One of the most recognizable family names in Central Ohio is bringing exciting professional football back to Columbus.
Columbus, OH, businessman Steve Germain and his family — his wife Kim and their children Jessica, Austin, and Zach — officially acquired the rights to an Indoor Football League team for Columbus and Central Ohio in November 2019. Ultimately named the Columbus Wild Dogs, the team will begin play in 2022 at Nationwide Arena.
But their commitment to the indoor game wasn't just about a team in Columbus. The family took a strong leadership role in the entire Indoor Football League thanks to an acquisition whereby the Steve Germain Family acquired the exclusive rights to the business operations of the IFL, including the rights to manage and advance all IFL national and international television broadcast rights, IFL digital streaming rights, and IFL licensing rights, along with the sponsorship and advertising assets associated with those rights and all other national sponsorship and advertising assets and rights owned by the league. The advancement of these business operations are being done through the IFL Business Division, which is based on Columbus, OH.
The third asset in the acquisition was a team in Frisco, TX, knwown as the Frisco Fighters, which will begin play in April 2021.
The Steve Germain Family has been committed to the indoor football game for many years as part-owners and presenting sponsors of the Arena Football League’s Columbus Destroyers. No strangers to professional sports and entertainment, the Steve Germain Family has also owned stakes in NASCAR teams and has been involved in naming rights of arenas and entertainment venues.
Since 2010, Germain Motor Company has been named the Best Auto Dealer by readers of 614 Magazine. Germain is also listed on the Wards e-Dealer Top 100 list, which ranks dealerships across the entire U.S. based on total internet sales volume for both new and used vehicles. Germain is the only dealership group in Columbus to receive top honors. Steve Germain is regarded as a leader within the automotive business as well as in the community and has served on many industry and civic boards including the Toyota Dealer Advertising Association, the Toyota Dealer Advisory Council, the local Cadillac Marketing Association, the Ohio Automotive Dealers Association, the Columbus Auto Dealers Association, the Bexley Education Foundation, the Columbus Zoo Association board, and the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Foundation, to name a few.
