The Continental Football League awarded its final Southern Division franchise to the San Angelo Sidewinders, completing an all-Texas lineup for the league’s inaugural 2026 season.
The Sidewinders join the Texas Syndicate of Austin, the San Antonio Toros and the Tall City Black Gold of Midland in a regional division built around short travel distances and local rivalries. The league announced the addition last week from its headquarters in Wheeling, West Virginia.
Sidewinders Managing Partner Keith Russ brings experience from arena and indoor football, including his work with the Odessa Drillers of American Indoor Football. Russ said that background helped shape the group’s approach to launching an outdoor franchise.
“Arena football taught us a lot of hard lessons,” Russ said. “The biggest one was that this is a business first that also happens to own a football team. You must know how to sell, how to entertain, and how to take care of your community if you want to survive.”
Russ had explored bringing an arena team to San Angelo, but construction timelines didn’t align. He said community interest in a local team persisted, and the CoFL’s structure drew him in.
“When I saw the Continental Football League announcement of the team in Midland, I called the league office first thing the next morning,” Russ said. “Their regional model, their financial standards, and their vision for a fan-owned, community-centric league fit exactly what we were trying to build.”
The Sidewinders expect to name their first head coach before Christmas and enter spring 2026 training camp with most of their roster already identified.
Russ said the Sidewinders plan to be highly visible in schools, youth programs and civic events, and that game days will be designed as entertainment experiences.
“We want game day to be a night out—not just for hardcore football junkies, but for moms, kids, and people who may not know every rule but want a great time,” he said.
The Sidewinders will begin play in May 2026.
3 Comments
The article is very unclear – is this an Arena Football League? Or an outdoor football league? Where will they play?
The San Angelo Sidewinders are a brand-new AA-level team preparing for their inaugural season in the Continental Football League. According to the team, they are “bringing fast-paced, hard-hitting football to the Spur Arena.”
Outside!! Big man football! You will be impressed! The ownership and League will be first class!
I bet they try and play at San Angelo Stadium! Love the horse shoe!!