Was last Friday night’s Massachusetts Pirates game not only their final game of the 2025 season, but their final game ever in the Mill City?
Inside the Arena, a social media site that covers the Indoor/Arena football landscape, posted Friday morning about speculation the Pirates could move to Tampa, FL, home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tampa previously hosted an Arena Football League squad, the Tampa Bay Storm, from 1987-2017.
The Pirates have played in Massachusetts since their inception in 2018, first at the DCU Center in Worcester, before moving to Lowell for the 2024 season kickoff.
Despite putting on an entertaining product and attempting to establishing a foothold in the Greater Lowell community through numerous events, the team struggled with attendance during it’s two seasons in the city. The Pirates don’t publish season ticket information or attendance figures, but it was normal to see games this year with not much more than a couple of hundred people in the stands.
Even during the 2024 season, when the Pirates advanced to the Indoor Football League championship game, the team struggled at the gate
Team C0-Owner and President, Jawad Yatim, has yet to respond to requests for comment from InsideLowell. Early this afternoon, however, the Pirates did issue a press release announcing the departure of all but two members of the coaching staff, including Head Coach Tom Menas. The release included the following prepared statement from Yatim;
“I would like to thank everyone for their effort. If you’re in the business long enough, you’ll accumulate a variety of highs and lows. We’ve been fortunate enough to experience a lot of success, but this season was humbling for us. The picture is clear in terms of what we need to improve upon, and those corrections will be addressed. The Pirates that everyone is accustomed to will be back in 2026, we owe it to our fan base.”
The Tsongas Center has been home turf for the Indoor Football League entry since their move from Worcester in 2024. UMass Lowell, which owns the arena, would like to see the team return in 2026 and beyond.
“The Massachusetts Pirates have been an important part of the vibrant sports culture in Lowell, and their presence at the Tsongas Center has helped strengthen the city’s identity as a hub for competitive athletics and community pride,” UML Spokesperson David Joyner tells InsideLowell. “Alongside teams like the Boston Fleet and our own River Hawks, the Pirates contribute to the dynamic energy of the Lowell Innovation Network Corridor, drawing fans, families and economic activity to the region. We hope the team remains part of Lowell’s future, continuing to inspire and engage our community.”
2 responses to “Pirates Dropping Anchor in Land of the Buccaneers?”
When the Pirates announced their move to Lowell from Worcester I interviewed Jawad Yatim and asked why. I pointed out that Worcester has twice the population of Lowell so why move to Lowell. He said they were focusing on Middlesex County which is the most populated county in the state and Lowell’s vicinity to New Hampshire. I would say lack of effective marketing was part of their downfall.
Agree with Dave Faneuf. I couldn’t have told you when one game was this year, if my life depended on it. I blame poor marketing and community outreach. I hope they stay and do a better job of communicating game days and times.