The Omaha Mustangs were a professional

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

team based in

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

. They began as an independent, semi-pro team in the early 1960s before joining the

Professional Football League of America A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and ski ...

, a newly formed league based on remnants of the United Football League, in 1965. The Mustangs won the PFLA championship in their second season by defeating the Des Moines Warriors in a playoff game in front of 4,530 spectators. The Mustangs were affiliated with the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...

for the 1967 season (the Chiefs would later be affiliated with the

Kansas City Steers The Kansas City Steers were an American basketball team based in Kansas City, Missouri from 1961 to 1963. They were a member of the American Basketball League History The American Basketball League played one full season, 1961–1962, and ...

). Omaha moved to the

Continental Football League The Continental Football League (COFL) was a professional American football Minor league football (gridiron), minor league that operated in North America from 1965 through 1969. It was established following the collapse of the original United Fo ...

for the 1968 season and finished 7–5 in the Central Division. In September 1968, Glen Hepburn, a two-way player for the Mustangs, died from injuries sustained in a game. On December 15, 1969, the COFL revoked Omaha's franchise for failure to meet the league's financial obligations. The league itself quietly disbanded after the 1969 season and the Mustangs joined the Trans-American Football League for the 1970 season. In February 1971 the Mustangs announced they would be joining the

Midwest Professional Football League The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four List of regions of the United States, census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern c ...

. The Mustangs did not operate for the 1973 season. They were revived as a fully independent team in 1974.

Season-by-season

References

External links

Mustangs recall memorable ride: Omaha semipro football team found a special time, place
by Rich Kaipust, ''Omaha World-Herald'', December 25, 2017 Continental Football League teams American football teams in Nebraska Sports in Omaha, Nebraska American football teams established in 1965 American football teams disestablished in 1970 1965 establishments in Nebraska 1970 disestablishments in Nebraska Professional Football League of America teams Defunct sports clubs and teams in Nebraska {{Nebraska-sport-team-stub