Las Vegas Outlaws (arena football)

For the XFL team, see Las Vegas Outlaws (XFL).

Las Vegas Outlaws
Established 2014 Folded 2015 Played in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Thomas & Mack Center
League/conference affiliations
Arena Football League (2015) National Conference (2015) West Division (2015)
Current uniform
Team colors	Black, Vegas gold
Personnel
Owner(s)	Arena Football League
President	Scotty Gelt
Head coach	Aaron Garcia
Team history
Las Vegas Outlaws (2015)
Championships
League championships (0)
Conference championships (0)
Division championships (0)
Home arena(s)
Thomas & Mack Center (2015)

The Las Vegas Outlaws were a professional Arena Football League (AFL) team based in Las Vegas, Nevada. They played in the AFL's National Conference West Division in 2015. The franchise was recently owned by Vince Neil, lead singer for Mötley Crüe and former minority owner of the Jacksonville Sharks. On September 11, 2014, it was announced that Aaron Garcia was to be the team's first head coach.

This was the third and most recent attempt at an AFL franchise in Las Vegas since two other teams played briefly, the Las Vegas Sting from 1994 to 1995 before relocating to Anaheim and becoming the Anaheim Piranhas and the Las Vegas Gladiators from 2003 to 2007 before they relocated to Cleveland.^[1] Neil won approval from the league for the franchise on June 17, 2014. According to reports from ESPN, he asked to name his team the "Las Vegas Outlaws", not to be confused with the former XFL franchise from 2001 of the same name.^[2] That wish was granted on August 22, 2014, when the announcement was officially made that the team would indeed be called the Outlaws.^[3][4][5]

After initial rumors had the team playing at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, the team actually played at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of UNLV, previous home to the Sting and Gladiators.

History

Vince Neil joined fellow musicians Jon Bon Jovi, Tim McGraw and KISS band members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley that have started AFL franchises. Bon Jovi created the Philadelphia Soul in 2004 and that team still exists today playing at the Wells Fargo Center under the majority ownership of Ron Jaworski. McGraw, a country music star, was minority owner of Bud Adams's version of the Nashville Kats from 2005 to 2007. Simmons and Stanley founded the Los Angeles KISS which existed from 2013 until 2016 and played at the Honda Center in Anaheim, former home of the Piranhas. Neil was named minority owner of the Jacksonville Sharks just two months prior to the formation of his own team.

League takeover and demise

On July 12, 2015, ArenaFan.com reported that the Outlaws and the New Orleans VooDoo were to be taken over by the league due to poor attendance and financial issues. Both teams were expected to finish the season, then commissioner Scott Butera was conduct a search for new owners.^[6][7] The scheduled game between the Outlaws and the VooDoo was cancelled and declared a tie. Vince Neil was supposedly likely to have returned as majority owner, but a new ownership group would have had to be formed. However, on August 9, 2015 it was announced that the Las Vegas Outlaws would cease operations effective immediately, despite having qualified for the 2015 playoffs.^[8] They were replaced as the fourth and final seed in the National Conference by the Portland Thunder.

Final roster

Las Vegas Outlaws roster
Quarterbacks 12 Sean Brackett 11 J. J. Raterink Fullbacks Currently vacant Wide receivers -- Larry Beavers 18 LaDon Hudson  1 Clinton Solomon 21 Doug Williams 10 Jason Willis		Offensive linemen 55 Nyere Aumaitre 60 Terrence Campbell 71 Kevin Myers 74 Justin Wells 54 Zack Williams 72 Will Wright Defensive linemen 23 Terrance Carter 54 Jabari Fletcher 53 Mike Lewis 33 Mark Weivoda		Linebackers 17 Wesley Mauia Defensive backs  7 Ray Little  6 Eddie Moten  2 Demarcus Robinson  3 Matt Vinal Kickers 14 Ernesto Lacayo		Injured reserve 99 Junior Aumavae DL  2 Donovan Henley DB 78 Jeff Nady OL 95 Ernest Owusu DL  6 Wesley Pendleton DB 19 Tysson Poots WR 20 Tanner Varner LB 15 Jomo Wilson WR League suspension 62 Brandyn Dombrowski OL 14 Ross Gornall K 95 Matt Hardison DL 90 Romelle Jones LB 91 Brandon Peguese DL 27 Jamarko Simmons WR  5 Dee Webb DB Refuse to report 23 Myron Lewis DB -- Abe Markowitz OL -- Julius Williams DL Other league exempt Currently vacant Inactive reserve 42 Joe Mortensen FB  3 Gerald Young WR Recallable reassignment Currently vacant Rookies in italics Roster updated August 12, 2015 22 Active, 21 Inactive

Head coaches

Name	Term	Regular season				Playoffs		Awards
		W	L	T	Win%	W	L
Aaron Garcia	2015	5	12	1	.306	0	0

Season-by-season results

ArenaBowl Champions

ArenaBowl Appearance

Division Champions

Playoff Berth

Season	League	Conference	Division	Regular season				Postseason results
				Finish	Wins	Losses	Ties
2015	AFL	American	West	2nd	5	12	1
Total					5	12	1	(includes only regular season)
					0	0	—	(includes only the postseason)
					5	12	1	(includes both regular season and postseason)

References

1. Strip Scribbles: Vince Neil’s arena football team expansion; Jeff Dunham’s $100,000 donation, Robin Leach, Las Vegas Sun, June 18, 2014
2. Vince Neil gets AFL approval, ESPN.com, June 20, 2014
3. Las Vegas Outlaws To Join Arena Football League in 2015, Adam Markowitz, ArenaFan.com, August 22, 2014
4. Rocker Vince Neil Brings Arena Football Back to Las Vegas, AFL Communications, Arena Football League mobile app, August 22, 2014
5. Arena Football League tests Vegas waters for third time, Mark Anderson, Las Vegas Review-Journal, August 22, 2014
6. AFL assumes control of Outlaws, VooDoo, announcement expected this week, Adam Markowitz, ArenaFan.com, July 12, 2015
7. Steve Carp (July 15, 2015). "Arena league takes over Outlaws". www.reviewjournal.com. Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
8. "Las Vegas Outlaws cease operations". Archived from the original on 2018-06-17. Retrieved 2023-01-30.