St. Mary’s Health Care System named Official Health Care Provider of Athens Indoor Football
July 14, 2026ATHENS, Ga. – Athens Indoor Football is proud to announce a landmark partnership with St. Mary's Health Care System, which has been named the team's Official Health Care Provider beginning with the club's inaugural Indoor Football League (IFL) season in 2027.
As one of Northeast Georgia's leading health care providers, St. Mary's will deliver comprehensive medical services to ensure the health, safety, and performance of the team’s players throughout the season.
Under the three-year agreement, St. Mary's will provide a dedicated certified athletic trainer who will be present for all team practices, as well as all home and away games throughout the season. St. Mary's will also serve as the team's official medical provider by supplying the team's physician and delivering comprehensive sports medicine services.
Beyond the sidelines, St. Mary's will have a significant presence inside Akins Ford Arena as one of only four exclusive Founders-Level sponsors of the team.
The partnership extends well beyond game day. Together, Athens Indoor Football and St. Mary's will collaborate on employee wellness programs, community outreach efforts, and health education initiatives designed to improve the health and well-being of residents throughout the Athens area.
"This partnership is about much more than treating injuries," said Mike Sammond, President of Athens Indoor Football. "It's about providing our athletes with championship-level medical care while working together to make a lasting impact throughout our community. St. Mary's has earned an outstanding reputation for excellence and compassionate care, and we're proud to welcome them as an integral part of our organization.”
“St. Mary’s is proud to bring a deep bench to Athens Indoor Football, with state-of-the-art technology, orthopedics, sports medicine, neurosciences, cardiovascular medicine, physical therapy and much more,” said Stonish Pierce, President and CEO of Trinity Health Georgia, which includes St. Mary’s.
“Equally exciting are the opportunities to partner with the franchise to enhance community health and well-being,” Pierce added. “The energy and excitement Athens Indoor Football is already generating will help us bring our A-game – high-level care, higher-level caring – to an even broader community. It’s a win for St. Mary’s, Athens Indoor Football and our entire region.”
Athens Indoor Football will begin play in the Indoor Football League in the spring of 2027 at Akins Ford Arena. Led by an ownership group that includes NFL Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis, University of Georgia legend David Pollack, and former Major League Baseball All-Star and NFL standout Brian Jordan, the franchise is committed to delivering exciting, affordable, family-friendly professional football while making a lasting impact throughout the Athens community.
For more information about season tickets, sponsorship opportunities, team news, and to vote for the name of the team, visit AthensFootball.com.
About Trinity Health Georgia dba St. Mary’s
A member of Trinity Health, the fifth-largest health care system in the U.S., St. Mary’s Health Care System is a non-profit, regional, Catholic teaching system whose mission is to be a compassionate and healing presence in the communities it serves. St. Mary’s includes hospitals in Athens, Lavonia and Greensboro, a multi-specialty medical group, 3,200 employees, over 800 physicians, graduate medical education, home health and hospice services, a retirement community, extensive outpatient services, residency programs and a clinical affiliation with the University of Georgia.
Among its numerous awards and accreditations are the Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval for Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center, American College of Cardiology accreditation as a Chest Pain Center with Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, and other awards for stroke care, hip, knee, and spine surgery, and cardiac resuscitation. Founded in 1906 and originally sponsored by the Missionary Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Sisters of Mercy, St. Mary’s has served patients, families, businesses and communities across Northeast Georgia for 120 years with High-Level Care, Higher-Level Caring.
About Athens Indoor Football:
Athens Indoor Football is a new professional indoor football franchise set to begin play in March 2027 at Akins Ford Arena in Athens, Georgia, as a member of the Indoor Football League (IFL). Led by an ownership group that includes Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis, College Football Hall of Famer David Pollack, and former MLB All-Star and NFL standout Brian Jordan, the organization is committed to bringing high-energy, family-friendly entertainment and championship-caliber football to the Classic City. For more information, visit AthensFootball.com.
About the Indoor Football League:
The Indoor Football League (IFL) is the premier professional indoor football league in North America and the longest continuously operating indoor football league in the United States. Founded in 2008, the IFL features fast-paced, high-scoring action played on a 50-yard field inside arenas across the country. Currently in its 18th season, the IFL features 14 franchises with Athens, Ga., and Austin, Texas, entering the league in 2027. For more information, visit GoIFL.com.
