The Albany Empire were a new franchise for the NAL in 2021, separate from the old AFL franchise. The inaugural season was a great one, as the team went 7-1 and won the title decisively over Columbus, 79-61. Tommy Grady, arena football veteran, quarterbacked the team, throwing for 2,081 yards, 51 scores and eight picks. Other veterans of the sport, like Darius Prince, contributed with 73 catches, 1042 yards and 30 scores to dominate the league. The team returned in 2022 and repeated as league champions behind Sam Castronova. Castronova passed for 2,433 yards, 58 touchdowns and eight picks. All-star Darius Prince returned as well, catching 101 balls for 1,308 yards and 39 touchdowns. Dwayne Hollis led the defense with five picks, while Nick Haag applied five sacks to opposing quarterbacks. The team went 8-4 in the regular season, dropping three games to Carolina. In the playoffs, Albany defeated Jacksonville 68-67 and would host a fourth rematch with Carolina. This time, Albany dominated, cruising out to a 47-7 victory before winning a second consecutive championship 47-20. The Empire returned in 2023 and played a 1-6 regular season prior to being removed from the league to not meeting league obligations. After blowing out Orlando in their first game, Albany fell to San Antonio, Carolina, and West Texas by a combined twelve points. Following removal from the league, the team reformed in the new AFL.