Tebow is also co-owner of the league’s Tahoe Knight Monsters

PublishedAugust 20, 2025 5:19 PM EDT•UpdatedAugust 20, 2025 5:19 PM EDT

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I don’t think anyone saw it coming, but Tim Tebow — the former Florida Gators great and NFL kind-of-okay-occasionally — is quickly becoming a minor league hockey mogul.

It was announced on Wednesday that the ECHL, the “Double-A” league one step below the American Hockey League and two below the National Hockey League, is adding a new team in Augusta, Georgia, beginning with the 2027-28 season.

That team will be owned by Tebow, along with David Hodges, the CEO of Hodges Management Group, LLC. The two also own the Tahoe Knight Monsters, the ECHL affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights.

This means Tebow now has two minor league puck clubs in his portfolio.

How many do you have?

Yeah, exactly; zero… 

…same here.

“The return of ECHL Hockey to Augusta is exciting on a number of levels,” ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin said in a statement. “The growth of the market and the newly constructed venue will make for a first-class entertainment experience, while also adding a great new rival city amongst our South Division. Furthermore, David and Tim’s ownership has been exemplary in Tahoe, and we look forward to their continued growth in the Augusta market, which allows for further solidification of developmental hockey in North America, as the ECHL will match the NHL and AHL in markets for the 2027-28 Season.”

Florida Gators great Tim Tebow will own a new ECHL team in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

This will be the league’s third club in Georgia, along with the Atlanta Gladiators and Savannah Ghost Pirates (phenomenal name). It will also bring the league’s number of teams to 32, which matches the NHL and would give each team its own affiliate.

As it stands, the only NHL clubs without ECHL affiliates are the Columbus Blue Jackets and Ottawa Senators.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to bring hockey back to Augusta with our partnership group,” Tebow said. “We are excited to see this team bring people together from all over the country to enjoy camaraderie, competition, and community impact. Our desire is to make a positive impact both on and off the ice. We can’t wait for the puck drop in October of 2027!”

The league’s 30th club, the Greensboro Gargoyles, will debut this season, while its 31st club will begin play starting next season in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.