Today, the Continental Football League (CoFL) announced the Fort Worth Braves as their eighth and final member for their 2026 season. The Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex-based team will compete in the CoFL South Division with the San Antonio Toros, Tall City Black Gold (Midland) and Texas Syndicate (Austin).
The Braves brand dates to 1967, initially founded as the Fort Worth Texans, who were a member of the Texas Football League (TFL: 1967-1968 & 1970). Prior to the 1968 season, the team rebranded as the Fort Worth Braves. Head Coach Johnny Hatley’s team joined the Continental Football League for the 1969 season as participant in the Texas Division. After the folding of the CoFL, the Braves returned to the TFL for a season and competed its last season in the Trans-American Football League (TAFL: 1971) before ceasing operations.
Managing Partner Justin Golson leads the resurrected Braves. Golson, a sports entrepreneur, has a successful background in creating and operating opportunity-based football programs.
Per the CoFL’s press release, Golson addressed the announcement with the following statement, “The opportunity to bring back the Braves was something we felt strongly about,” he added “The Continental Football League carries a great football history, and the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is a place where football lives and breathes. With more than seven million people in the region, we believe there is tremendous opportunity to build a community-driven team that fans will rally around.” Golson also shared:
“Our focus is simple… We want to build an organization that represents the league well, develops players who want to reach the next level, and creates a game-day experience that fans will love. This is football built for the community.”
CoFL Commissioner Mike Kelly also stated, “This is a proud moment for the Continental Football League,” he further shared “The Dallas-Fort Worth region is one of the great football communities in the world. Bringing the historic Braves brand back into professional football aligns perfectly with our mission of creating opportunity for players while delivering exciting football to passionate local fan bases.”
Per an exclusive statement provided to Player 54 Podcast, Commissioner Kelly also shared “We are very pleased to revive a fifth club from the original Continental Football League with the Fort Worth Braves. This again shows how important these clubs once were to their communities and to have Justin Golson, a proven entrepreneur who has demonstrated success running sport organizations, solidifies our inaugural season of eight teams tin two divisions.”
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The league’s lineup for their return to action is set. The CoFL will field eight teams across five states: Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Texas, and West Virginia. The CoFL will kick off in May 2026 and will conclude in July with the Continental Cup.
Fort Worth Braves History:
Tommy Mercer initially founded the team as the Fort Worth Texans in 1967 and rebranded as the Fort Worth Braves before the 1968 season, as a member of the Texas Football League (1967-1968). The team played their home games at Birdville Stadium and Turnpike Stadium (1967), and Farrington Field (1968-1971). Johnny Hatley coached the team for its first three seasons (1967-1969), which included the team’s lone season in the Continental Football League (1970). After Hatley’s departure, the Braves played their remaining seasons in the Texas Football League (1970) and Trans-American Football League (1971).
Continental Football League History:
The CoFL originally played five seasons from 1965 to 1969, before teams departed for other leagues, forcing it to cease operations after the conclusion of its 1969 season. The league featured numerous National Football League alumni, as well as Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees: Ken Stabler, Doak Walker, Bill Walsh and Steve Van Buren.
The league publicly relaunched in September 2025 under the leadership of commissioner Mike Kelly. The new COFL is community owned, and the fan focused league is positioning itself as the lone “AA” professional football league. It plans to launch in May 2026 with eight teams competing in two divisions (North and South).
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