Some people collect hockey or baseball cards. Dario Zulich, it seems, collects whole teams.
The owner of the Sudbury Wolves and the mind behind the True North Strong sports and entertainment complex proposal can now add a football team to his portfolio — the Sudbury Spartans.
The Spartans play in the Northern Football Conference (NCF), a semi-professional league made up of eight Ontario teams.
Although the deal was reported by Sudbury.com yesterday, Zulich and his partners formally announced the purchase at a press conference this morning at the Radisson Hotel.
“I want to return this team to its former glory,” Zulich said at the media event this morning.
The Spartans have 18 NCF championships to their credit — the most among the league — but have fallen on hard times in recent seasons, suspending operations in 2007 and not rejoining the league until 2011.
When asked what that return to glory would look like, Zulich's answer was simple and direct.
“A championship,” he said.
That sentiment was echoed by Gord Goddard and Bill Costello, the now former owners of the Spartans who will continue to operate the team on behalf of Zulich.
Both Goddard and Costello have a long history with the team and have collectively run it since 2014.
“We have a lot invested personally,” Goddard said. “And when someone like Dario comes along, you can see the vision that he has for sports in the community. You can't ignore that.”
Zulich himself has family ties to the team having had two brothers don Spartans jerseys. With the Spartans joining the Wolves under Zulich's umbrella, there are plans for the two teams to share resources, staff, marketing and player development.
The team can trace its origins back to 1954 when they were known as the Sudbury Hardrocks. They played their first game in front of 3,000 fans at Queen's Athletic Field on Labour Day of that year.
The Spartans currently play at the James Jerome Sports Complex, the artificial turf field at Lily Creek across the road from Science North. However, Zulich's ownership could see the team transplanted into the True North Strong Complex, should Zulich's plan to build an event centre come to fruition.
In November 2015, Zulich and group of developers first put forward their vision for True North Strong, a $60- to $70-million arena and events centre to be built on a 170-acre property in the Jack Nicholas Business and Innovation Park on The Kingsway's eastern end.
Their plans have continued to expand into what Zulich now calls a “sports and entertainment district.”
He wouldn't go as far as to say the Spartans will play at True North Strong, should it ultimately be built, but he didn't discount the possibility.
“We certainly have the land there, and I am trying to create a sports and entertainment destination for northeastern Ontario,” Zulich said. “It would absolutely be a complementary fit.”
Zulich bought the Sudbury Wolves — for a reported $11 million — from long-time owner Mark Burgess in August 2016.
He didn't talk specifics when asked about the financial details of the Spartans purchase, except to say “they were definitely cheaper than the Wolves.”
When Zulich purchased the Wolves (in a move that took a reported two years of badgering Burgess before he was willing to part with the team), many saw it as a play to solidify the legitimacy of the True North Strong proposal.
Now that Zulich has added a football team to his growing set of high-profile properties — which also includes the Pearl Street water tower overlooking Downtown Sudbury — True North Strong may be even closer to that goal.
City council plans to finalize its decision for where a replacement for the aging Sudbury Arena will be located in June. At that time, a request for proposals will be issued and Zulich will finally be able to submit his bid formally to make True North Strong a reality.
In the meantime, the Sudbury Spartans will open their season on May 27 when they'll travel to Oakville to play the Longhorns, a traditional rivalry.
They'll play their first home game on June 3.
