After the American Hockey League's Albany Devils relocated to Binghamton, NY, the Times Union Center was left without a full-time professional tenant.

(It remained home to the Siena College men's basketball team of the NCAA Division I Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.)

On March 14, 2017, Center general manager Bob Belber confirmed that it was in early discussions to bring an AFL team back to Albany.

The local ownership group (led by George Randolph Hearst III) has partnered with that of their AFL leaguemates the Philadelphia Soul (which includes Ron Jaworski, Dick Vermeil, Marques Colston and Jahri Evans among others) to run both teams' business operations while keeping their football operations separate.

[8] After the 2019 season, the AFL announced it was ceasing operating teams in local markets and looking into becoming a traveling league.