Pro football team eyes Dickinson, but concern follows ownership

DICKINSON — A professional indoor football team could arrive in Dickinson by 2027, but questions surrounding its ownership and league compliance remain as local officials weigh whether to approve the agreement.

The American Indoor Football League has begun expanding across the Midwest, with some individuals eyeing Dickinson as its next landing spot. A proposed team, the Dickinson Dragons, is in the early stages of development, with a target start date of spring of 2027.

The Dragons announced its expansion to Dickinson in late December, but as of early April, no agreement has been finalized.

Owners Dominic Montero and head coach Antwan Smith began laying the groundwork by attending Dickinson Park Board meetings in January and February. During the February meeting, the pair formally pitched their vision to play games at the West River Ice Center

Smith is expected to serve as the team’s head coach . He was a former Dickinson State football player in the early 2010s.

“I decided to stay here because I enjoy the people around here,” Smith said. “Everyone was so open and welcoming when I got here. I felt like this is somewhere I can stay and really enjoy the community.”

Montero, who also owns and plays for the Wyoming Calvary, landed on Dickinson due to familiarity with the region and players, also citing Dickinson as "a real football community."

With a 24-player roster, the Dragons plan to target players in the Dickinson area, including recent Dickinson State football graduates.

“We’re really counting on finding a couple more Antwans around town,” Montero said. “[Guys who] played at Dickinson State, stuck around, found jobs in the oil fields or elsewhere, and are still here.”

The Dragons' schedule would run from March through May. The West River Ice Center would host four games, with a fifth possible if the Dragons were to host a playoff game.

“We're always looking for things that are going to add value to our community, improve the quality of life, and give another activity that will be exciting to the residents, and we think that this is something that could do that for the community,” executive director of the Dickinson Park and Board Benjamin Rae said.

Allegations and questionable circumstances

Several incidents this season have raised questions about the team, and Montero — a player-owner for the Wyoming Cavalry. In an exhibition game earlier in the year, Montero was involved in an on-field fight with a Central New York Blue Devils player during a 42-0 blowout, resulting in his ejection.

Just weeks ago on March 20, during a game against the Cedar Rapids Titans, another brawl took place, this time between Calvary players and a Cedar Rapids assistant coach, resulting in several ejections and the game's suspension in the third quarter. On March 22, the American Indoor Football League suspended one Cavalry player and fined one Cavalry staff member for that incident, according to a press release from the league. The press release did not name either the player or the staff member who were penalized.

Just one week later, on March 29, the league suspended the Cavalry for the remainder of the season, with a press release citing the team being “out of compliance with AIF operational standards and league requirements.”

Following the suspension, Montero and the Cavalry left the AIF and are currently playing the remainder of their season as an independent entity against various semi-professional teams across the Midwest. While the AIF said that the Cavalry are eligible to rejoin the league for the 2027-28 season pending compliance with league requirements, it is unclear whether Montero plans to have the Cavalry rejoin the AIF or simply focus his energies on the Dickinson Dragons.

The Dickinson Press reached out to Montero for comment, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

In a statement to the Gillette News Record , Montero said the team has also taken action against team members who “have been seen drinking alcoholic beverages during the game.”

Perspectives from AIF and Dickinson Parks and Rec

After further discussion between AIF Commissioner Terrence Foster and The Dickinson Press, Foster said the suspension stemmed from safety concerns about improper perimeter enclosures around the end zones.

Instead of fully enclosing areas of the dasher wall system that may come into player contact, Foster said the Cavalry used bike racks to section off the end zone, creating what Foster described as a significant safety risk. Foster said the team had also sold suite-level tickets behind the end zones, leaving only a small bike rack separating fans from the field of play. The racks and fan seating are visible in at least one video of a Cavalry game.

“A player can get his leg caught between those rows of the bike rack and really get injured," Foster said. “Those bike racks aren't stable to the ground, so a player could go into them and it could fly and hit a fan. So it was just a lot of safety issues with that, and those are things that really would have gotten the arena in trouble.”

“I don't think Dom is a bad owner,” Foster added. “I think Dom has great intentions for what he wants to do when he comes into the community. I think he has great plans with his organizations on how to build and create the environment that's wanted at the game. I think, because he's so young and passionate at times, he can bite off a little more than is needed to chew.”

Dickinson Parks and Rec Deputy Director Caleb Burgard, who worked with Montero to reach an agreement, told the Press that he has done his due diligence by presenting board members with all available information regarding a potential decision.

“We're doing what we can with our own staff, taking care of the park district's best interest, working with our legal counsel as to their recommendations, making sure that this is a very thorough agreement,” Burgard said. “Now we see where it goes from here as to having them make an informed and educated decision based on those findings.”

Rae has also expressed the board of directors' cautious approach to presenting information to the board of parks commissioners.

“We're taking a careful look at it, just to make sure that it makes sense within the overall scheme of what we provide in Parks and Recreation,” Rae said. “I feel very confident that we as staff have done our due diligence. We've worked with our legal counsel, we've contacted other communities that have had these kinds of programs and have seen them be very successful.”

What happens next

Park board commissioners will receive the formal agreement for the first time on Wednesday, April 8. They will have five days to review it before a vote scheduled for Monday, April 13.

According to Burgard, if questions or concerns arise, the board could delay the vote until May.

The next Dickinson Parks and Recreation board meeting is scheduled for April 13 at 3:30 p.m. at the West River Community Center.