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Left to right: Moda Center assistant GM Howard Zuckerman, franchise owner Terry Emmert, AFL commissioner Jerry Kurz, and president Jared Rose.

(Bruce Ely/The Oregonian)

A release from the Portland Thunder:

PORTLAND, OR – Portland’s Arena Football League team announced today it has decided the name of its franchise. The team, which will begin play in the Moda Center in March, will compete in 2014 as the Portland Thunder. The name was chosen out of hundreds of unique fan entries.

“We appreciate all of the support we’ve received from our fan base and new season ticket holders,” said Owner Terry W. Emmert. “We wanted to choose a powerful name that will define our team and the attitude of our franchise. We feel our fans can be proud of the name Portland Thunder.”

Prior to today’s announcement, the Portland Thunder accepted team name suggestions from the local community, new season ticket holders and local schools through its “Name the Team” contest. As the first fan to submit “Portland Thunder” as his entry, Seth Johnson of Portland has been declared the winner of the contest. Seth will receive a pair of season tickets to watch the Portland Thunder live in action all season long.

The Arena Football League also released the 2014 regular season schedule yesterday, announcing the Portland Thunder will kick off its inaugural season at the Moda Center on Monday, March 17th when they take on the San Jose SaberCats. Season tickets are available for purchase starting as low as $99 by calling 503-773-4AFL or by visiting PortlandAFL.com.

Team President Jared Rose indicated that the franchise would be releasing further Portland Thunder branding elements, such as logo and team colors, in the near future.

About the AFL

Since its inception in 1987, the Arena Football League has showcased a fast-paced and exciting game to millions of fans in a myriad of markets across the country. CBS Sports Network will broadcast an AFL National Game of the Week on Saturday nights for the entire season. The AFL schedule then culminates with the ArenaBowl Championship game pitting the American Conference Champions versus the National Conference Champions for the James F. Foster Trophy.