ApexPro Football League (APFL)

The league that owns/operates the South Carolina Seawolves, listed separately because the team's status is entirely dependent on it. Founded by Chad Hitchcock, Oswald Anderson and Frank Marin. Four announced teams for a stated spring 2027 first season. Business model is pitched as a festival-style game-day experience — themed environments, live entertainment, character performers, interactive activations — rather than as a conventional football product. Revenue programs currently live are merchandise, paid tryout registrations ($75), and two membership tiers marketed as "APFL 1000" and "APFL 250." The league states all four inaugural stadiums are secured, but no lease or use agreement has been independently confirmed with any of them. The founders have said publicly they are still looking for investors to buy into the league and its teams and are seeking sponsors — i.e., the league is not yet fully capitalized. Hitchcock has acknowledged local skepticism directly, citing prior failed Charleston football ventures including the 2006 Charleston Sandsharks and the Charleston Hawks. No games played in any market. NOTE ON A DATE CONFLICT: press coverage uniformly says spring 2027, but the league's own homepage simultaneously advertises a "Fall 2026" league launch while listing the Louisiana Venom inaugural season as spring 2027 — the league has not reconciled these publicly.