Arena Football League (1994-2001)
Tombstone
Born: August 9, 1993 – Arena Football expansion franchise
Folded: 2001
First Game: May 23, 1994 (L 65-28 @ Fort Worth Cavalry)
Last Game: July 20, 2001 (L 64-47 vs. Arizona Rattlers)
Arena Bowl Championships: None
Arena
The Bradley Center (17,819)11999 Arena Football League Official Record & Fact Book
Opened: 1988
Demolished: 2019
Marketing
Team Colors: Purple, Teal & Black21999 Arena Football League Official Record & Fact Book
Ownership
Owner: Andrew Vallozzi
OUR FAVORITE STUFF
Milwaukee Mustangs
Replica Jersey
When it comes to Replica Jerseys, we turn to our friends at Royal Retros, who put extraordinary detail into their fully customizable Arena Football, USFL, WFL, and CFL jerseys.
Free Customization Included
Any name and number
Heavyweight sewn tackle twill
100% polyester
When you make a purchase through an affiliate link like this one, Fun While It Lasted earns a commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!
Background
The Milwaukee Mustangs were a popular indoor football attraction in Wisconsin’s largest city during the mid-to-late 1990’s. Although rarely in contention for the Arena Bowl championship – the Mustangs had only two winning seasons out of eight and never advanced beyond the playoff quarterfinals – the team regularly ranked among Arena Football League attendance leaders.
On The Carpet
During the Mustangs’ debut season in 1994, the team went winless in 12 games with former NFL signal caller John Fourcade at quarterback. But the expansion team still averaged 14,231 fans for six home dates, which was third best in the 11-team league.
The 1996 season marked the franchise’s high water mark. The Mustangs went 10-4 and finished second in their division behind the Kurt Warner-led Iowa Barnstormers. Milwaukee also tied for the league lead in attendance in ’96 with 15,567 fans on average for seven openings.
Demise
The Milwaukee Mustangs were owned throughout their existence by the Vallozzi family. During the Mustangs’ final season in 2001 the Vallozzi’s feuded publicly with management of the Bradley Center over date conflicts and planned renovation projects. The Mustangs closed their doors in August 2001 and blamed the closure of the team on the intractable arena disputes.
Arena football returned to Milwaukee in 2009 with the formation of the Milwaukee Iron of Arena Football 2, which was initially owned by the Vallozzi’s as well. The new franchise was unable to rekindle Milwaukee’s earlier enthusiasm for the sport, despite reclaiming the Mustangs brand name in 2011. The Vallozzi’s bailed out after the 2010 season and the Iron/Mustangs franchise shut down for good after the 2012 campaign.
Milwaukee Mustangs Shop
Mustangs Video
The Mustangs visit the Massachusetts Mauraders on July 16th, 1994 during their winless debut season.
Links
##
