Howie Hanson is Minnesota’s Columnist, writing about power, money, sports and civic life across the state. His daily column is sponsored by Lyric Kitchen . Bar of Duluth.
Professional sports leagues do not hand markets second chances very often. Duluth just got one.
The Minnesota Monsters will kick off this summer at Amsoil Arena, and anyone dismissing this as a cosmetic rebrand of the old Duluth Harbor Monsters is misreading the moment. This is not a logo swap. This is not a marketing pivot. This is a competitive jump.
The Harbor Monsters earned respect the right way — back-to-back Arena League championships in 2024 and ’25. They proved this region will support a winner. But American Football One is not The Arena League. AF1 sits at the top of the modern arena structure. Different tier. Different expectations. Different scrutiny.
In baseball language: this is a move from Single-A to Triple-A. Faster game. Bigger payrolls. Deeper rosters. Less margin for error.
The relocation within the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center from the old Duluth Arena to Amsoil Arena isn’t cosmetic either. It is operational. It signals that ownership intends to function as a national franchise, not a novelty act wedged into a smaller building. That distinction matters.
Former Duluth mayor Don Ness understands that energy. He watched it grow the last two seasons.
"The games are fast, fun, and competitive," said Ness. "Our son, James, is a super fan. He's had the chance to get to know the players on a personal basis because of the number of community engagement events throughout the season.
"I'm excited to see the move to AF1. I'm hoping that the Monsters can continue to grow their tradition of excellence against the next tier of talent representing teams from across the country. The move into Amsoil is another exciting development, bringing fans closer to the action. We're excited for the upcoming season. I would love for Duluthians to show up in even larger numbers to support this team."
That’s not nostalgia talking. That’s civic instinct.
Gary Compton, who oversees football operations for Arena Football One — the premier arena league the Minnesota Monsters will join this season — framed it in competitive terms.
“The Monsters did everything asked of them this offseason," said Compton. "They’re ready. We’re excited to open the 2026 season at Amsoil Arena. Coach (Daron) Clark brought in high-level talent because he knows this is a major step up. Ownership is all in. Bringing in (general manager) Meadow Lemon proves they’re serious about giving Duluth a team worth supporting.”
Translation: the league vetted the market and approved the move.
Look at AF1 rosters around the country. NFL camp bodies. CFL experience. Players who can operate in tight windows and make decisions in 2.5 seconds under pressure. Arena football is timing, leverage and violence in compressed space. It exposes weaknesses quickly.
This is not beer-league entertainment. This is professional football played indoors at full speed.
Ownership understands the stakes. Jacob Lambert is not experimenting. A former Barnum pitcher who climbed into minor league baseball, he understands tier systems. He understands what happens when markets either support growth or smother it with indifference. His Pine City-based modular housing company didn’t scale by thinking small.
He is betting on Duluth to think bigger. So the real question is not about league structure. It’s about us.
"Duluth is ready for an entertainment experience that hits this hard," said John Orrison, CEO of Parthè Visual Communications Group. "The Minnesota Monsters are elevating the game in 2026, and as a video marketing professional, I’m blown away by the level of production and NFL caliber talent they’re bringing to the Northland. We’re honored to be part of a team that's telling the story of this franchise.
"It’s about more than football — it’s about high-octane family fun and the kind of community pride that only a championship-caliber organization can deliver. AMSOIL Arena will be exploding with excitement come May 22."
Regional fans talk endlessly about putting Duluth “on the map.” This is how markets do it. Not by wishing. By investing attention early.
Businesses: national league exposure inside a growing platform.
Civic leaders: alignment with something forward-facing instead of defensive.
Fans: affordable, fast, legitimate professional football inside one of the best arenas in the Midwest.
And let’s not romanticize it. Arena leagues have folded before. Markets that show up survive. Markets that treat teams like novelties lose them. That’s not pessimism. That’s industry history.
When a professional league plants a franchise in your arena and elevates its competitive tier, it is offering partnership. It is asking whether the community wants to build something durable.
Amsoil Arena is more than waterfront architecture. League broadcasts will show that backdrop. Players will tag Minnesota. Sponsors will circulate highlights nationally.
That visibility either compounds — or disappears. This is not hobby football anymore. This is a franchise in a premier league. Communities that win do not wait to see if something is fashionable. They build momentum before everyone else notices.
The Minnesota Monsters made their move. Now it’s Duluth’s turn.
