By Thomas Pope 
Sports editor of the Fayetteville Obeserver

The Fayetteville FireAntz will head into the final weekend of the Southern Professional Hockey League’s regular season with new owners.

A former Fort Bragg soldier, Chuck Norris, and a partner, Jeff Longo, have purchased the franchise from the seven-person ownership group that has fielded FireAntz teams since 2002.

Norris, who owns multiple businesses in the Charlotte area and property in Fayetteville, and Longo, who will serve as team president, took over management of the team in mid-March. Longo, in confirming the sale, said that the new owners have also “agreed in principle” with Spectra Venue Management on a five-year lease to continue playing in the Crown Coliseum with a five-year option. The length of that term mirrors Spectra’s recently renewed contract with Cumberland County to run the facility.

“There’s no other place for this team to be for us as owners other than Fayetteville,” Longo added. “We’re looking to do a long-term commitment to the city and to the coliseum.”

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