Af2

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

Af2

af2 (short for arenafootball2) is the name of the Arena Football League

Arena Football League

The Arena Football League was founded in 1987 in sports as an American football arena football. The AFL's attendance increased dramatically over its last few years, rising to an average of 12,415 people per game in 2007, and 12,957 per game in 2008, but the increases were accompanied by greatly increased expenses and debt, leading to the can...
's minor league

Minor league

Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities....
, which started play in 2000. The rules are the same as for the parent league. af2 plays its season from April to July. Unlike the older Arena League, af2 will play in 2009.

Like most other minor sports leagues, the af2 exists to develop football

American football

American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive team sport known for mixing strategy with physical play....
players, and also to help players adapt to the style and pace of arena football

Arena football

Arena football is a sport based upon American football. It is played indoors on a smaller field than American football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game....
. In addition, the af2 is similar to other minor leagues because af2 teams play in smaller cities and smaller venues.

Discussion

Ask a question about 'Af2'

Start a new discussion about 'Af2'

Answer questions from other users

Full Discussion Forum

Encyclopedia

af2 (short for arenafootball2) is the name of the Arena Football League

Arena Football League

Minor league

American football

Arena football

Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles is the largest city in the U.S. state of California and the List of United States cities by population in the United States. Often abbreviated as L.A. and nicknamed The City of Angels, Los Angeles is rated as a beta global city, has an estimated population of 3.8 million and spans over in Southern California....
, New York City

New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
, Philadelphia, Dallas, and Chicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois and the Midwestern United States, as well as the List of United States cities by population city in the United States with more than 2.8 million residents....
, the af2 fields teams in cities such as Bossier City

Bossier City, Louisiana

Bossier City is a city in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, Louisiana, United States.As of the 2000 United States Census, the city had a total population of 56,461....
, North Little Rock

North Little Rock, Arkansas

North Little Rock is a city in the central part of the U.S. state of Arkansas across the Arkansas River from Little Rock, Arkansas in Pulaski County, Arkansas....
, Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin

Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County, Wisconsin in the U.S. state of Wisconsin.The city is located at the head of its namesake Green Bay , a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River ....
, Huntsville

Huntsville, Alabama

Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Alabama and Limestone County, Alabama Counties in the U.S. state of Alabama, and the county seat of Madison County....
, Manchester

Manchester, New Hampshire

Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire and the largest city of northern New England, an area composed of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine....
, Boise, Tri-Cities

Tri-Cities, Washington

The Tri-Cities is a United States metropolitan area in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Washington, consisting of Benton County, Washington and Franklin County, Washington counties....
, Spokane

Spokane, Washington

Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. Spokane is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, as well as the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region....
, Lexington

Lexington, Kentucky

Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the List of United States cities by population in the United States. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World," it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region....
, Amarillo

Amarillo, Texas

Amarillo is the 14th-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the county seat of Potter County, Texas. A portion of the city extends into Randall County, Texas....
, Albany, New York

Albany, New York

Albany is the Capital of the state of New York and the county seat of Albany County, New York. Albany is roughly 136 miles north of the city of New York City, and slightly south of the confluence of the Mohawk River and Hudson Rivers....
, Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee is the largest city in Wisconsin and List of United States cities by population in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan....
, and Tulsa. Players also earn less in the af2, with each player making $200 per game.

History

The af2 was founded in 1999

1999 in sports

Athletics Track*Hicham El Guerrouj sets the new World Record in the mile at the World Championships in Rome. He recorded a time of 3:43.13, barely edging out Noah Ngeny of Kenya who recorded 3:43.40....
by the Arena Football League in an attempt to bring the game to mid-sized markets following the success of AFL on the national level. The af2 was not intended to be a farm system for the AFL like the American Hockey League

American Hockey League

The American Hockey League is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League ....
and Minor League Baseball

Minor league baseball

Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in North America that compete at levels below that of Major League Baseball....
are to the National Hockey League

National Hockey League

The National Hockey League is a professional ice hockey league composed of 30 teams in North America. It is considered to be the premier professional ice hockey league in the world, and one of the North American Major professional sports leagues of the United States and Canada....
and Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball is the highest level of play in American professional baseball. Specifically, Major League Baseball refers to the organization that operates the National League and the American League, by means of a joint organizational structure that has developed gradually between them since 1903 ....
, respectively. The league was instead designed as a league that would develop the players. The lack of AFL-af2 team affiliations would prevent the AFL from "stashing" players in the lower league for later use. Players in the af2 are signed to one-year contracts, after the expiration of which they essentially become free agents to sign with whichever league and team they would prefer. The one-year contracts with the individual af2 teams also prevents players from leaving for the parent league mid-season; this preserves the quality of play in the lower league and does not destroy team dynamic with players coming and going throughout the season.

The foundation of the af2 was a response to launch of several small-market leagues in the mid to late 1990s, including the Professional Indoor Football League

Professional Indoor Football League

The Professional Indoor Football League was the second league to successfully play indoor football as a paid pro-league sport, after the Arena Football League....
, Indoor Professional Football League

Indoor Professional Football League

The Indoor Professional Football League was the new incarnation of the Professional Indoor Football League , which started in 1998. Two of its teams left the league and their owner, Kerry Ecklund, founded the Indoor Football League in 1999....
, and Indoor Football League. Each of these leagues, though they would eventually fold, managed to last a few seasons each, proving that the game had traction in the smaller cities. With Jim Foster

Jim Foster

Jim Foster is the founder and first commissioner of the Arena Football League. He is also a former National Football League and United States Football League corporate officer and was later the principal owner of the New York Dragons....
's patent on arena football, the af2 had the advantage of being the same game as was being seen on the national level with the use of the rebound nets. Working on a smaller scale, the af2 would try to capitalize on local and regional rivalries.

The Xtreme Football League was another upstart league trying to capitalize on the arena football phenomenon. Founded in Birmingham, Alabama

Birmingham, Alabama

Birmingham is the largest city in the United States state of Alabama and is the county seat of Jefferson County, Alabama. It also includes part of Shelby County, Alabama....
, the XFL (which is not related to the WWE-backed outdoor league

XFL

The XFL was a professional American football league that played for one season in 2001. The league was founded by Vince McMahon, better known as the owner of the World Wrestling Federation ....
) used East Coast Hockey League ownership to keep team costs low while providing established ownership and arenas for play. The league never played a game as it and its nine teams were purchased by the af2.

The af2 finally took the field in March 2000 in a game between the Birmingham Steeldogs and Tennessee Valley Vipers

Tennessee Valley Vipers

The Tennessee Valley Vipers are a professional arena football team, currently playing in af2, the minor league for the Arena Football League, where they are the 2008 defending ArenaCup champions....
(the latter of which was one of the acquired XFL teams). Fifteen teams were fielded in 2000 with the rights for several more cities quickly secured. The Orlando Predators

Orlando Predators

The Orlando Predators are an Arena Football League team based in Orlando, Florida that was founded in 1991. Their playoff streak is currently 17 seasons in a row, becoming the ArenaBowl champions in 1998 and 2000....
also purchased competitor Indoor Football League; several teams would be absorbed into the af2 for the 2001 season

2001 af2 season

The 2001 af2 season was the second season of the af2. The league champions were the Quad City Steamwheelers, who defended their title with a victory over the Richmond Speed in ArenaCup....
.

The first season concluded with over 868,000 people attending af2 games, averaging over 7,200 per game; several teams ended with average attendances over 10,000 fans. In addition over 9,200 fans attended ArenaCup I

ArenaCup I

ArenaCup I was the 2000 edition of the af2's championship game, in which the National Conference Champions Tennessee Valley Vipers were defeated by the American Conference Champions Quad City Steamwheelers in Moline, Illinois by a score of 68 to 59 ....
between the Tennessee Valley Vipers and Quad City Steamwheelers

Quad City Steamwheelers

The Quad City Steamwheelers are a professional arena football team. They are a charter member of the af2. They play their home games at i wireless Center in Moline, Illinois....
in Moline, Illinois

Moline, Illinois

Moline is a city located in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States, with an estimated population of 43,016 in 2007. Moline is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring East Moline, Illinois and Rock Island, Illinois in Illinois and the cities of Davenport, Iowa and Bettendorf, Iowa in Iowa....
. Deemed a success, the league returned for a second season and returned all 15 original teams as well as 13 expansion teams.

ArenaCup

The ArenaCup

ArenaCup

The ArenaCup is the af2's championship game. For the league's first five years, it was held at the arena of the higher seeded team. However, as their parent league, the AFL, has changed, the af2 has changed too....
is the af2's championship game, held annually in August. For the league's first five years, it was held at the home arena of the higher-seeded remaining team. However, as AFL has changed, the af2 has also changed. In the same year that ArenaBowl XIX

ArenaBowl XIX

ArenaBowl XIX was the 2005 Arena Football League season championship game of the Arena Football League, and was played at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada....
was played at a neutral site in Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, Nevada, and an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and entertainment....
, ArenaCup VI

ArenaCup VI

ArenaCup VI was the 2005 edition of the af2's championship game, in which the National Conference Champions Memphis Xplorers defeated the American Conference Champions Louisville Fire in Bossier City, Louisiana by a score of 63 to 41 ....
was the first af2 championship to be played at a neutral site in Bossier City, Louisiana

Louisiana

The State of Louisiana is a U.S. state located in the U.S. Southern States of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans....
. The practice continued the following year when ArenaCup VII

ArenaCup VII

ArenaCup VII was the 2006 edition of the af2's championship game, pairing the Green Bay Blizzard of the American Conference with the Spokane Shock of the National Conference....
was played in Coliseo de Puerto Rico

José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum

The Jos? Miguel Agrelot Coliseum, officially named "Coliseo de Puerto Rico Jos? Miguel Agrelot" , is the biggest indoor arena in Puerto Rico dedicated to entertainment....
in San Juan

San Juan, Puerto Rico

San Juan is the Capital and largest Municipalities of Puerto Rico in Puerto Rico. As of the United States Census Bureau, it has a population of 433,733, making it the List of United States cities by population city under the jurisdiction of the United States....
; the title game returned to Bossier City in ArenaCup VIII

2007

2007 was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.2007 was designated as:* International Heliophysical Year....
. Citing lower attendances at the neutral site ArenaCup games, the league returned to the original arena arrangement for the 2008 season.

With the exception of ArenaCup V

ArenaCup V

ArenaCup V was the 2004 edition of the af2's championship game, in which the National Conference Champions Florida Firecats defeated the American Conference Champions Peoria Pirates in Estero, Florida by a score of 39 to 26 ....
, all af2 championships have been televised either nationally or locally. The inaugural and second ArenaCups were broadcast on Spike TV

TNN

TNN may be:* The Nashville Network or The National Network, former names of Spike *Times News Network, Indian news agency*, UK Transport Industry News Website...
, which carried AFL games on Sunday afternoons at the time. However, when the AFL announced that broadcast rights had been purchased by NBC the ArenaCup national telecast was lost. The 2002 ArenaCup was televised by the Vision Network, and ArenaCup IV

ArenaCup IV

ArenaCup IV was the 2003 edition of the af2's championship game, in which the National Conference Champions Tulsa Talons defeated the American Conference Champions Macon Knights in Tulsa, Oklahoma by a score of 68 to 59 ....
was televised by KWHB

KWHB

KWHB is a television station in Tulsa, Oklahoma and is an owned-and-operated station of the LeSEA network. The station runs a schedule of Christian programming along with a few hours of secular general entertainment daily....
, a local station in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and List of United States cities by population in the United States. With an estimated population of 384,037 in 2007, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 905,755 residents projected to reach one million between 2010 and 2012....
. After having no television coverage in 2004, the national telecasts returned to the airwaves with Fox Sports Net

Fox Sports Net

The Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net , are a collection of Cable television regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation....
in 2005 and Comcast Sports Net in 2006, and 2007. ArenaCup 9 will also be broadcast on Comcast.

As of 2008, ArenaCup 9, as well as the season in its entirety, is broadcast online via NiFTy TV.

Teams

Division	Team	Arena	City/Area
American Conference
East	Albany Firebirds	Times Union Center	Albany, New York Albany, New York Albany is the Capital of the state of New York and the county seat of Albany County, New York. Albany is roughly 136 miles north of the city of New York City, and slightly south of the confluence of the Mohawk River and Hudson Rivers....
	Mahoning Valley Thunder Mahoning Valley Thunder The Mahoning Valley Thunder are a professional af2 arena football team.They are a 2007 expansion franchise and they play their home games at Cortland Banks Field at the Chevrolet Centre in downtown Youngstown, Ohio....	Chevrolet Centre Chevrolet Centre The Chevrolet Centre is a 5,700-seat multi-purpose arena in Youngstown, Ohio, United States. It was built in 2005, thanks in a large part to a $26 million HUD redevelopment grant secured in 2000 by Congressman James A....	Youngstown, Ohio Youngstown, Ohio Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County, Ohio, whose urban area also extends into Trumbull County, Ohio to a significant extent....
	Manchester Wolves Manchester Wolves The Manchester Wolves are a professional arena football team, based at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire. They play in the East Division of the American Conference of the af2 league, which is the minor league of the Arena Football League....	Verizon Wireless Arena Verizon Wireless Arena The Verizon Wireless Arena is an indoor events arena in Manchester, New Hampshire, and seats just under 10,000 for ice hockey and over 10,000 for basketball and concerts....	Manchester, New Hampshire Manchester, New Hampshire Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire and the largest city of northern New England, an area composed of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine....
	Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers are a minor league arena football team playing in the af2. The team is part of the East Division in the American conference....	Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza The Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza is an 8,300-seat multi-purpose arena located in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania managed by SMG.The Arena is home to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins ice hockey team and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers ....	Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Wilkes-Barre is a city in Northeastern Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania and the central city of the Wyoming Valley....
Midwest	Green Bay Blizzard Green Bay Blizzard The Green Bay Blizzard is a professional arena football team, that plays in the af2, the minor league of the Arena Football League. They play their home games at US Cellular Field at the Resch Center in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin....	Resch Center Resch Center The Resch Center is a 10,200 seat multi-purpose arena in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin. It was built in 2002. It is the home of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix men's basketball team, Green Bay Gamblers ice hockey team, and Green Bay Blizzard arena football team....	Green Bay, Wisconsin Green Bay, Wisconsin Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County, Wisconsin in the U.S. state of Wisconsin.The city is located at the head of its namesake Green Bay , a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River ....
	Iowa Barnstormers Iowa Barnstormers (AF2) The Iowa Barnstormers are an arena football team based in Des Moines, Iowa. They are currently playing their second season in the Af2 league after competing for six seasons in the Arena Football League....	Wells Fargo Arena Wells Fargo Arena (Des Moines) Wells Fargo Arena is a 16,980-seat multi-purpose arena in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. Part of the Iowa Events Center, the arena opened in 2005 at a cost of $99 million....	Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines , is the Capital and the most populous city in the United States U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County, Iowa....
	Milwaukee Iron Milwaukee Iron The Milwaukee Iron is a professional arena football team based at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They will begin play in the af2, the developmental league of the Arena Football League, in 2009 af2 season....	Bradley Center Bradley Center The Bradley Center is an list of indoor arenas in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is home to the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association, the Marquette University men's basketball team, and the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League ....	Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee is the largest city in Wisconsin and List of United States cities by population in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan....
	Peoria Pirates Peoria Pirates The Peoria Pirates are a professional arena football team currently playing in af2, the minor league to the Arena Football League. They play their home games at Peoria Civic Center and are coached by Bruce Cowdrey....	Peoria Civic Center Peoria Civic Center Peoria Civic Center is a convention center located next to Peoria City Hall in downtown Peoria, Illinois. United States. It has an arena, a theater, an exhibit hall, and meeting rooms....	Peoria, Illinois Peoria, Illinois Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, Illinois, in the United States. As of the United States Census, 2000, the city was the sixth largest in Illinois and had a total population of 112,936....
	Quad City Steamwheelers Quad City Steamwheelers The Quad City Steamwheelers are a professional arena football team. They are a charter member of the af2. They play their home games at i wireless Center in Moline, Illinois....	i wireless Center	Moline, Illinois Moline, Illinois Moline is a city located in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States, with an estimated population of 43,016 in 2007. Moline is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring East Moline, Illinois and Rock Island, Illinois in Illinois and the cities of Davenport, Iowa and Bettendorf, Iowa in Iowa....
South	Florida Firecats Florida Firecats The Florida Firecats are a professional arena football team. They are a 2001 expansion member of the af2. They play their home games at Germain Arena in Estero, Florida, which is halfway between Naples, Florida and Fort Myers, Florida....	Germain Arena Germain Arena Germain Arena is a 7,128-seat multi-purpose arena in Estero, Florida, United States.The arena was first named Everblades Arena in 1998 after the hockey team that played there....	Estero, Florida Estero, Florida Estero is a census-designated place in Lee County, Florida, Florida, United States. As of the United States Census, 2000, the CDP population was 9,503....
	Kentucky Horsemen	Rupp Arena Rupp Arena Rupp Arena is an list of indoor arenas located in downtown Lexington, Kentucky, United States It is the centerpiece of Lexington Center, a convention and shopping facility owned by an arm of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, Lexington's consolidated city-county government....	Lexington, Kentucky Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the List of United States cities by population in the United States. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World," it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region....
	South Georgia Wildcats South Georgia Wildcats The South Georgia Wildcats are a professional arena football team. They are a 2002 expansion member of af2, the minor league for the Arena Football League....	James H. Gray Civic Center	Albany, Georgia Albany, Georgia Albany is a city in and the county seat of Dougherty County, Georgia, Georgia , United States, in the Southwest Georgia of the state. It is the principal city of the Albany, Georgia metropolitan area....
	Tennessee Valley Vipers Tennessee Valley Vipers The Tennessee Valley Vipers are a professional arena football team, currently playing in af2, the minor league for the Arena Football League, where they are the 2008 defending ArenaCup champions....	Von Braun Center Von Braun Center The Von Braun Center , formerly known as the Von Braun Civic Center , is a multipurpose indoor arena, meeting, and performing arts complex, with a maximum arena seating capacity of 10,000, located in Huntsville, Alabama....	Huntsville, Alabama Huntsville, Alabama Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Alabama and Limestone County, Alabama Counties in the U.S. state of Alabama, and the county seat of Madison County....
National Conference
Division	Team	Arena	City/Area
Central	Amarillo Dusters Amarillo Dusters The Amarillo Dusters are a professional arena football team in the af2 league. The Dusters began play in 2004 as a charter member of the Intense Football League, a small indoor football league based in Texas....	Amarillo Civic Center Amarillo Civic Center The Amarillo Civic Center is a multi-purpose convention center in Amarillo, Texas. Built in 1964, it consists of multiple facilities including:...	Amarillo, Texas Amarillo, Texas Amarillo is the 14th-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the county seat of Potter County, Texas. A portion of the city extends into Randall County, Texas....
	Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz The Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz are a 2004 expansion team of the Arena Football League minor league af2. The Yard Dawgz play at the Ford Center, located in downtown Oklahoma City....	Ford Center Ford Center This article is about the multipurpose entertainment facility. For the rehabilitation center, please see Betty Ford Center.Ford Center is a multipurpose indoor sports/concert arena located in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma....	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, the city ranks List of United States cities by population among United States cities in population....
	Tulsa Talons Tulsa Talons The Tulsa Talons are a professional arena football franchise in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Talons are a charter member of the minor league Arena Football 2, also known as af2....	BOK Center BOK Center The BOK Center, or Bank of Oklahoma Center, is a 19,199-seat multi-purpose arena and a primary indoor sports and event venue in Tulsa, Oklahoma....	Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and List of United States cities by population in the United States. With an estimated population of 384,037 in 2007, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 905,755 residents projected to reach one million between 2010 and 2012....
Southwest	Arkansas Twisters Arkansas Twisters The Arkansas Twisters are a professional arena football team based in North Little Rock, Arkansas. They are a charter member of af2, the minor league of the Arena Football League, and play their home games at ALLTEL Arena....	ALLTEL Arena Alltel Arena Alltel Arena is an 18,000-seat multi-purpose arena in North Little Rock, Arkansas, directly across the Arkansas River from downtown Little Rock, Arkansas....	North Little Rock, Arkansas North Little Rock, Arkansas North Little Rock is a city in the central part of the U.S. state of Arkansas across the Arkansas River from Little Rock, Arkansas in Pulaski County, Arkansas....
	Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings Based in Bossier City, Louisiana, the Bossier Shreveport Battle Wings play in the af2 league of indoor football. They play at the CenturyTel Center in Bossier City and represent both Bossier City and Shreveport....	CenturyTel Center CenturyTel Center The CenturyTel Center is a 14,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Bossier City, Louisiana. It is home to the Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings af2 team and Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs ice hockey team....	Bossier City, Louisiana Bossier City, Louisiana Bossier City is a city in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, Louisiana, United States.As of the 2000 United States Census, the city had a total population of 56,461....
	Corpus Christi Sharks Corpus Christi Sharks The Corpus Christi Sharks are a 2007 expansion member of the af2. They play their home games at the American Bank Center. Michael Trigg is the team's head coach....	American Bank Center American Bank Center The American Bank Center is a Convention Center and multi-purpose arena in Corpus Christi, Texas. The American Bank Center is a renovated and expanded version of the city's old Bayfront Convention Center....	Corpus Christi, Texas Corpus Christi, Texas Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, Texas, it also extends into Aransas County, Texas, Kleberg County, Texas, and San Patricio County, Texas counties....
	Rio Grande Valley Dorados Rio Grande Valley Dorados The Rio Grande Valley Dorados are a professional arena football team. They began play in 2004 as an expansion member of af2, the minor league to the Arena Football League....	Dodge Arena Dodge Arena The Dodge Arena is a multi-purpose complex in Hidalgo, Texas.The arena seats up to 5,500 persons in its configuration for ice hockey, indoor football and indoor soccer, and up to 6,800 persons in its center stage concert configuration, which has also been used for boxing events....	Hidalgo, Texas Hidalgo, Texas Hidalgo is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, Texas, United States. The population was 7,322 at the 2000 United States Census. It is home to the Rio Grande Valley Dorados of the af2 arena football league, the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees of the Central Hockey League, and the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Development League, who play in t...
West	Boise Burn	Qwest Arena Qwest Arena Qwest Arena is multi-purpose arena in Boise, Idaho. It holds 5,300 fans for ice hockey and basketball, 5,732 for end-stage concerts, 6,400 for boxing and up to 6,800 for center-stage concerts....	Boise, Idaho Boise, Idaho Boise is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Idaho. Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho as well as the county seat of Ada County, Idaho....
	Central Valley Coyotes Central Valley Coyotes The Central Valley Coyotes are a professional arena football team. The team began as the original Bakersfield Blitz until 2004. They are a 2002 expansion member of the af2....	Selland Arena Selland Arena The Selland Arena is an 11,300-seat multi-purpose arena built in 1966 in Fresno, California. It is named after former Fresno mayor Arthur Selland and has had over ten million people walk through its doors in its over forty-year history....	Fresno, California Fresno, California Fresno is a city in California, USA, the county seat of Fresno County, California, and the second largest inland city in the state, after San Jose, California....
	Spokane Shock Spokane Shock The Spokane Shock are a professional arena football team in the af2 from Spokane, Washington, USA. They play their home games at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena....	Spokane Arena	Spokane, Washington Spokane, Washington Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. Spokane is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, as well as the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region....
	Stockton Lightning Stockton Lightning The Stockton Lightning are a professional arena football team. They are a 2006 expansion member of the af2, the minor league of the Arena Football League....	Stockton Arena Stockton Arena Stockton Arena is an indoor arena in Stockton, California. It is primarily used for ice hockey, indoor soccer and arena football. It is the home arena of the Stockton Thunder ECHL Hockey team, Stockton Cougars Professional Arena Soccer League team and Stockton Lightning af2 Arena football team....	Stockton, California Stockton, California Stockton is a city in California and the county seat of San Joaquin County, California . Stockton's population estimate for January 1, 2008, according to the California Department of Finance, is 290,141....
	Tri-Cities Fever Tri-Cities Fever The Tri-Cities Fever are a professional arena football team in the af2. Their first season was in 2005 as an expansion member of the National Indoor Football League....	Toyota Center Toyota Center (Kennewick) The Toyota Center is an multi-purpose arena in Kennewick, Washington, USA.The arena opened in 1988 as the Tri-Cities Coliseum . In early October 2005, a deal was reached between the city of Kennewick, Washington and Toyota, Toyota would pay $2 million over ten years for naming rights....	Kennewick, Washington Kennewick, Washington Kennewick is a city in Benton County, Washington in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Washington, near the Hanford Site. It is the most populous of the three cities collectively referred to as the Tri-Cities, Washington ....

League expansion

In a June 2003 interview with Sports Illustrated

Sports Illustrated

Sports Illustrated is an United States sports magazine owned by Mass media conglomerate Time Warner. It has over 3 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men, 19% of the adult males in the United States....
, AFL commissioner David Baker

C. David Baker

David Baker is the former commissioner of the Arena Football League, having been the fourth person to hold the position. He started in the league as the owner of the Anaheim Piranhas....
briefly mentioned the af2, saying how one day, he envisions the league growing to 100 teams. The af2 started off with 15 teams in 2000, then expanded to 28 teams in 2001, and finally 34 in 2002. The number of teams the league fielded dropped every year from there on after, until the 2006 season. 27 teams were fielded in 2003, 25 in 2004, and 20 in 2005. Finally, in 2006, the af2 saw its first expansion in 4 years, fielding 23 teams, and continued that into 2007 with 30 teams.

The drop in teams between 2002 and 2006 can be partially attributed to the league expanding too rapidly in its first 3 seasons. Many teams were financially unstable and folded

Defunct af2 teams

The following is a list of teams that, at one time, played in the af2.*Baton Rouge Blaze *Lafayette Roughnecks *Lincoln Capitols *Augusta Stallions ...
. This can be due to higher expenses compared to similar leagues. Franchise fees in the league range from $600,000 to $1 million. Historically, massive expansions have had little success. For instance, the National Indoor Football League

National Indoor Football League

National Indoor Football League was a minor league indoor American football league that is based in the United States. For their first six years, the league had teams in markets not covered by either the Arena Football League or its developmental league, af2, however, that changed briefly with their expansion into AFL markets such as Atlanta,...
, a rival indoor league, has seen large amounts of expansion teams since they began in 2001 but many struggle financially.

Nine new expansion teams were approved for 2007 in the af2: the Boise Burn, the Cincinnati Jungle Kats

Cincinnati Jungle Kats

The Cincinnati Jungle Kats were an af2 team that played its home games at the U.S. Bank Arena. Their only year in existence was 2007. The team is not to be confused with the The Marshals , the National Indoor Football League club that was the arena's former tenant, who changed their name to "The Marshals" and moved to the Hara Arena in near...
, the Fort Wayne Fusion

Fort Wayne Fusion

The Fort Wayne Fusion was a 2007 af2 expansion team in the Midwest Division of the American Conference. They played their home games at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana, which was the former home of the defunct National Indoor Football League/United Indoor Football franchise, the Fort Wayne Freedom....
, the Laredo Lobos

Laredo Lobos

The Laredo Lobos were a professional arena football team based out of Laredo, Texas. They were a member of the af2 league. They played their home games at the Laredo Entertainment Center....
, the Lubbock Renegades

Lubbock Renegades

The Lubbock Renegades were an expansion member of the af2. The team played its home games at the City Bank Coliseum, which was the former home of the Intense Football League/National Indoor Football League team, the Lubbock Gunslingers....
, the Mahoning Valley Thunder

Mahoning Valley Thunder

The Mahoning Valley Thunder are a professional af2 arena football team.They are a 2007 expansion franchise and they play their home games at Cortland Banks Field at the Chevrolet Centre in downtown Youngstown, Ohio....
, the Texas Copperheads

Texas Copperheads

The Texas Copperheads were a professional arena football that played in af2, the minor league for the Arena Football League. The team was founded in 2006 as member of the National Indoor Football League ....
, the Tri-Cities Fever

Tri-Cities Fever

The Tri-Cities Fever are a professional arena football team in the af2. Their first season was in 2005 as an expansion member of the National Indoor Football League....
, and the Corpus Christi Sharks

Corpus Christi Sharks

The Corpus Christi Sharks are a 2007 expansion member of the af2. They play their home games at the American Bank Center. Michael Trigg is the team's head coach....
. The Texas, Laredo, and Tri-Cities teams moved to the af2 from other indoor football leagues. For the 2007 season the league fielded 30 teams. After the 2007 season, three of those teams folded, the Fort Wayne Fusion

Fort Wayne Fusion

Cincinnati Jungle Kats

Laredo Lobos

Everett Hawks

The Everett Hawks are a now-defunct professional and later minor-league arena football team based in Everett, Washington, USA. The team was in existence for five years in three leagues, the Northwest Football League , the National Indoor Football League , and af2 and in two cities, the Eastside and Everett....
, Alabama Steeldogs, and the Bakersfield Blitz

Bakersfield Blitz

The Bakersfield Blitz were a professional arena football team based in Bakersfield, California. They are a 2004 expansion member of the af2 and play their home games at Rabobank Arena....
ceased operations. For 2008 the league fielded one less team at 29. Two teams the Iowa Barnstormers

Iowa Barnstormers (AF2)

The Iowa Barnstormers are an arena football team based in Des Moines, Iowa. They are currently playing their second season in the Af2 league after competing for six seasons in the Arena Football League....
and the Peoria Pirates

Peoria Pirates

The Peoria Pirates are a professional arena football team currently playing in af2, the minor league to the Arena Football League. They play their home games at Peoria Civic Center and are coached by Bruce Cowdrey....
were reactivated, and the league admitted three new teams that were transferring from other leagues. The Lexington Horsemen

Lexington Horsemen

The Kentucky Horsemen are an af2 team based in Lexington, Kentucky. They play their home games at Rupp Arena. They began as a 2003 expansion member of the National Indoor Football League, where they were successful....
came from the UIF

UIF

UIF may refer to:In Computing:* Universal Image Format, a proprietary disk image format used by MagicISO* User Information Field...
, the Daytona Beach ThunderBirds from the WIFL

World Indoor Football League (2007)

The World Indoor Football League was an indoor football league founded by Harry Pierce, owner of the Rome Renegades and Carolina Bombers of the American Indoor Football Association....
and the Austin Wranglers

Austin Wranglers

The Austin Wranglers were an American football team from Austin, Texas in the arenafootball2. They began play as a 2004 expansion team in the Arena Football League....
moved down from the AFL

Arena Football League

Announced expansion teams and cities

Will begin play in 2010

Toledo Bullfrogs
Toledo Bullfrogs

The Toledo Bullfrogs are a professional arena football team based at the Lucas County Arena in Toledo, Ohio. They will begin play in the af2, the developmental league of the Arena Football League, in 2010 af2 season....
- expected to begin play in 2010 at Lucas County Arena
Lucas County Arena

Lucas County Arena is a 8,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Toledo, Ohio, Ohio currently under construction. It should be completed in 2009 and will cost between $80 and 105 million to build....
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester, Massachusetts

Worcester is a city in the U.S. state of Massachusetts in the United States. A 2006 estimate put the population at 175,898, making it the estimated second-largest city in New England, after Boston, Massachusetts....
- expected to begin play in 2010 at DCU Center
DCU Center

The DCU Center, formerly known as The Centrum, Centrum in Worcester and Worcester's Centrum Centre, is an indoor arena and convention center complex located in central business district Worcester, Massachusetts....

Confirmed to have franchise, start date uncertain

Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico

Albuquerque is the largest List of cities in the United States in the US state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County, New Mexico and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande....
- franchise has been awarded to ownership, but a start date and location are unknown
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York

Buffalo , is the second largest city in the state of New York. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River, Buffalo is the principal city of the Buffalo-Niagara Falls metropolitan area and the county seat of Erie County, New York....
- expected to begin play in 2010 at HSBC Arena

Potential expansion cities

Macon, Georgia
Macon, Georgia

Macon is a city located in central Georgia , USA. It is among the largest metropolitan areas in Georgia, and the county seat of Bibb County, Georgia....
- could begin play in 2010 at the Macon Coliseum
Macon Coliseum

The Macon Coliseum is a multi-purpose arena and convention center in Macon, Georgia, United States. It was home to the Macon Whoopee and Macon Trax ice hockey teams and also the Macon Knights arena football team until 2006....
, pending sale of rights to an investor
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Saskatoon

Saskatoon is a city located in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River, with a metropolitan area population of 233,923. Saskatoon is the most populous city in the province of Saskatchewan, and has been since the mid-1980s when it surpassed the provincial capital of Regina, Saskatchewan....
- would begin play in 2010 at Credit Union Centre
Credit Union Centre

Credit Union Centre, formerly known as Saskatchewan Place or SaskPlace, is an arena located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Situated near the city's northern entrance, the facility opened in February, 1988 with a seating capacity of around 7,800....
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas

Wichita , is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas, and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas. The 2006 estimated population of 361,420 makes it the 51st largest city in the U.S....
- would begin play in 2010 at Intrust Bank Arena
Yakima, Washington
Yakima, Washington

Yakima is a city in central Washington and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 71,845 and a metropolitan population of 229,094....
- would begin play in 2010 at Yakima SunDome
Yakima SunDome

The Yakima SunDome is a 6,195 seat multi-purpose arena in Yakima, Washington. It was built in 1990 on the Central Washington State Fairgrounds and often serves as an exhibit hall during the fair....

Af2

History

ArenaCup

Teams

League expansion

Announced expansion teams and cities

Will begin play in 2010

Confirmed to have franchise, start date uncertain

Potential expansion cities

See also

External links