Battle of Old Fort Wayne

On August 9, 2021, [[Champions Indoor Football]] (CIF) announced an expansion team to be based in Topeka for the 2022 season with [[Sioux City Bandits]]' owner J. R. Bond serving as the team's owner.<ref name="topekacif">{{Cite web |date=2021-08-09 |title=Champions Indoor Football League Adds New Team for 2022 |url=https://gocif.net/news-h/1128-champions-indoor-football-league-adds-new-team-for-2022.html |access-date=2021-09-09}}</ref> After a name-the-team contest was held, the Tropics name, logo, and color scheme were unveiled on September 8. Although Topeka does not have a tropical climate and is roughly 790 miles from the closest sea (the Gulf of Mexico), Bond chose the unusual name to symbolize how unconventional the Tropics organization would be both on and off the field.<ref name="entertropics">{{Cite news |last=Campbell |first=Marleah |date=2021-09-08 |title=Topeka's new indoor football team reveals name |work=[[WIBW-TV]] |url=https://www.wibw.com/2021/09/09/topekas-new-indoor-football-team-reveals-name |access-date=2021-09-09}}</ref> On October 5, the Tropics announced former [[Arena Football League]] player [[Tyus Jackson]] as its inaugural head coach.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/topekatropics/posts/126096499778134 |title=Topeka Tropics Owner J.R. Bond has announced the hiring of Tyus Jackson as the team's inaugural head coach. |website=Topeka Tropics Facebook |date=October 5, 2021}}</ref> The team did not win a regular season game, posting a record of 0–10 in their first season. On August 25, 2022, the Tropics announced that they would cease operations and not return for a second season;<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ksnt.com/news/tropics-not-returning-to-topeka-for-2023-season/?utm_source=ksnt_app&utm_medium=social&utm_content=share-link&fbclid=IwAR0nlFKcxfAM0AGpk-pHxGgp_yetcEkXcxuzIhfJyj0_cjvF-EXrnFsvSc8 | title=Tropics not returning to Topeka for 2023 season | date=August 25, 2022 }}</ref> however, this decision was reversed later that same year after new local ownership was found.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lovergine |first1=Vince |title=Topeka Tropics to return in 2023 |url=https://www.wibw.com/2022/09/28/topeka-tropics-return-2023/ |website=www.wibw.com |publisher=[[WIBW-TV]] |access-date=24 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928213823/https://www.wibw.com/2022/09/28/topeka-tropics-return-2023/ |archive-date=September 28, 2022 |language=en |date=28 September 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.topekatropics.com/news/tropics-stay-in-topeka |title=TROPICS STAY IN TOPEKA |website=Topeka Tropics |date=February 2, 2023}}</ref>