Former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow will become the owner of an expansion minor league hockey franchise in the United States.
On Monday, the ECHL announced that that the Board of Governors have given the green light for an expansion franchise in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. The team will play their games at the Tahoe Blue Event Center.
Tebow and Chairman and CEO of Hodges Management Group LLC Dave Hodges will be the owners of the hockey team, whose name will be announced at a later date. Here’s what ECHL commissioner Ryan Crelin in a statement:
“The ECHL proudly welcomes the 29th Member Team to the League in the brand-new Tahoe Blue Event Center, expanding our geography in the western part of the continent, and creating natural rivalries for visiting fans with the Idaho Steelheads, Utah Grizzlies, and the entire Mountain Division.
This new team will offer the only professional sports action in the region, giving locals a hometown team and fast-paced entertainment, with a commitment to giving back and growing the game of hockey in the community. This ownership and operating group have already shown the ability to create a new generation of ECHL fans, and we look forward to the excitement they will bring to South Tahoe.”
Nevada is blossoming as a major sports destination in the nation. Nevada is home to the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders and the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights, with the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball set to relocate there in the near future.
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Tebow, the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner, led the Florida Gators to national championships in 2006 and 2008. He was drafted 25th overall by the Denver Broncos in 2010.
Tebow started 14 games over two seasons with the Broncos, going 7-4-0 as the starter in his 2011 sophomore year. Tebow helped the Broncos to a surprise AFC West division title, and they went on to upset the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card Round.
Nine years after playing his final season for the New York Jets in 2021, Tebow signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars as a tight end. He was released before the start of the season.
