New Mexico Stars
 |
|
| Founded | 2011 |
|---|---|
| Folded | 2016 |
| League |
IFL (2012) LSFL (2013–2014) AIF (2016) |
| Conference | Intense (2012) |
| Division | Western (2016) |
| Team history | New Mexico Stars (2012–2014, 2016) |
| Based in | Rio Rancho, New Mexico |
| Arena | Santa Ana Star Center |
| Colors | Black, Red, Gold, White |
| Owner(s) | Tracy & Crystal Duran |
| Head coach | John Fourcade |
| General manager | John Fourcade |
| Championships | (0) |
| Division titles | (1) Western: 2016 |
| Playoff berths | (3) LSFL: 2013, 2014 AIF: 2016 |
| Dancers | Advanced Dance West |
| Website | NMStarsIF.com |
The New Mexico Stars were a professional indoor football team based in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. The Stars played their home games at the Santa Ana Star Center.
They began play in the Indoor Football League (IFL) during the 2012 season as an expansion team. The Stars left the IFL after one season and joined the Texas-based Lone Star Football League (LSFL) where they would play for two seasons. Prior to the 2015 season, the Stars were purchased by Tracy & Crystal Duran and the team announced it was going to play in Champions Indoor Football for 2015. However, the team would instead go on hiatus for the season. The Stars then attempted to join other indoor football leagues until playing the 2016 season as a member of American Indoor Football (AIF) as part of a West Division. Most of the West Division collapsed leaving the Stars regionally isolated and forced to schedule games against many local semi-professional teams. The AIF ceased operations following the 2016 season, leaving the Stars without a league. The Durans would move to Mississippi later in 2016 and the Stars would officially fold.
The Stars were the second indoor team to play in Rio Rancho, following the American Indoor Football Association's New Mexico Wildcats, which played the 2008 and 2009 seasons before folding.
In October 2011, team owner and general manager Dart Clark made an announcement that indoor football would be returning to New Mexico. During the announcement, Clark stated that the team would be nicknamed the Stars, the head coach would be Chris Williams and that the team would play at the Santa Ana Star Center. The team tried to make a large splash early on to help boost interest in the team when they offered NFL veteran wide receiver, Terrell Owens, former University of New Mexico star, DonTrell Moore and former University of Wisconsin-Madison All-American, Erasmus James. Owens would eventually sign with the Allen Wranglers (also of the IFL). The Stars played their first game on February 25, 2012 against the Colorado Ice. The Stars won the game 46-39 in front of a home crowd of around 3,600. The team was run by Clark until March 2012, when the Stars made a change, naming Jerry Dunn majority owner and interim general manager. After the teams April 20 game at the Wyoming Cavalry, two Stars players, (one of which was Darius Marshall) were arrested and charged with assault on a member of the Cavalry. The following week, the four players involved in the altercation were released. The Stars ended the 2012 season with a 2-12 record, a last place finish in the Intense Conference.
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