WHEELING, WV — December 4th, 2025 — The Continental Football League (CoFL) today announced that the San Angelo Sidewinders have been awarded the league’s final Southern Division franchise, officially completing an all-Texas division for the CoFL’s inaugural 2026 season.
The Sidewinders will join the Texas Syndicate (Austin), San Antonio Toros, and Tall City Black Gold (Midland) in a perfectly clustered regional division designed so fans can easily travel to road games and rivalries can grow across central and west Texas. This modern CoFL continues the legacy of the original Continental Football League of the 1960s, which once featured West Texas and Odessa-Midland as key markets in the minor-league professional landscape.
“San Angelo is exactly the kind of football community this league was built for,” said Mike Kelly, Commissioner of the Continental Football League. “Keith and his group understand that this is business first, community always—they’re building an entertainment company that happens to own a football team, and that mindset is critical for long-term success at this level. The Sidewinders make our Southern Division stronger on day one and help us honor the historic footprint of the original Continental Football League while creating something new for today’s fans.”
Sidewinders Managing Partner Keith Russ brings extensive experience from professional arena and indoor football, including his work with the Odessa Drillers of American Indoor Football. That background, he says, has prepared his group to run a modern, sustainable outdoor franchise.
“Arena football taught us a lot of hard lessons,” Russ said. “The biggest one was that this is a business first that also happens to own a football team. You must know how to sell, how to entertain, and how to take care of your community if you want to survive. The Continental Football League finally gave us the path we’ve been looking for—a true professional outdoor league, not semi-pro, with real structure, viable opponents, and owners who are committed to helping each other succeed.”
Russ initially explored bringing an arena team to San Angelo, but arena construction timelines didn’t align. The desire in the community, however, didn’t fade.
“People in San Angelo kept saying, ‘We need a team,’” Russ added. “I didn’t want to throw together a semi-pro-outfit that didn’t really bring value or stability. When I saw the Continental Football League announcement of the team in Midland, I called the league office first thing the next morning. Their regional model, their financial standards, and their vision for a fan-owned, community-centric league fit exactly what we were trying to build. When a previous group couldn’t meet the criteria, our door opened—and we were ready.”
A Regional, Cooperative Model in the Heart of Texas
Designed as a modern AA-level, fan-owned teams professional league, the CoFL’s Southern Division is intentionally built around drivable rivalries. Austin, San Antonio, Midland, and San Angelo are all within a few hours trip of each other, creating opportunities for shared events, joint combines, and collaborative promotion that is rare in independently owned leagues.
“We’re only as strong as the weakest team in the league,” Russ said. “If one team struggles, we all feel it. In this division, if Midland needs help, we’re an hour and fifteen minutes away. If San Antonio or Austin has a tough week at the gate, we can jump in the car with our sales staff and help. We’ll try to beat each other by 40 on Saturday night—but on Monday morning, we’re all in the same foxhole, making sure everybody is ready for the next weekend.”
This cooperative mindset has already begun, with Southern Division teams partnering on regional events and talent evaluation. The CoFL’s structure emphasizes shared best practices, common standards, and mutual support among its independently owned clubs, a contrast to many past alternative leagues that operated in silos.
Community-First, Family-Friendly Football in San Angelo
Russ and his staff are positioning the Sidewinders as a family-friendly, community-oriented franchise that will be highly visible in San Angelo. Players and coaches will be active in schools, youth programs, and civic events, and game days will be built as full-scale entertainment experiences, not just football games.
“We want game day to be a night out—not just for hardcore football junkies, but for moms, kids, and people who may not know every rule but want a great time,” Russ said. “When the ball isn’t in play, something else will be happening to keep fans engaged. Our guys will be out in the community, in schools, at events. We’re going to win football games, but we’re also going to win over families who want a fun, affordable, local experience.”
The Sidewinders expect to name their first head coach before Christmas, with a core of players already identified from Russ’s network at the college and professional levels. Thanks to that head start, San Angelo aims to enter training camp in spring 2026 with a near-complete roster rather than relying heavily on open tryouts.
A Modern League with Historic Roots
The renewed Continental Football League draws inspiration from its 1960s predecessor while reimagining the model for today’s game. The original CoFL helped launch the careers of notable coaches and players and once included a West Texas/Odessa-Midland franchise, making the Sidewinders’ arrival a symbolic return of professional “Continental” football to the region.
In its modern era, the CoFL is built around:
- Fan-ownership and community equity opportunities in each market
- Regional scheduling to minimize travel costs and maximize rivalry energy
- AA-level player development, serving as a bridge between college/semi-pro and the game’s highest levels
- A unified brand identity under the CoFL shield and color palette—Continental Blue, Iron Red, and Victory White—designed for both traditional football aesthetics and modern media environments.
“The CoFL was originally the scrappy kid from the other side of the tracks saying, ‘We can play football too,’” Kelly said. “This new era keeps that chip on the shoulder—but this time we’re doing it with better structure, smarter business plans, and communities that can literally own a piece of their team.”
About the San Angelo Sidewinders
The San Angelo Sidewinders are a community-driven professional football franchise and the fourth and final member of the Continental Football League’s all-Texas Southern Division. Launching their inaugural season in May 2026, the Sidewinders will bring high-energy, family-friendly, AA-level outdoor football to San Angelo, blending professional standards on the field with deep community engagement off it.
About the Continental Football League
The Continental Football League (CoFL) is a community-owned, fan-first professional football league built to honor the grit and tradition of the game while creating new opportunities for players and coaches. Originally founded in the 1960s, the CoFL is being reintroduced as a modern “AA” league for professional football, with an inaugural lineup of franchises across the United States. Headquartered in Wheeling, West Virginia, the CoFL is committed to strengthening local communities, showcasing overlooked talent, and bringing football back to the fans.
