Football comes to Sarasota

SARASOTA — The Ultimate Indoor Football League has chosen Sarasota to host its third expansion team for the 2013 season, it announced Monday.

The new team, named the Sarasota Thunder, will play seven games at Robarts Arena in 2013, a release says. The Thunder is one of three new teams for the league, including the Indianapolis Panthers and the Missouri Monsters, based in St. Charles, Mo.

The UIFL will hold a press conference 2 p.m. Thursday at Robarts Arena, 3000 Ringling Blvd., to announce the ownership group, ticket prices and other details.

The UIFL is entering its third season, which will kickoff in late February or early March. In 2013, the league will have 10 teams, three of which are in Florida: in Sarasota, Fort Myers and Lakeland. The league also has three teams in Pennsylvania, and one each in Missouri, Mississippi, Indiana, and Georgia.