Head coach Ray Jauch Record 4–10 Playoff finish Did Not Qualify | Home field Target Center Division place 4th | |
The 1996 Minnesota Fighting Pike season was the 1st season and only season for the team in the Arena Football League. The team's lack of exposure or advertising was the key reason for the team's folding at the end of the 1996 season. The team did not have a regional television deal to promote their games or have the games advertised in newspapers and other media. The Pike's final game of the season against the Memphis Pharaohs was played in Tupelo, Mississippi, because the Pharaohs had been evicted from their arena. After the game, the Pike ceased operations. There were no announcements nor press releases; players left town and staff did not receive their final paychecks.
Contents
- Coaching
- Acquired
- Week 1 vs Texas Terror
- Week 2 vs Iowa Barnstormers
- Week 3 vs St Louis Stampede
- Week 4 vs Albany Firebirds
- Week 5 vs Tampa Bay Storm
- Week 6 vs Anaheim Piranhas
- Week 7 vs Arizona Rattlers
- Week 8 vs Florida Bobcats
- Week 10 vs Milwaukee Mustangs
- Week 11 vs Connecticut Coyotes
- Week 12 vs Orlando Predators
- Week 13 vs Texas Terror
- Week 14 vs San Jose SaberCats
- Week 15 vs Memphis Pharaohs
- References
Coaching
Acquired
The roster was full of players that had played at the University of Minnesota or other Minnesota colleges and universities. Former Gopher Rickey Foggie was the quarterback and he struggled adapting to the Arena Football League after many years in the Canadian Football League. Once during the season he was benched in favor of Southwest State's Jeff Loots, who threw four interceptions in a game. Loots was playing on his third expansion team in three seasons. Another player from Southwest State was Alvin Ashley. Perhaps the best-known ex-Pike is kicker Mike Vanderjagt, later a star in the CFL and NFL.
Week 1: vs Texas Terror
at the The Summit, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 4,520
Week 2: vs Iowa Barnstormers
at the Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Attendance: 14,840
Week 3: vs St. Louis Stampede
at the Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Attendance: 8,726
Week 4: vs Albany Firebirds
at the Times Union Center, Albany, New York
Attendance: 11,712
Week 5: vs Tampa Bay Storm
at the Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Attendance: 7,781
Week 6: vs Anaheim Piranhas
at the Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Attendance: 8,117
Week 7: vs Arizona Rattlers
at the Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Attendance: 8,207
Week 8: vs Florida Bobcats
at the West Palm Beach Auditorium, West Palm Beach, Florida
Attendance: 4,450
Week 10: vs Milwaukee Mustangs
at the Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Attendance: 7,207
Week 11: vs Connecticut Coyotes
at the Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, Connecticut
Attendance: 9,249
Week 12: vs Orlando Predators
at the Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida
Attendance: 15,107
Week 13: vs Texas Terror
at the Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Attendance: 7,380
Week 14: vs San Jose SaberCats
at the HP Pavilion, San Jose, California
Attendance: 14,901
Week 15: vs Memphis Pharaohs
at the BancorpSouth Arena, Tupelo, Mississippi
Attendance: 4,520