The most successful American indoor football team of the last 15 years has changed ownership.
Local fitness mogul and former Storm player Todd Tryon announced on Wednesday he has sold the Sioux Falls Storm to a group of six Sioux Falls residents and loyal fans — three sisters and their husbands, all current or past local business owners.
The new ownership group is called “Storm Nation LLC,” and its president is Jason Headlee.
Tryon owned the Storm for 10 years, during which the team won seven of their 11 league titles since 2005.
Standing before the new owners during a press conference in the lobby of the Denny Sanford Premier Center, Tryon said he was ready to sell the team after it won the Indoor Football League championship last July and approached 17-year head coach Kurtiss Riggs about ideas for new owners.
Riggs recommended Headlee, who along with wife Valerie has sold each of their three businesses. Each of the Headlees’ three sons train at Riggs’ football academy in Sioux Falls.
“They’re a blue collar style of family,” Riggs told KWSN. “They believe in working very hard to earn things. I knew they would be a perfect fit to rejuvanate the Sioux Falls Storm.”
In a statement provided at the press conference, the new ownership wrote that it “intends to enhance the fan experience, further the intentions of the sponsors and provide meaningful service to Sioux Falls and the surrounding area.
“The fan experience is going to be ramped up with new engaging events during the games, pre-season and post-season events, as well as aseason ticket holder exclusive offers and experiences.”
The ownership group consists of Headlee, his wife Valerie, and her two sisters and their husbands: Stephanie and David Richter and Amber and Patrick Garry. The Garrys previously were co-owners of Marlin’s, a restaurant chain.
Riggs said several potential owners and ownership groups were interviewed and evaluated, which included outside owners or groups who appeared to have the desire to move the franchise, or come into Sioux Falls and “flip it,” as in change some things, then sell it to someone else.
The Sioux Falls Storm originated as the Sioux Falls Cobras in 1999 and changed its name to the Storm after one season. It has been a member of a few different leagues during its 20 years, most currently the Indoor Football League, which according to its website comprises of 12 teams.
The Storm’s first regular season game will be in February, but the league schedule has not been released.
