Long Island arena football team brings back New York Dragons name

The Long Island arena football team set to play at Nassau Coliseum in June is bringing back the New York Dragons name.

The newly formed Entertainment Football Association (ENTFLA) announced the team’s name, colors and logo at a news conference in Hicksville on Friday.

The original New York Dragons franchise played in the Arena Football League from 2001-08 and also had Nassau Coliseum as the team’s home.

“The name reflects the community’s love for the previous arena football team that played in the Coliseum for many years,” Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Bills receiver Andre Reed, the league’s commissioner, said.

The name was the most popular nomination from more than 200 online submissions on the ENTFLA website since the team was introduced on Jan. 15, according to general manager Peter Schwartz. The logo incorporates the original Dragons colors with a more modern, three-dimensional image.

The original Dragons, formerly the Iowa Barnstormers, relocated to Long Island in 2001. During the team’s eight-season stint, the Dragons reached the league playoffs five times and claimed Eastern Division championships in 2003, 2004, and 2005.

“It was a no-brainer,” said Schwartz, who served as the play-by-play voice for the original Dragons franchise. “Based on the rich history of the sport here on Long Island, the best choice for us was to call this team the New York Dragons.”

Schwartz, who was named general manager in January, said his first task is hiring a head coach.

“It’s Long Island’s team. I’m closing in on hiring a Long Island-based coach,” Schwartz said. “We have an 18-person roster, and I want most, if not all, players to be former Long Island high school or college players. All the candidates agree with me on this as well.”

The Dragons will play their home opener against the New Jersey Ciphers on June 14 at Nassau Coliseum. During their nine-game schedule, they will also face teams from Danbury, Connecticut and Fitchburg, Massachusetts.

“When the fans see the team were putting together, they’re going to have a lot of pride,” Schwartz said. “It has been a long time since we hung a championship banner in the Coliseum, and I’m hoping this team is the one to do it.”