HUNTINGTON -- The Ultimate Indoor Football League formally announced on Monday that the Huntington Hammer will be Huntington's new football franchise.

The team's colors are blue, orange and white and the logo features a muscular man in a Viking helmet wielding an oversized hammer with a subtle 'H' in the head of the hammer.

While the new logo is nice, many are wondering whether a new logo and setup can keep the franchise from the same old fate it has suffered in its last three ventures -- going defunct due to lack of support.

Unlike past ventures in the indoor football realm, UIFL co-founder Andrew Haines said that the league has set up a new business model that he thinks will lead to long-term success.

"Our business model is set up differently with league dues, territory fees and the marketing support from the league. That's going to be a big help," Haines said. "The (previous) model just wasn't working and you are only going to lose money for so long. With our model changed and the ongoing support, it helps us as a league to have teams in the league longer."

Haines was the founder of the AIFL (American Indoor Football League), which the Huntington Heroes competed in before the league saw two teams fold midway through the season. The league eventually reorganized and became the AIFA (American Indoor Football Association), which is the name it operates under today.

The biggest difference between the AIFL and UIFL is that teams will operate under a salary cap for players and coaches while also saving money on league dues and territory fees.

For now, Haines is focused on getting the UIFL up and running. Currently the Huntington Hammer is one of five teams that are solidified in the league. Other teams include Johnstown (Pa.), Highland Heights (Ky.), Pikeville (Ky.) and Canton (Ohio).

With Haines' business model in place, the Hammer also announced their front office and coaching staff members during Monday's press conference.

Team owners are Bill Nichols, an Ashland chiropractor, and Cecil Van Dyke, a business entrepreneur out of Georgia who also has family in Shelby, N.C.

Van Dyke said that the No. 1 thing that attracted him to the area was location and the beauty of the Huntington area, but also tackling the challenge of owning his first sports team.

"Being a rookie is not something that is unusual to me. I've been in this situation many times," Van Dyke said. "When I'm a rookie, I'm usually the rookie of the year. The Huntington Hammer is going to win this year."

Van Dyke said Nichols' experience with the Heroes is pivotal to the franchise's success and that Nichols will handle the day-to-day operations for the team.

The coaching staff will certainly have a familiar flavor to it as Luke Salmons assumes the reigns as head coach. Salmons, a former Marshall offensive lineman, is also the head coach at Lawrence County High School.

Salmons also played for the Heroes during the team's most successful years.

"This is about relationships and it's about good people working together toward one goal," Salmons said. "(The Heroes) were that way for a while and things started changing. It's important for us to get off to a good start."

Garry McPeek, the former Huntington Heroes' head coach, will serve as the team's offensive coordinator while Michael "Kool-Aid" Owens, a former Marshall and Huntington Heroes player, will lead the team's defense.

The Huntington Hammer will play a 14-game schedule -- seven home and seven away.

Ticket prices were also released at the press conference with packages starting as low as $35, but no more than $150 for the team's seven-game home slate. Season-ticket packages are set up so that by purchasing for the whole season, patrons essentially get at least one game free when committing for the entire year.

Single-game tickets start at $7 for corner seating, $10 for end zone, $14 for sideline seats and $25 for Grid Iron Circle, which places fans at floor level.

The first season of the UIFL will start in Feb. 2011 and the league will release the schedule in Nov. 2010.

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