Indoor football is returning to Pueblo.
The National Arena League announced Pueblo was one of two cities awarded expansion teams for the 2026 season. The Pueblo Punishers will begin play at the Southwest Motors Events Center next March.
“As part of the league’s ongoing commitment to expanding its footprint, the Punishers will proudly bring indoor football to the Pueblo community,” the league said in a statement. “A city that has expressed the desire to expand sports & entertainment to their local residents, the National Arena League looks forward to this win-win partnership with Pueblo Punishers and the city of Pueblo, Colorado.”
The team gives Colorado its second NAL team alongside the Colorado Spartans, who play at the Denver Coliseum.
The Pueblo Punishers is also the first female majority-owned team in the NAL. Owner Lisa Rorich brings a wealth of experience in leading indoor football teams to her role. She had been CEO of the Colorado Spartans and Billings Outlaws and general manager of the Wyoming Mustangs.
"This has been a dream and goal to own a pro arena team,” Rorich said in a statement. “To get the opportunity to be part of the NAL means a lot and will allow me to showcase my passion and vision to be the best and do it right. My goals extend to having a team that the players, partners, and fans are proud of."
This is Pueblo’s third indoor football team. The Pueblo Pistols played in the National Indoor Football League for the 2007 season. The Steel City Menace played in the American Indoor Football League in 2016. But those leagues folded.
The Punishers' head coach and key players will be announced on Sept. 1 at the Colorado State Fair.
