AF1 announces the Beaumont Renegades will join the league in 2026 following their 2025 championship win.
BEAUMONT, Texas — Arena Football One (AF1) has announced the Beaumont Renegades will join the league for the 2026 season, marking the start of AF1’s expansion plans.
The Renegades bring a championship pedigree to the fifty-yard game after capturing a title in their inaugural 2025 season.
“We are incredibly excited to announce the addition of the championship-caliber Renegades to AF1,” Commissioner Jeff Fisher said. “Our goal is to continue to build the league to be the best it can be for players, fans, and communities.”
Led by co-owners Rodney Robichau and NFL veteran Deatrich Wise Jr., the Renegades are making the move to AF1 with a commitment to competing at the highest level.
Wise, entering his ninth NFL season and first with the Washington Commanders, comes from an arena football family — his father, Deatrich Wise Sr., played multiple seasons for the Tampa Bay Storm.
Off the field, Wise operates several businesses, including an award-winning vegetarian restaurant in Massachusetts.
Robichau, a Beaumont business owner and community leader, said the decision to join AF1 was clear.
“AF1 is an organization run well from the top with Jerry Kurz and Jeff Fisher leading it,” Robichau said. “Fisher is an NFL head coach with 18 years of experience, which stood out to us among all the leagues we looked at. The Beaumont Renegades are extremely excited to take on this new challenge. Bringing our 2025 Championship to the AF1.”
Returning to the sideline is Head Coach Corey Mayfield, who led Beaumont to a 7-1 record and a championship victory in 2025.
A former ironman lineman with more than eight years of arena football experience, Mayfield also played in the NFL, NFL Europe, and XFL.
Preparations for the 2026 AF1 season are underway as the league works to expand partnerships and finalize additional expansion teams.
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