Ready for indoor football? Three groups set to vie for fans

Are you ready for some indoor football?

Three ownership groups of separate indoor football teams in the Chicago suburbs appear to be banking on it as teams representing the old Chicago Rush and the new Rush prepare to square off against one another - and the Chicago Slaughter - to become the indoor football team of choice among local fans.

Got it?

If you're confused about what the heck is going on, you're not alone.

What is known is that the Chicago Rush arena football team may return to the Allstate Arena in 2010, but it won't be the same team with the same ownership group or as part of the same league - the Arena Football League - it was the last time we saw them in 2008.

The new team will be part of a start-up league known as Arena Football One or AF1 and will play its games at Allstate Arena next season. The team will unveil its plans, along with its new coach and ownership group, at a news conference on Thursday. Its ownership could sport the Rush colors and logo if they'd like after AF1 submitted the winning bid at a Nov. 25 auction of the Arena Football League assets.

And with that team planning on playing in 2010, a team featuring the ownership of the original Rush still plans on returning to action in 2011 with a new league built around several former AFL teams.

The original Rush team, under its former ownership group, was part of the Arena Football League that ceased operations in 2009. That ownership group hopes to return in full force in 2011 with a team that may have a new name in a league with a new name as well.

With the Chicago Slaughter jumping to a new 24-team league - the Indoor Football League - for its games at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, the suburbs may be saturated with three indoor football teams in 2011.