The Lightning were formed 2005 and joined af2 in 2006, led by president Dan Chapman and operator Michael Reinsdorf.

The first-year team featured players that were local to the area, they included; James Newson, Josh Wallwork, Kenyatte Morgan, and Lyndell Hawkins.

Morgan was the player who recorded the first touchdown in franchise history, a seven-yard pass from Quarterback Josh Blankenship, in a 41-40 loss to the eventual ArenaCup winners, the Spokane Shock.

With the transition of the AFL and af2 developing into the new "Arena Football One" league, the proposed "lower tier" that was initially outlined did not become a reality.

Furthermore, we have determined that the business model for the "upper tier", which caters to larger markets, is not financially sustainable for our organization at this time.