFL on their television or watching from the stands on a Friday night.
Will 'The Arena League' be the next indoor football league to fail? It doesn't look like it.
Burgess isn't oblivious to the fact that indoor football leagues go belly up all the time. There have been many struggles with the brand-name "Arena Football League" and its recent return. Many other leagues have come and gone.
The Arena League made its debut in 2024. It expects to expand in 2025, and the Lunkers already have opened season ticket sign-ups next year. Attendance and interest in Springfield haven't been an issue, as made clear by the crowd for the team's final regular season home game against the Kansas City Goats.
"The bottom line is that we need to put together a good, quality product," Burgess said. "And so far, the owners group that we have is doing that. They're all trying to make sure it's family friendly, good and fun. If we can keep the momentum going, especially adding new teams next year, we hope to build into a league that does sustain itself because they do come and go all the time across the country."
It's evident how much Burgess and those within the Lunkers organization have responded to feedback from those who have attended their games.
Many complained about concession stand lines on opening night. The Lunkers, and Ozark Empire Fairgrounds, responded with more workers for the remainder of the season. Many complained about the public address announcer after the first game, the Lunkers replaced him the next week.
"You have to have the willingness to listen," Burgess said. "You have to. They're what's going to keep us here. If we don't have sponsors, if we don't have fans, we won't be here. We think we have the kings worked out and now it's all about winning the season. That's the game."
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