WINDSOR, Colorado — The Northern Colorado Owlz will play their inaugural season in 2022, team ownership announced Thursday.
The Owlz will play in the eight-team Pioneer League at Future Legends Complex, a new 118-acre sports, entertainment and retail development currently under construction in Windsor. The complex will open fully in spring 2022.
In November, the Owlz announced their departure from Orem, Utah to Windsor, along with a new partnership the Pioneer League and Major League Baseball (MLB).
The Northern Colorado Owlz will join the Grand Junction Rockies, Colorado Springs Rocky Mountain Vibes, the Billings Mustangs, the Great Falls Voyagers, the Idaho Falls Chukars, the Missoula PaddleHeads and the Ogden Raptors in the league.
Owlz ownership said that a 2022 debut is in the best interest of "the health and safety of players, fans, team staff, and the community."
“We want to give our fans the best possible experience when they come to an Owlz game for the first time, making sure we prioritize their health, and welcoming them to Future Legends Complex with a fully finished stadium, retail, restaurants, and other sports fields,” said Northern Colorado Owlz owner and Future Legends CEO Jeff Katofsky. “With the whole Future Legends development operating for the 2022 season, we want to welcome supporters to a sports fans paradise.”
The Pioneer League season in 2022 will run from approximately Memorial Day through mid-September.
“Our priority is the health of our team, supporters and community," said Katofsky. "The Northern Colorado community deserves its first professional baseball game to be an unforgettable experience surrounded by friends, family and other fans! As an ownership group, given the restrictions of the pandemic, we didn’t see that happening in 2021."
The newly-announced Northern Colorado FC of USL League One will also play at Windsor's Future Legends Complex.
In the new partnership announced last November, the Pioneer League will collaborate with MLB to provide organized baseball to communities throughout the Western U.S. and Canada.
MLB will provide initial funding for the league’s operating expenses, as well as install scouting technology in Pioneer League ballparks to provide MLB clubs with first-class scouting information on Pioneer League players.
The agreement will also include a procedure for player transfers to MLB clubs. The leagues also will explore joint marketing, ticketing and fan engagement opportunities.
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