WILKES-BARRE, Pa. —–Arena Football One announced earlier today that the new franchise based in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, will be known as the Mavericks.

While the team name is a stark contrast in comparison to other teams that have played in the Northeast Pennsylvanian city in the past, this won’t be the first arena football team that has played in the WBS metro area. The Arena Football 2’s Wilkes-Barre Scranton Pioneers played in the area from 2002-09 before folding along with the rest of the league. The Pioneers made the playoffs every year from 2004 to 2009, reaching the Arena Cup twice. Losing in 2007 to the Tulsa Talons 73-66, after dropping the game tying TD catch and in 2009 to the Spokane Shock 74-27. That loss to the Shock in Arena Cup X was the last game played by the team before they folded.

While there will be fans that certainly remember the Pioneers fondly, one has to wonder why the original name was not chosen. As of this writing, the original trademarks from the Pioneers are dead on the uspto website, so AF1 had every legal avenue to pursue that name and likeness if they chose to. With only a few teams anywhere near where the Mavericks will be playing, travel costs also might play a factor into whether WBS will have the team for more than just a couple of seasons.

The team will play its home games for the 2025 season in the same venue the Pioneers played in last 15 years ago. Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza will serve as the home arena for the Mavericks. The venue is also home to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League.

With the announcement of the Mavericks, all team names for the 2025 AF1 season have now been revealed. The 2025 season kicks off March 14th, 2025.