The recent AFL took its identity, history, some of the rulebook and some team names from, but is not directly connected to, the previous iteration of the Arena Football League founded by Jim Foster in 1986.

Three weeks into the season, after numerous controversies, unfulfilled commitments and teams suspending operations, the ownership group fired founding commissioner Lee Hutton and reorganized as a ten-team league (shortly thereafter restored to eleven, by the end of the season shrinking to eight), hiring former NFL coach Jeff Fisher as its interim commissioner and bringing back general counsel Jerry Kurz from the previous incarnation of the league.

[2] The original Arena Football League, created in 1981 and founded in 1986 by Jim Foster, had previously existed in two interrelated incarnations between 1987 and 2008, and 2010 to 2019.

In a later interview, Chetty indicated that G6 planned no involvement or spending, with its only role being to collect licensing royalties from Hutton, who was given mostly free rein to build out the league: "everything down the line, turnkey.

[5] Players were promised a $1,000 per-game salary, substantially higher than that of other indoor leagues and in line with the AFL's previous incarnations.

[6] On July 18, 2023, TMZ Sports initially reported, and the league soon confirmed, that the AFL had selected the following cities that would be receiving new teams: Austin, Texas; Boise, Idaho; Bakersfield, California; Chicago, Illinois; Denver, Colorado; St. Paul, Minnesota; Lake Charles, Louisiana; Cincinnati, Ohio; Orlando, Florida; Salem, Oregon; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; St. Louis, Missouri; Tallahassee, Florida; Nashville, Tennessee; Everett, Washington and Odessa, Texas.

[16] On October 5, 2023, Hutton appeared with the owners of three remaining CIF teams—the ICT Regulators of the Wichita metropolitan area, Salina Liberty and Southwest Kansas Storm in Dodge City—and CIF commissioner Mike McCoy as they announced the remainder of that league was merging into the AFL, with McCoy being named AFL deputy commissioner three weeks later.

The Philadelphia Soul coach and roster all departed abruptly before their contest (forcing an American Arena League team from Dallas to don the Soul's uniforms for the game) against the Louisiana VooDoo,[20][21] who themselves were forced to move their home schedule from Lake Charles to Lafayette days before the game after the manager of Lake Charles's arena accused the VooDoo of failing to cover rent or insurance expenses.

[23] The Iowa Rampage folded after its inaugural contest, accusing Hutton of reneging on promises to cover increased expenses,[24] while the Rapid City Marshals granted six players their release and renegotiated lower salaries for their remaining players after they also did not receive the promised compensation from the league,[25] a tactic the Washington Wolfpack also used.

[4] The change in commissioner did not completely restore stability; Oregon pulled out of a last-minute assignment "due to unforeseen circumstances" on May 24, forcing the temporarily independent Cedar Rapids River Kings to step in the Blackbears' stead;[38] Rapid City, having faced continued labor strife tied to the promises made by the Hutton regime, folded following their May 23 game.

[39][40] West Texas reportedly followed suit on June 18,[41] with the River Kings again stepping in to fill in for the Desert Hawks' final game.

[42] In more twists of fate in the ongoing turmoil surrounding former ownership in the "new" AFL, Arena Insider reported that former commissioner Lee Hutton and former president Travelle Gaines tried to apply for the trademark of the AFL shield logo which was rejected by the United States Patent and Trademark Office citing "likelihood of confusion".

[44] Oregon announced a return to play in 2025 on social media and have also retained its previous online broker for ticket sales for "any future home games.

"[45] Oregon was ultimately unable to return due to entanglements with former league president Travelle Gaines, who had owned the majority stake in the Blackbears and never sold it.

[46] On June 4, 2024, the league officially announced the return of original AFL co-founding partner and former commissioner Jerry Kurz, this time as general counsel and senior advisor of player operations.

[51] The 2024 season finished July 19, 2024 with ArenaBowl XXXIII on a converted ice rink at the American Dream Meadowlands shopping center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with the Outlaws defeating the Firebirds 46–41.

The new league, whose intellectual properties will be owned by the Billings Outlaws, will be a full separation from G6, as all eight teams leave the AFL and join AF1.