The National Arena League announced Thursday that it has terminated the membership of the Albany Empire, a team owned by former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown.
In a statement, the NAL wrote that Brown failed to make required payments to the league's operating budget. After multiple failed attempts to collect the payment and the passage of a Thursday deadline, the NAL kicked the Empire out of the league. A game scheduled for Saturday between the Empire and Jacksonville Sharks has been canceled.
"After exhausting all avenues, the NAL board of owners have decided unanimously to terminate the membership agreement of the Albany Empire," a league statement reads. "The decision was reached after an emergency conference call of the members in good standing to discuss the Empire's failure to pay their league mandated and overdue assessments. Each team is responsible to pay for 1/7 of the league's operating budget via monthly assessments starting in April."
The NAL consisted of seven teams prior to the termination of the Empire. Per the league, Brown recently bought the team and made the initial required payment in April. He failed to make the team's May payment then challenged the April payment, which was credited back to Brown, per the NAL. The league wrote that Brown also declined to pay a $1,000 fine "for his recent public comments." What those comments were wasn't specified in the release.
Per the league's statement, Brown's accountant Alex Gunaris "communicated to the league that it didn't seem like Mr. Brown was going to pay the assessment or fine." The league then called an "emergency conference" and set Thursday's noon deadline for Brown to make the payments.
Brown has not directly addressed the termination of the Empire or the NAL's accusations. He did publish this tweet on Thursday, shortly after the league's payment deadline:
Major league not minors
— AB (@AB84) June 15, 2023
Brown, 34, played 12 NFL seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. One of the league's best players at his peak, he made made five All-Pro teams and seven Pro Bowls, all with Pittsburgh.
He carried chaos to each of his stops and was repeatedly in legal peril, including facing charges of battery and burglary conveyance and multiple allegations of rape and sexual misconduct.
Brown hasn't played in the NFL since since he stripped off his gear and ran off the field during a Buccaneers game against the New York Jets at the end of the 2021 season.
