The Georgia Rampage, a professional arena football team, is coming to Dalton.

The Rampage will play its home games at the Northwest Georgia Trade and Convention Center and will compete in the Unified Indoor Football League. The UIFL is going into it’s third season as a professional football league and stretches from Florida to Pennsylvania.

The Rampage will play six home games at the Northwest Georgia Trade and Convention Center in Spring of 2013. The Rampage ownership is lead by Amer Awad and Kacee Smith.

“We feel honored to bring a professional football team to a city with such an amazing football fan base and look forward to bringing championships to this city,” said Awad. “In the words of Herm Edwards, you play to win the game. Fans don’t want to see a team lose and neither do we.”

When asked about working with Smith, Awad said, “Kacee Smith is the reason I decided to join the team. His track record in football, ability to find talent and all around experience was impressive and I look forward to being apart of it.”

Smith has also been a co-owner and manager of the North Georgia Bulldogs, an outdoor semi-pro football team. The Bulldogs are going into their sixth season and are currently undefeated at 7-0.

“I’m very excited about this move and I think Dalton will be a perfect fit for this,” said Smith. Not only are we bringing great talent made up of Division 1 football players, and former professional players from other leagues to thrill and excite the town, but we are also driving in business to the local area. On game days it will be a great spike in business for restaurants, hotels and near-by shopping. We offer very cheap and creative advertisement for local businesses too. I’m a big believer in being involved with those around you and pulling together to help the local community grow and prosper.”

The Rampage was going to be an expansion team in 2012 in Rome before the team’s ownership lost funding and was forced to fold it’s 4 teams. The territory, team name and logo was left vacant and Awad and Smith bought it from the league and decided to move it to Dalton. Smith used a travel team last year to play under the Rampage name as they played all their games on the road and shocked everyone when they traveled to Tupelo, Mississippi for their opening game to bring in their first win. This was the first ever win by a travel team.

A press conference will be held in the near future and the team hopes to launch season tickets soon and will also hold their first tryout for the 2013 season. The Rampage will be looking to fill positions such as sales and marketing, interns, coaches and volunteers. If you wish to be apart of the team, you may contact them at kacee.rampage@gmail.com and amer.rampage@gmail.com.