In 1998, Columbus Civic Center general manager Tony Ford contacted the
Arena Football League about expanding into Columbus but was informed that the market was too small. In 2000, the Arena Football League launched its developmental league known as
af2 which featured franchises in smaller cities. On May 3, 2000, af2 commissioner Mary Ellen Garling toured the Columbus Civic Center and announced she hoped the league could expand into Columbus for the 2001 season. In October, an ownership group, which included
Primerica executive Ed Randle as majority owner and Mike Sammond, a former Columbus sportscaster with
WRBL TV who helped launch the league's
Birmingham Steeldogs a year earlier, were approved and granted an af2 expansion franchise for the city. The Columbus Civic Center hosted a press conference on October 30, 2000, to formally announce the new franchise. The following month,
Nashville Kats assistant coach Joe Campbell was introduced as the team's first head coach. The Wardogs' name and logo were unveiled in November. The team's name was in recognition of the nearby major college football schools of
Auburn University (
War Eagle battle cry) and the
University of Georgia (Bulldogs), while also honoring the nearby army post of
Fort Benning, a main training ground for
military war dogs. Before the season, the team hired longtime Auburn football announcer
Jim Fyffe as the team's radio
play-by-play announcer. The team also introduced Scout, a
German Shepherd mix rescued from the
Muscogee County Humane Society, as the team's official mascot.
2001 season The Wardogs played their first game on April 7, 2001, losing at home 43–20 to the
Baton Rouge Blaze. After losing their first seven games, head coach Joe Campbell was fired and replaced by an assistant coach to finish out the season. Campbell's Wardogs were outscored 404–193 in his brief tenure, including a 94–44 loss to Charleston during the second week of the season. The Wardogs finished their inaugural season winless with an 0–16 record. Following the season,
Iowa Barnstormers offensive coordinator Pete Constanza was hired as the Wardogs' new head coach.
2002 season Before the season, local business executive Tripp Amos, grandson of Bill Amos, one of the founders of Columbus-based insurance company
Aflac, became a minority owner of the team. After losing their first game of the 2002 season on the road, the Wardogs claimed their first franchise victory the following week on April 20 at home with a 19–14 win over the
Jacksonville Tomcats. On May 18, the Wardogs defeated the
Louisville Fire 34–31 to mark the first road win in franchise history. The Wardogs finished their second season with an overall record of 4–12. Following the season, Constanza left to become the head coach of the
Albany Conquest. In December, the team named former NFL quarterback
John Fourcade as the new head coach.
2003 season The Wardogs opened the 2003 season with two straight wins, beating the
Memphis Xplorers 26–25 on the final play of the game and then defeating Rochester 47–32 the following week. Despite the quick start, Columbus won only two more games and finished the season with a 4–12 record.
2004 season On March 28, the Wardogs played a preseason exhibition game, named Freedom Bowl 2 against Team Down Under, made up of players from
Australia and
New Zealand. The Wardogs won the game 80–0. After a slow start to the 2004 regular season, the Wardogs went through a hot stretch in the middle of the season winning five of six games, including last-second home wins over Birmingham 44–42 and in-state rival Macon 46–45. The club was led by offensive specialist Adrian Cockfield, who set several franchise single-season receiving records, and rookie wide receiver
Troy Bergeron, who set several franchise single-game receiving marks. With a 6–6 record, the Wardogs were in playoff contention before losing their final four games to finish the season at 6–10. == Sale of team ==