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SALT LAKE CITY — Indoor football hasn’t been new to the Salt Lake Valley since the original Utah Blaze set up shop in the Arena Football League in 2006.
But former NFL safety Ray Austin insists the Salt Lake Screaming Eagles of the Indoor Football League will be different.
“The fans have picked our location already. They picked our logo, they picked our coach, and now they are helping us pick our roster,” said Austin, the team’s co-owner and actor with credits including NBC's Chicago Fire and Fox's Empire. “We want our fans involved in every aspect of the game.”
Whether a unique concept or fan-run gimmick, the Screaming Eagles will put their inaugural season under the Project FANchise banner to the test Thursday at 7 p.m. against the Nebraska Danger.
They’ve brought along some familiar faces, as well. Former Utes, Cougars, Aggies, Wildcats and Thunderbirds dot the roster — another fan-run component that put the finishing touches on the product in recent weeks.
And while the premise of fans calling the plays may seem like a publicity stunt to skeptics, it’s also a chance to play another form of football for ex-college stars.
"It’s a great opportunity to come and play in front of family and friends again,” former Southern Utah wide receiver Justin Brown told KSL. “It’s the hometown to me, and it’s a great experience.”
Former BYU tight end Devin Mahina, who has moved over to receiver because of the game’s eight-man field with only three down linemen, added that the fan-run component may appeal to college football fans looking to watch some of their favorite plays in action.
“I’m not worried. I’m sure the fans will always pick ‘throw to Mahina,’” Mahina said with a grin. “Hopefully there are a lot of BYU fans.”
In addition to Brown and Mahina, former Utah lineman Vises Salt Jr. will join former Weber State guard Alex Land on the offensive line, bridging what was once a collegiate divide for the chance to play football — and possibly rebuild an NFL-bound career.
The Eagles’ regular season runs through June 16, with eight games currently scheduled at the Maverik Center in West Valley. Conference rivals include squads from Spokane, Colorado, and the former AFL standout Arizona Rattlers.
Fans calling plays will be an option for every offensive down of the team operations. The club has already invested in major improvements in the Maverik Center’s Wi-Fi system, and an app is currently available on the iTunesand Google Play to make decisions immediately.
With the IFL’s 25-second play clock, fans will be given the option of four plays on first and second down, which will then be sent to the coach’s tablet on the field, signaled to the quarterback (Ohio State's Verlon Reed and former USC and Arizona quarterback Jesse Scroggins are currently on roster), and run in succession.
For simplicity, the options will be reduced to two on third down: run or pass. On fourth down, fans will be able to signal to punt or go-for-it.
No more Monday morning quarterbacking on sports talk radio, then, with hundreds second-guessing a coach’s decision at critical points of the game.
“You don’t have an excuse to call into sports talk radio,” said team president Thom Carter, a BYU graduate who previously worked for Major League Baseball. “Now it’s your turn to do it. Get online, download the app, and come out. It will be a great time.”
The team’s inaugural game will be streamed live on SI.com, and fans can vote on the plays from anywhere in the world through the app. For interested local fans, tickets are available at saltlakescreamingeagles.com/tickets.
“It’s exciting,” Austin said. “In four days, we’re going to change the way sports are done.”
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