The Crusaders are the second official Stockton-based team to play in the AFL system and the first since the Stockton Lightning who played in af2 from 2006 to 2009. The team was planned to begin play in 2025 alongside the rest of the AF1, but the Crusaders, along with Monterrey, announced that they would be pushing their seasons back to 2026. The logo was made using Artificial intelligence
Arena Football One's predecessor, the 2024 revival of the Arena Football League, had initially announced a team in California's Central Valley.[1] With a leaked social media page indicating this team would be named the California Grizzlies, this team was originally to play 233 miles (375 km) southeast of Stockton, in Bakersfield; its owner, Tim Carbajal, owned a semi-pro outdoor team in that city. Ultimately, Carbajal was unable to secure a lease agreement with Mechanics Bank Arena, and the Grizzlies never made it to play.[2] The team logo eventually went with the Oregon Blackbears. Carbajal is now part-owner of the Arizona Bandits of AF1.
Birth of the Crusaders
The Stockton Crusaders were founded in June of 2024. On September 9, 2024, the Crusaders announced their intentions to join the newly-formed Arena Football One. Its head coach Kurt Bryan was a co-creator of the A-11 offense briefly used in outdoor football.[3] Team president Scott McKibben had previously been chairman of the Oakland Coliseum authority.[4]
On November 18, 2024, the AF1 league announced that the Crusaders and Monterrey Kings will sit out the 2025 season and debut in 2026.[5]
