Lunkers tap new GM

The Ozarks Lunkers announced the selection of its second general manager as the arena football team prepares for its second season.

Stacie Wells started in the role at the first of the year, according to a news release. Her career experience includes operational oversight at Betty & Bobby Allison Sports Town and the Fieldhouse Sportscenter.

"There is so much more to running a professional football team than just getting players onto the field. The business acumen and management experience Stacie brings will only bolster our leadership team and allow our football staff to focus on the game," Lunkers owner Mark Burgess said in the release. "Her approach to leadership and her vision for the Lunkers will undoubtedly enhance what we bring to the Ozarks and help us deliver an even better sports product to the area in the next season."

Wells succeeds Caleb Scott, the team's first general manager. The Lunkers announced in August that the team had parted ways with Scott, who previously operated the Queen City Insane Asylum amateur team and led the Lunkers since summer 2023.

Wells emerged from a field of 13 "highly considered" applicants, said Dalton Bagley, spokesperson for the Lunkers.

At Betty & Bobby Allison Sports Town, Wells served as general manager for the 2022 launch of the sports complex on the city’s northwest side, according to past reporting, and she previously worked eight years as director of the Fieldhouse Sportscenter in southwest Springfield. Her LinkedIn profile indicates she held the general manager role at Sports Town through November 2023 and has since served as a consultant through Stacie D. Wells Consulting LLC.

“Sports have the power to bring people together like nothing else,” Wells said in the release. “They provide opportunities for connection, growth and development. Even if you aren’t directly connected to a sport, you are impacted by it.”

The Lunkers, part of The Arena League, had a 3-6 record in its inaugural season. The team plays home games at Wilson Logistics Arena at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds.

The Lunkers' online schedule for the 2025 season shows eight games starting May 31 with a bout against the Kansas City Goats at Wilson Logistics Arena. The date and locations for the league's playoffs have yet to be set.