Rapid City, S.D. (KELO) — The Arena Football League is currently in its third installment, and set out bold goals with 16 new teams this year.

However, several issues have come to life from the league itself that has the team owners working to protect their investments.

The AFL made several promises that they have yet to follow through on, including player money for games played.

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Rapid City Marshals Co-Owner Wes Johnson, has been working everyday to keep things moving for his team.

“I’ve been in communication with Billings and with South West Kansas so at least for the next two weeks we’re still proceeding as planned,” Rapid City Marshals Co-Owner Wes Jonson said.

The Iowa Rampage were the first team to close their doors this season after the first AFL game..

Former Rampage coach Matt Wells had this to say on that ownership group.

“If the league didn’t do their job, fine. You still had your 25% to do, you know what I’m saying, whether that was 250 or 300. If that would’ve happened from our ownership group, regardless of what’s going on in the league, I still think we would’ve had a team,” Former Iowa Rampage Coach said.

Each week another piece of the puzzle of issues starts to show up to the public, and with current Commissioner Lee Hutton nowhere to be found, the league is trying to push through with those teams that have experience leading from before.

Wells believes these ownership groups need to care more for the players and their communities.

“Even though you are dealing with grown men, you still have to look out for them. You still have to sacrifice for them, you still have to take care of them at this point,” Wells said.

Part of these league issues is that the league agreed to pay 75% of game day checks for the players on teams such as Rapid City when moving up from the former CIF.

“I still have not received that from the league, and basically at this point Lee has been dodging the questions, doesn’t respond directly to them so we don’t really know but we’ve just been communicating transparently with the players and just letting them know we’re trying to do everything we can to get them that money,” Johnson said.

Currently four teams have shut their doors on this season, with a few more potentially to follow.

The Rapid City Marshals continue their season tomorrow against the Billings Outlaws at the Summit Arena in Rapid City.

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