Albany Empire kicked out of NAL: How Antonio Brown’s ownership led to arena football team being booted

A saga that can only be described as predictably depressing came to an end Thursday, as the Albany Empire — a team owned by Antonio Brown since March that has been fraught with controversy — were kicked out of the National Arena League.

The Empire, founded in 2021, began their brief history in the NAL (founded 2016) under the ownership of Ron Tridico and Nate Starling. Since Brown took over, the 2021 and 2022 championships have been nothing short of a disaster both on and off the field, culminating in their exile Thursday.

The final straw came when Brown and the Empire failed to pay assessments required to keep the league running. Those assessments come from every team in the league and are required. According to the NAL press release, the choice to remove the Empire came after it became clear Brown would not pay his assessments or a $1,000 fine for conduct detrimental to the league, and the owners in “good standing” made the decision via emergency conference call.

The decision came shortly after an interview surfaced of Brown saying “this is the last year in the NAL. Next year we going to the [Arena Football League].”

The National Arena League has kicked the Antonio Brown owned Albany Empire out of the league.

Just 24 hours after he fielded this interview. 💀pic.twitter.com/agMWWoBwHz

— Covers (@Covers) June 15, 2023

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Why were the Albany Empire kicked out of the NAL?

A multitude of controversies led to the Empire’s removal from the National Arena League.

However, as with most decisions of this magnitude, it came down to the money.

Per the NAL’s release, Brown paid the league’s assessment in April. Assessments are the payment required from each team to pay the NAL’s operating budget. However, Brown skipped the league’s May 15 assessment and contested the one in April, which was refunded to him. Brown also refused to pay a $1,000 fine for conduct detrimental to the league.

Because of this, the other owners had an emergency conference call, in which the Empire were ultimately booted out of the league.

Albany Empire/Antonio Brown controversies timeline

While the failure to pay is undoubtedly the catalyst that led to the Empire’s removal from the league, the team has experienced a laundry list of controversies since Brown took control in March.

Brown bought the Empire partially because of the connection to his father Eddie Brown, who was a star for the Albany Firebirds in the Arena Football League and is considered to be among the best AFL players ever. In that sense, it was a homecoming of sorts.

However, what could have been a heartwarming reunion immediately devolved in a nightmare for the Empire. Here’s a look at some of the major events of Brown’s tenure owning the Empire.

April 6: The Empire fires successful coach Tom Menas 10 days before the start of the NAL season. Menas, who had led the Empire to championships in 2021 and 2022, was reportedly blindsided by the firing.

April 16: Brown, who had initially claimed he was joining the Empire to help the team win, hangs around after an Empire victory signing autographs. Despite being asked to leave the field, Brown remains for some time before eventually acquiescing. 

Still I maintained a level of professionalism positivity while dealing with this security today ! First Game AS AN Owner #StayEncouraged pic.twitter.com/eU724PbHR6

— AB (@AB84) April 18, 2023

April 19: After a dispute earlier in the week about ownership — Brown claimed he had full ownership of the team while Mike Kwarta said both sides had 47.5 percent — Kwarta sells the rest of his stake to Brown for $1, giving Brown 95 percent of the team’s stake.

The reasoning from Kwarta is unclear.

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April 30: Problems worsen for the Empire. Brown fires coach Damon Ware, who then said Brown wasn’t paying players and violently threatened Ware when Ware advocated for those players. Eight Empire players were then released when they voiced displeasure about not being paid in time, and Brown locked players and Ware out of their hotel rooms.

Ware later told TMZ he was glad to be out of the “crazy situation.” He added “good-bye. Good riddance.”

May 18: Brown announces he is going to suit up for the Empire, in an attempt to attract fans.

The star receiver told Albany reporter Rodger Wyland of his intention.

May 21: Things boil over between Menas — who had brought back after Ware’s firing — and Brown, with Menas resigning and invoking irreconcilable differences between himself and Brown as the reason.

“I have come to realize that my vision doesn’t match our ownership’s vision, and I need to do the right thing and step aside to allow the Albany Empire to find a head coach that matches their vision,” Menas said in a statement, per the Times Union.

This game came after an Albany loss where Brown was live-tweeting his displeasure with the team, alluding in-game to replacing Menas.

May 27: Hours before his NAL debut as a player, it is discovered Brown didn’t file his physical paperwork in time, rendering him inactive for the game.

Brown declined interviews after the game.

June 14: An interview surfaces of Brown saying he won’t be in NAL with the Empire next year, and he’s striving to take the team to the Arena Football League instead. “This is the last year in the NAL,” Brown said. “Next year we going to the AFL. Not a lot of owners got this type of money to even be in this league. So let’s get that clear.” Brown added he doesn’t care what players in the NAL have to say about him, because he’s “giving them jobs.”

June 15: The Albany Empire are booted out of the NAL, with the league having “[exhausted] all avenues” to cooperate with Brown and the Empire. Brown failed to pay multiple assessments, and his accountant Alex Gunaris said he wasn’t going to. Brown tweeted shortly after, saying “major league not minors.” Replies were turned off.

If Brown isn’t making NAL payments, it’s hard to imagine the AFL is going to accept the Empire with open arms, particularly with the optics being as they have been. What has been a wild few months is now over for the Empire in the NAL, as Brown and the Empire look to see what’s next.