American Indoor Football League
Encyclopedia
American Indoor Football is a professional indoor football league that has gone through various incarnations since 2005.
The AIFL began as a regional league with six franchises on the East Coast of the United States
in 2005; after a rapid, and largely failed, expansion effort in 2006, most of the league's remaining teams jumped to the new AIFA (the rest joined the short-lived WIFL
). The AIFA expanded throughout existing territory and, in 2008, expanded into the Western United States
. The league legally divided into two entities to allow for a partial merger with the Southern Indoor Football League
, which resulted in all of its Eastern teams merging into the SIFL and the AIFA only maintaining its western teams. The league's western component, which remained separate of the merger, had indicated it would play as the AIFA West for the 2011 season but ceased operations January 2011. The league announced it would be relaunching as American Indoor Football in time for spring 2012.
Only one market (Erie, Pennsylvania) had continuously held an AIFL/AIFA team from the time of the league's founding until the SIFL merger.
under the leadership of Andrew Haines. The league (originally proposed under the name "United States Indoor Football League" in 2004) began with six teams, all of them based in the eastern United States
. Two teams played all of their games on the road, and the regular season was cut short two weeks because of teams being unable to secure venues for playoff games. In the 2005-06 offseason, the league changed its name to the American Indoor Football League, while nine expansion teams entered the league and a tenth (the Rome Renegades
) joined from the National Indoor Football League
.
The 2006 season
was marred by the folding of two teams, and the league used semi-pro teams to fill scheduling vacancies. The league was briefly acquired by Greens Worldwide, Inc., the owners of the amateur North American Football League, during the 2006 season, but they terminated the contract soon afterwards. Nine teams left the league after the season, including four who split off to create the short-lived World Indoor Football League
. On October 2, 2006, a massive reorganization took place as Morris and Mink set up a new league, which absorbed all of the remaining AIFL franchises, and Haines was ousted. (Haines would go on to create the Mid-Atlantic Hockey League
in 2007, before similar stability problems led to the forced divestiture of that league as well. Haines would, in April 2010, announce he was relaunching his league as the Ultimate Indoor Football League
beginning in 2011 and revived two defunct former AIFL teams.) The league took on the American Indoor Football Association name at the same time.
The 2007 season
was relatively successful for the league, as all 112 scheduled games were played and no teams folded mid-season, a major improvement over the past two seasons (when the AIFA was known as the AIFL). The AIFA Championship Bowl I was a neutral site game held in Florence, SC. In addition, the league held its 1st All-Star Game the same weekend, also in Florence. League owners stated that the neutral site was chosen so that both games could be televised to obtain nationwide exposure for the league.
The league has since expanded nationwide and individual teams have been able to acquire several players with NFL experience, a sign that the league has achieved a level on par with leagues such as af2
. The league had earned a major television contract as well: On September 17, 2007, The American Indoor Football Association owners John Morris and Michael Mink announced that the league signed a three-year national television broadcast, mobile phone broadcast, and webcast licensing agreement with Simply 4Me Incorporated (d.b.a. SimplyMe TV) http://www.simplyme.tv, who would produce a live broadcast and relay the games on the Internet and through the ION Television network in exchange for US$2,500,000 in rights fees for the AIFA. Without any public explanation, these games never made it to broadcast in any medium. ION subsequently dropped the league from their schedule and replaced it with Western movies. It was not until April 15, 2008 that SimplyMe, after having not produced a single broadcast by the midpoint of the season, reported in a letter to the league that it would no longer produce AIFA games. Later in the season, FSN Pittsburgh
agreed to pick up the remaining games; Erie, Pennsylvania
-based Image Sports Network also televised local games of the Erie RiverRats.
Eight teams participating in the league in 2007 did not return for the 2008 season
, including the 2007 champion Lakeland Thunderbolts
. The AIFA is the third league since 2004 (excluding the folded WIFL
and NIFL
before its folding) to lose its standing champion (the 2004 NIFL
champion Lexington Horsemen left to join the newly created UIF
and are now in af2
, and the 2006 champion Billings Outlaws
also left to join two years later.) However, nine teams signed on to begin play in 2008, and the league created a Western Conference. In 2007, the team farthest west was based in Mississippi
; in 2008, the team farthest west was based in Arizona
. Three of the four teams who have won the league championship are no longer active league members.
The 2009 season
culminated in AIFA Championship Bowl III, hosted by the Western Conference champion Wyoming Cavalry
on July 25, 2009. The game, played before 6,500 fans at the Casper Event Center, saw the Reading Express
defeat the Wyoming Cavalry
for their first title, 65-42.
As the 2010 season
approached, AIFA continued to expand its nationwide footprint. Expansion franchises have been added in Richmond, Virginia; Yakima, Washington; Wasilla, Alaska (believed to be the smallest city in America to host a national professional football franchise) and Wenatchee, Washington. The moves give the AIFA a much more significant presence on the West Coast of the United States. To accommodate this, and to keep travel expenses down, for the 2010 season the AIFA adopted a scheduling system that effectively treats the Eastern and Western conferences as separate leagues, with no regular-season crossover between the two conferences. The league also secured a television contract with AMGTV
, which will syndicate a "Game of the Week" package to regional sports network
s and its network of low-powered broadcast stations.
In 2010, the Baltimore Mariners
completed the league's first-ever perfect season
by winning all fourteen regular season games and winning AIFA Championship Bowl IV.
after the 2010 season. As part of the deal, Morris would acquire the rights to the eastern conference teams and merge them into the SIFL, while Mink would retain the western conference teams, rights to the AIFA name, and television contract, the last of which was extended through 2013.
The AIFA West originally announced that it would begin its season with four teams, beginning in March 2011, after the Tucson Thunder Kats
announced it would be suspending operations until 2012. As of January 2011, no schedule had been released, and the league informed the remaining three teams that there would not be a fourth team representing Eugene, Oregon
as the league had earlier promised. The league attempted to work out a schedule with the remaining three teams, but the Reno Barons
and Stockton Wolves were unwilling to go forward with such a schedule and broke from the league. Both teams are operating as the two-team "Western Indoor Football Association" in 2011, each playing whatever semi-pro teams are willing to face them in addition to each other. With only the Yakima Valley Warriors
left, the AIFA ceased operations. It will attempt to relaunch in 2012 with 8 to 12 teams in at least two regions of the United States.
As of June 2011, Morris had released a statement indicating he still represented the AIFA when he purchased the assets of the Fayetteville Force.
and the Lone Star Football League
. AIF announced its intentions to absorb the three remaining SIFL teams not in either the PIFL or LSFL (the Harrisburg Stampede
, Trenton Steel
and Carolina Speed), as well as the remaining teams that would have participated in the AIFA West. AIF intends to launch an amateur division as well.
Two rule changes appear to be inspired by Canadian football
rules:
The original press release also mentioned a team from New Jersey (presumably the Trenton Steel
), but the Steel have not yet committed to the new league.
The AIFL began as a regional league with six franchises on the East Coast of the United States
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
in 2005; after a rapid, and largely failed, expansion effort in 2006, most of the league's remaining teams jumped to the new AIFA (the rest joined the short-lived 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 Raleigh Rebels of the American Indoor Football League...
). The AIFA expanded throughout existing territory and, in 2008, expanded into the Western United States
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
. The league legally divided into two entities to allow for a partial merger with the Southern Indoor Football League
Southern Indoor Football League
The Southern Indoor Football League was an indoor football league based in the Southern and Eastern United States. The most recent incarnation of the league was a consolidation of an earlier league of the same name that was formed by Thom Hager along with Dan Blum, Robert Winfrey and Dan Ryan in...
, which resulted in all of its Eastern teams merging into the SIFL and the AIFA only maintaining its western teams. The league's western component, which remained separate of the merger, had indicated it would play as the AIFA West for the 2011 season but ceased operations January 2011. The league announced it would be relaunching as American Indoor Football in time for spring 2012.
Only one market (Erie, Pennsylvania) had continuously held an AIFL/AIFA team from the time of the league's founding until the SIFL merger.
History
The league has its roots in the Atlantic Indoor Football League, which began play in 20052005 Atlantic Indoor Football League season
The 2005 Atlantic Indoor Football League season was the league's very first overall season. The league champions were the Richmond Bandits, who defeated the Erie Freeze in American Bowl I.-Standings:* Green indicates clinched playoff berth...
under the leadership of Andrew Haines. The league (originally proposed under the name "United States Indoor Football League" in 2004) began with six teams, all of them based in the eastern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Two teams played all of their games on the road, and the regular season was cut short two weeks because of teams being unable to secure venues for playoff games. In the 2005-06 offseason, the league changed its name to the American Indoor Football League, while nine expansion teams entered the league and a tenth (the Rome Renegades
Rome Renegades
The Rome Renegades were a professional indoor football team, based out of Rome, Georgia. The Renegades played their home games at Forum Civic Center. They began as a 2002 expansion member of the National Indoor Football League, as the Oklahoma Crude. After three unsuccessful seasons, they moved...
) joined from the National Indoor Football League
National Indoor Football League
National Indoor Football League was a professional indoor football league 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...
.
The 2006 season
2006 American Indoor Football League season
The 2006 American Indoor Football League was the league's 2nd overall season. The league champions were the Canton Legends, who defeated the Rome Renegades in American Bowl II.-Standings:* Green indicates clinched playoff berth...
was marred by the folding of two teams, and the league used semi-pro teams to fill scheduling vacancies. The league was briefly acquired by Greens Worldwide, Inc., the owners of the amateur North American Football League, during the 2006 season, but they terminated the contract soon afterwards. Nine teams left the league after the season, including four who split off to create the short-lived World Indoor Football League
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 Raleigh Rebels of the American Indoor Football League...
. On October 2, 2006, a massive reorganization took place as Morris and Mink set up a new league, which absorbed all of the remaining AIFL franchises, and Haines was ousted. (Haines would go on to create the Mid-Atlantic Hockey League
Mid-Atlantic Hockey League
The Mid-Atlantic Hockey League was a minor professional ice hockey league in the Mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes regions of the United States. The league began play in November 2007...
in 2007, before similar stability problems led to the forced divestiture of that league as well. Haines would, in April 2010, announce he was relaunching his league as the Ultimate Indoor Football League
Ultimate Indoor Football League
The Ultimate Indoor Football League is a regional professional indoor football league that began its inaugural season on February 18, 2011.-History:...
beginning in 2011 and revived two defunct former AIFL teams.) The league took on the American Indoor Football Association name at the same time.
The 2007 season
2007 American Indoor Football Association season
The 2007 American Indoor Football Association season was the league's third overall season. The league champions were the Lakeland Thunderbolts, who defeated the Reading Express in AIFA Championship Bowl I.-Standings:...
was relatively successful for the league, as all 112 scheduled games were played and no teams folded mid-season, a major improvement over the past two seasons (when the AIFA was known as the AIFL). The AIFA Championship Bowl I was a neutral site game held in Florence, SC. In addition, the league held its 1st All-Star Game the same weekend, also in Florence. League owners stated that the neutral site was chosen so that both games could be televised to obtain nationwide exposure for the league.
The league has since expanded nationwide and individual teams have been able to acquire several players with NFL experience, a sign that the league has achieved a level on par with leagues such as af2
Af2
AF2 was the name of the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup...
. The league had earned a major television contract as well: On September 17, 2007, The American Indoor Football Association owners John Morris and Michael Mink announced that the league signed a three-year national television broadcast, mobile phone broadcast, and webcast licensing agreement with Simply 4Me Incorporated (d.b.a. SimplyMe TV) http://www.simplyme.tv, who would produce a live broadcast and relay the games on the Internet and through the ION Television network in exchange for US$2,500,000 in rights fees for the AIFA. Without any public explanation, these games never made it to broadcast in any medium. ION subsequently dropped the league from their schedule and replaced it with Western movies. It was not until April 15, 2008 that SimplyMe, after having not produced a single broadcast by the midpoint of the season, reported in a letter to the league that it would no longer produce AIFA games. Later in the season, FSN Pittsburgh
FSN Pittsburgh
Root Sports Pittsburgh is a regional sports network owned and operated by DirecTV Sports Networks. The channel first aired in the Pittsburgh metro area on April 24, 1986 as KBL with the season opener of the Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Mets from Three Rivers Stadium and expanded close to its modern day...
agreed to pick up the remaining games; Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
-based Image Sports Network also televised local games of the Erie RiverRats.
Eight teams participating in the league in 2007 did not return for the 2008 season
2008 American Indoor Football Association season
The 2008 American Indoor Football Association season is the league's fourth overall season. The league champions were the Florence Phantoms, who defeated the Wyoming Cavalry in AIFA Championship Bowl II.-Standings:...
, including the 2007 champion Lakeland Thunderbolts
Lakeland Thunderbolts
The Lakeland Thunderbolts are a professional indoor football team. They are a member of the American Indoor Football Association. They play their home games at the Lakeland Center.- History :...
. The AIFA is the third league since 2004 (excluding the folded 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 Raleigh Rebels of the American Indoor Football League...
and NIFL
National Indoor Football League
National Indoor Football League was a professional indoor football league 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...
before its folding) to lose its standing champion (the 2004 NIFL
National Indoor Football League
National Indoor Football League was a professional indoor football league 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...
champion Lexington Horsemen left to join the newly created UIF
United Indoor Football
United Indoor Football was a United States indoor football league that started in 2005. Ten owners from the National Indoor Football League, including one expansion and two from arenafootball2 took their franchises and formed their own league...
and are now in af2
Af2
AF2 was the name of the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup...
, and the 2006 champion Billings Outlaws
Billings Outlaws
The Billings Outlaws were a professional league indoor football team. They were a member of the Indoor Football League, of which they are the current champions. They played their home games at Rimrock Auto Arena at MetraPark...
also left to join two years later.) However, nine teams signed on to begin play in 2008, and the league created a Western Conference. In 2007, the team farthest west was based in Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
; in 2008, the team farthest west was based in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. Three of the four teams who have won the league championship are no longer active league members.
The 2009 season
2009 American Indoor Football Association season
The 2009 American Indoor Football Association season is the league's fifth overall season. The regular season began on Saturday, March 7 and ended on Monday, July 7. The league champion was decided on Sunday, July 26 as the Reading Express won AIFA Championship Bowl III...
culminated in AIFA Championship Bowl III, hosted by the Western Conference champion Wyoming Cavalry
Wyoming Cavalry
The Wyoming Cavalry are a professional indoor football team of the Indoor Football League. They play their home games in Casper, Wyoming at Casper Events Center....
on July 25, 2009. The game, played before 6,500 fans at the Casper Event Center, saw the Reading Express
Reading Express
The Reading Express are a professional indoor football team based out of Reading, Pennsylvania. They are a member of the Indoor Football League, having begun play as a member of the American Indoor Football League 2006...
defeat the Wyoming Cavalry
Wyoming Cavalry
The Wyoming Cavalry are a professional indoor football team of the Indoor Football League. They play their home games in Casper, Wyoming at Casper Events Center....
for their first title, 65-42.
As the 2010 season
2010 American Indoor Football Association season
The 2010 American Indoor Football Association season is the league's sixth overall season, and the last before its split and cessation of operations. The regular season began on Saturday, March 6 and ended on Sunday, July 4...
approached, AIFA continued to expand its nationwide footprint. Expansion franchises have been added in Richmond, Virginia; Yakima, Washington; Wasilla, Alaska (believed to be the smallest city in America to host a national professional football franchise) and Wenatchee, Washington. The moves give the AIFA a much more significant presence on the West Coast of the United States. To accommodate this, and to keep travel expenses down, for the 2010 season the AIFA adopted a scheduling system that effectively treats the Eastern and Western conferences as separate leagues, with no regular-season crossover between the two conferences. The league also secured a television contract with AMGTV
AMGTV
AMGTV is an American family-oriented television network, featuring programming including sitcoms, lifestyle programs, sports, films and more...
, which will syndicate a "Game of the Week" package to regional sports network
Regional sports network
In the United States of America and Canada, a regional sports network, or RSN, is a cable television station that presents sports programming to a local market. The most important programming on an RSN consists of live broadcasts of professional and college sporting events, as those games generate...
s and its network of low-powered broadcast stations.
In 2010, the Baltimore Mariners
Baltimore Mariners
The Baltimore Mariners were an indoor football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The team was founded when the American Indoor Football Association expelled the Baltimore Blackbirds for negotiating with another league. The AIFA maintained the lease rights to 1st Mariner Arena, so the Mariners were...
completed the league's first-ever perfect season
Perfect Season
A perfect season is any sports season, excluding the playoff portion of a season, in which a team remains undefeated and untied. The feat is extremely rare at the professional level of any team sport, and has occurred more commonly at the collegiate level in the United States.A perfect season may...
by winning all fourteen regular season games and winning AIFA Championship Bowl IV.
Split, partial merger with the SIFL and cessation of operations
The AIFA arranged a split and partial merger with the Southern Indoor Football LeagueSouthern Indoor Football League
The Southern Indoor Football League was an indoor football league based in the Southern and Eastern United States. The most recent incarnation of the league was a consolidation of an earlier league of the same name that was formed by Thom Hager along with Dan Blum, Robert Winfrey and Dan Ryan in...
after the 2010 season. As part of the deal, Morris would acquire the rights to the eastern conference teams and merge them into the SIFL, while Mink would retain the western conference teams, rights to the AIFA name, and television contract, the last of which was extended through 2013.
The AIFA West originally announced that it would begin its season with four teams, beginning in March 2011, after the Tucson Thunder Kats
Tucson Thunder Kats
The Tucson Thunder Kats are a professional indoor football team that was planning to begin play in the American Indoor Football Association for the 2011 season. The organization has shut operations down until the 2012 season which could become indefinite...
announced it would be suspending operations until 2012. As of January 2011, no schedule had been released, and the league informed the remaining three teams that there would not be a fourth team representing Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
as the league had earlier promised. The league attempted to work out a schedule with the remaining three teams, but the Reno Barons
Reno Barons
The Reno Barons are a professional indoor football team that began play in spring 2011. Based in Reno, Nevada, the Barons play their home games at the Reno Events Center....
and Stockton Wolves were unwilling to go forward with such a schedule and broke from the league. Both teams are operating as the two-team "Western Indoor Football Association" in 2011, each playing whatever semi-pro teams are willing to face them in addition to each other. With only the Yakima Valley Warriors
Yakima Valley Warriors
The Yakima Valley Warriors are a professional indoor football team that will begin play in the American Indoor Football Association in the 2010 season...
left, the AIFA ceased operations. It will attempt to relaunch in 2012 with 8 to 12 teams in at least two regions of the United States.
As of June 2011, Morris had released a statement indicating he still represented the AIFA when he purchased the assets of the Fayetteville Force.
Relaunch
On October 27, 2011, the AIFA announced it was relaunching as American Indoor Football (AIF). The move came in light of the dissolution of the SIFL and its breakup into the Professional Indoor Football LeagueProfessional Indoor Football League (2012)
The Professional Indoor Football League is a regional professional indoor football league set to begin its inaugural season in 2012. Like the Lone Star Football League, the PIFL is mainly composed of teams formerly from Southern Indoor Football League .Despite the name, this PIFL has no...
and the Lone Star Football League
Lone Star Football League
The Lone Star Football League is a regional professional indoor football league set to begin its inaugural season in 2012. All six of the LSFL's charter teams are based in the state of Texas, with five teams coming from the Southern Indoor Football League and two from the Indoor Football...
. AIF announced its intentions to absorb the three remaining SIFL teams not in either the PIFL or LSFL (the Harrisburg Stampede
Harrisburg Stampede
The Harrisburg Stampede is a professional indoor football team in American Indoor Football. The team plays its home games at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center....
, Trenton Steel
Trenton Steel
The Trenton Steel is a professional indoor football team that began play in the Southern Indoor Football League in the 2011 season. The Steel are based in Trenton, New Jersey, with home games played at the Sun National Bank Center. The team made its home debut March 26, 2011, losing 76-73 to the...
and Carolina Speed), as well as the remaining teams that would have participated in the AIFA West. AIF intends to launch an amateur division as well.
Basic rule differences
- AIF does not use the rebound net found in the Arena Football LeagueArena Football LeagueThe Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
. - One linebacker can move flat to flat but is required to stay in drop zone.
- Platooning and free substitution are allowed, meaning players do not have to play both offense and defense.
- Franchises are required to have at least 9 players that originate from within a 120-mile radius of the team's home town.
- The AIF ball pattern is similar to that of the basketball in the American Basketball Association, with red, white, and blue panels as opposed to the brown colored football of most leagues. This pattern originated in the AIFL and is also used in the UIFLUltimate Indoor Football LeagueThe Ultimate Indoor Football League is a regional professional indoor football league that began its inaugural season on February 18, 2011.-History:...
.
Two rule changes appear to be inspired by Canadian football
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
rules:
- Two offensive players can be in motion at one time. The AFL allows only one in motion.
- The AIF recognizes the singleSingle (football)In Canadian football, a single is awarded when the ball is kicked into the end zone by any legal means, other than a successful field goal, and the receiving team does not return, or kick, the ball out of its end zone...
(also known as an uno or rouge). If a kickoff goes through the uprights, or if the receiving team does not advance the ball out of the end zone on a kickoff, the kicking team is awarded one point and the ball is spotted at the opponent's five yard line.
Current Teams and Conference Alignment
| American Indoor Football | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | City/Area | Stadium | Founded | Joined | Head Coach | |
| Eastern Conference | ||||||
| Cape Fear Heroes Cape Fear Heroes The Cape Fear Heroes are a team of American Indoor Football set to begin play in 2012. Based in Fayetteville, North Carolina, the Heroes will play their home games at the Cumberland County Crown Coliseum.... |
Fayetteville Fayetteville, North Carolina Fayetteville is a city located in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of Cumberland County, and is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a U.S. Army post located northwest of the city.... , NC North Carolina North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte... |
Cumberland County Crown Coliseum Cumberland County Crown Coliseum Cumberland County Crown Coliseum is an 8,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Fayetteville, North Carolina that opened in 1997. It is currently home to the Fayetteville FireAntz ice hockey team, the Fayetteville Force indoor football team, and formerly home to the Fayetteville Patriots of the NBA... |
2011 | 2012 | Charles Gunnings | |
| Harrisburg Stampede Harrisburg Stampede The Harrisburg Stampede is a professional indoor football team in American Indoor Football. The team plays its home games at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center.... |
Harrisburg Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania... , PA Pennsylvania The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to... |
Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center | 2007 (AIFL) | 2012 | Bernie Nowartarski | |
| Maryland Reapers Maryland Reapers The Maryland Reapers are a team of American Indoor Football set to begin play in 2012. Based in Laurel, Maryland, the Reapers will play their home games at The Gardens Ice House.-External links:* *... |
Laurel Laurel, Maryland Laurel is a city in northern Prince George's County, Anne Arundel County, and Howard County, Maryland, United States, located midway between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. Incorporated in 1870, the city maintains a historic district including its Main Street... , MD Maryland Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east... |
The Gardens Ice House | 2011 | 2012 | Matthew Steeple | |
| Virginia Badgers Virginia Badgers The Virginia Badgers are a team of American Indoor Football set to begin play in 2012. Based in Fredericksburg, Virginia, the Badgers could play their home games at the Arthur Ashe Athletic Center in nearby Richmond for their inaugural season, with a probable move to the Fredericksburg Field House... |
Fredericksburg Fredericksburg, Virginia Fredericksburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia located south of Washington, D.C., and north of Richmond. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 24,286... , VA Virginia The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there... |
2011 | 2012 | Adwela Dawes | ||
| Western Conference | ||||||
| Arizona Outlaws Arizona Outlaws (AIF) The Arizona Outlaws are a team of American Indoor Football set to begin play in 2012. Based in Prescott Valley, Arizona, the Outlaws will play their home games at Tim's Toyota Center.... |
Prescott Valley Prescott Valley, Arizona Prescott Valley is a town in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States, just east of Prescott. Prescott Valley was the seventh fastest-growing place among all cities and towns in Arizona between 1990 and 2000... , AZ Arizona Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix... |
Tim's Toyota Center | 2011 | 2012 | Terry Foster | |
| Sacramento Eagles | Rancho Cordova Rancho Cordova, California Rancho Cordova is a city in Sacramento County, California, USA, that incorporated in 2003. It is part of the Sacramento Metropolitan Area. The population was 64,776 at the 2010 census. Rancho Cordova is the Sacramento area's largest employment sub-center, with a daily influx of over 45,000... , CA California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... |
Metro City Soccer Club | 2011 | 2012 | Fred Bilentikoff, Jr. | |
The original press release also mentioned a team from New Jersey (presumably the Trenton Steel
Trenton Steel
The Trenton Steel is a professional indoor football team that began play in the Southern Indoor Football League in the 2011 season. The Steel are based in Trenton, New Jersey, with home games played at the Sun National Bank Center. The team made its home debut March 26, 2011, losing 76-73 to the...
), but the Steel have not yet committed to the new league.
Defunct franchises
- AIFL GhostchasersAIFL GhostchasersThe AIFL Ghostchasers was an all-road team that was created four weeks into the 2006 AIFL season after the Carolina Ghostriders lost 15-straight games and declared themselves inactive. This team was around for the remainder of the 2006 regular season, occupying the rest of the scheduled road...
- Arctic PredatorsArctic PredatorsThe Arctic Predators are a professional indoor football team that played in 2010 as a member of the American Indoor Football Association.-History:...
(Wasilla, AlaskaWasilla, AlaskaWasilla is a city in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, United States and the sixth-largest city in Alaska. It is located on the northern point of Cook Inlet in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley of the southcentral part of the state. The city's population was 7,831 at the 2010 census...
). - Augusta Colts - (originally played as the Augusta Spartans)
- Baltimore BlackbirdsBaltimore BlackbirdsThe Baltimore Blackbirds were an indoor football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. They played the 2007 season as an expansion member of the American Indoor Football Association, at the 1st Mariner Arena.-History:...
- Baltimore MarinersBaltimore MarinersThe Baltimore Mariners were an indoor football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The team was founded when the American Indoor Football Association expelled the Baltimore Blackbirds for negotiating with another league. The AIFA maintained the lease rights to 1st Mariner Arena, so the Mariners were...
- Canton LegendsCanton LegendsThe Canton Legends was a professional indoor football team based out of Canton, Ohio. They were a charter member of the American Indoor Football Association, which played their first season under the name Atlantic Indoor Football League, and their second season as the American Indoor Football...
- Carolina GhostridersCarolina GhostridersThe Carolina Ghostriders is a now-defunct indoor football team and charter member of the American Indoor Football League. The team has a rather strange history....
- (also known as the Carolina Sharks, AIFL Ghostriders, and indirectly the Greensboro Ghostriders). - Chattahoochee Valley VipersChattahoochee Valley VipersThere are two teams that go by the Chattahoochee Valley Vipers. The current team is an expansion semi-professional football team based in Phenix City, Alabama and are a member of the United South Football League. The "new" Vipers were created in January 2010...
- Danville DemolitionDanville DemolitionThe Danville Demolition were an American Indoor Football Association team played in 2007. The team played their home games at the David S. Palmer Arena.- History :...
- Daytona Beach Thunder
- D.C. ArmorD.C. ArmorThe D.C. Armor was a professional indoor football team that began play in the American Indoor Football Association in the 2009 season. The team was based in Washington, D.C., with home games at the under-renovation D.C. Armory. The Armor were the first professional football team to play within the...
- Erie FreezeErie FreezeThe Erie Freeze was an American indoor football team based in Erie, Pennsylvania.They were an original member of the American Indoor Football League in 2005, and advanced to the first AIFL Championship Game. When the league was reorganized into the American Indoor Football Association in 2007, they...
- Florence PhantomsFlorence PhantomsThe Florence Phantoms was a professional arena football team based out of Florence, South Carolina, in the United States. They are a 2006 expansion member of the American Indoor Football Association, and the current AIFA Champions as of the 2008 season's end...
- Florida StingraysFlorida StingraysThe Florida Stingrays was a 2008 expansion team of the American Indoor Football Association. They played their home games at the Lee County Civic Center...
- Gulf Coast Raiders
- Huntington HeroesHuntington HeroesThe Huntington Heroes were a professional indoor football franchise and member of the American Indoor Football Association. The Heroes played their home games during their inaugural 2006 season at the Veterans Memorial Fieldhouse in Huntington, West Virginia before moving to the larger Big Sandy...
- Johnstown RiverhawksJohnstown RiverhawksThe Johnstown Riverhawks was a professional indoor football team based out of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. They were a charter member of the American Indoor Football Association. They played their home games at Cambria County War Memorial Arena....
- Mississippi MudCatsMississippi MudcatsThe Mississippi MudCats are a team of the American Indoor Football Association. They play their home games at BancorpSouth Arena in Tupelo, Mississippi.-History:...
- Montgomery BearsMontgomery BearsThe Montgomery Bears were a professional indoor football team that played their home games at the Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery, Alabama. They are a member of the American Indoor Football Association. The team began play as the Montgomery Maulers of the National Indoor Football League and won the...
- New Jersey Revolution
- New Mexico WildcatsNew Mexico WildcatsThe New Mexico Wildcats are a professional indoor football team that will begin play in the American Indoor Football Association in the 2008 season...
- Ogden KnightsOgden KnightsThe Ogden Knights are a professional indoor football team that will begin play in the American Indoor Football Association in the 2009 season. The Knights are based in Ogden, Utah, with home games to be played at the Golden Spike Arena...
- Raleigh RebelsCarolina BombersThe Carolina Bombers were a professional indoor football team based out of Raleigh, North Carolina. They would have been a charter member of the World Indoor Football League...
- Richmond BanditsRichmond BanditsThe Richmond Bandits were an indoor football team. They were a charter member of the American Indoor Football League. In 2005, the Bandits defeated the Erie Freeze to win the AIFL's first-ever American Bowl, completing the year with a combined record of 11-1...
- Rome RenegadesRome RenegadesThe Rome Renegades were a professional indoor football team, based out of Rome, Georgia. The Renegades played their home games at Forum Civic Center. They began as a 2002 expansion member of the National Indoor Football League, as the Oklahoma Crude. After three unsuccessful seasons, they moved...
- Springfield StallionsSpringfield StallionsThe Springfield Stallions were an indoor football team that played their home games at the Prairie Capital Convention Center. They were a 2007 expansion member of the Continental Indoor Football League....
- Steubenville StampedeSteubenville StampedeThe Steubenville Stampede was an indoor football franchise, most recently a member of the Continental Indoor Football League. They played their home games at the St. John Arena in Steubenville, Ohio.-2006 season:...
- Syracuse SoldiersSyracuse SoldiersThe Syracuse Soldiers was a 2006 expansion member of the American Indoor Football League. They played their home games at the War Memorial at Oncenter in Syracuse, New York until the AIFL ended their season on Friday, May 19, 2006....
- (also known as the Binghamton Brigade) - Tallahassee TitansTallahassee TitansThe Tallahassee Titans were an American Indoor Football Association team that began play as a 2007 member. The team played its home games at the Donald L. Tucker Center in Tallahassee, Florida.-History:...
- Tucson Thunder KatsTucson Thunder KatsThe Tucson Thunder Kats are a professional indoor football team that was planning to begin play in the American Indoor Football Association for the 2011 season. The organization has shut operations down until the 2012 season which could become indefinite...
- Utah SaintsUtah Saints (AIFA)The Utah Saints was a team of the American Indoor Football Association that played in 2008. They played their home games at the Utah Olympic Oval in Kearns, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City...
- Yakima Valley WarriorsYakima Valley WarriorsThe Yakima Valley Warriors are a professional indoor football team that will begin play in the American Indoor Football Association in the 2010 season...
Former AIFL/AIFA/AIF teams spun off to the SIFL
- Carolina Speed
- Erie RiverRats/Storm
- Fayetteville Guard
- Harrisburg StampedeHarrisburg StampedeThe Harrisburg Stampede is a professional indoor football team in American Indoor Football. The team plays its home games at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center....
- Richmond Raiders
Former AIFL/AIFA/AIF teams now playing in another league
- Arizona AdrenalineArizona AdrenalineThe Arizona Adrenaline were a professional indoor football team of the Indoor Football League. The team was based in Prescott Valley, Arizona, with home games played at the Tim's Toyota Center....
- will be joining the Indoor Football LeagueIndoor Football LeagueThe Indoor Football League began in 1999 as an offshoot of the troubled Professional Indoor Football League. Keary Ecklund, the owner of the Green Bay Bombers and Madison Mad Dogs, left the PIFL after its first, financially-troubled, season to start his own league. Unlike the PIFL, the IFL was an...
in 2011. - Columbus LionsColumbus LionsThe Columbus Lions are an indoor football team of the Professional Indoor Football League. Based in Columbus, Georgia, the Lions play their home games at the Columbus Civic Center...
- now playing in Southern Indoor Football LeagueSouthern Indoor Football LeagueThe Southern Indoor Football League was an indoor football league based in the Southern and Eastern United States. The most recent incarnation of the league was a consolidation of an earlier league of the same name that was formed by Thom Hager along with Dan Blum, Robert Winfrey and Dan Ryan in...
. - Miami Valley Silverbacks - now playing in Continental Indoor Football League.
- Reading ExpressReading ExpressThe Reading Express are a professional indoor football team based out of Reading, Pennsylvania. They are a member of the Indoor Football League, having begun play as a member of the American Indoor Football League 2006...
- will be joining the Indoor Football LeagueIndoor Football LeagueThe Indoor Football League began in 1999 as an offshoot of the troubled Professional Indoor Football League. Keary Ecklund, the owner of the Green Bay Bombers and Madison Mad Dogs, left the PIFL after its first, financially-troubled, season to start his own league. Unlike the PIFL, the IFL was an...
in 2011. - Reno BaronsReno BaronsThe Reno Barons are a professional indoor football team that began play in spring 2011. Based in Reno, Nevada, the Barons play their home games at the Reno Events Center....
- playing as an independent for 2011. - Rochester RaidersRochester RaidersThe Rochester Raiders are a professional indoor football team based in the Rochester, New York area. They are currently a member of the Indoor Football League and play their home games at the Dome Arena in the suburb of Henrietta...
- played two games as a probational franchise, now playing in Indoor Football LeagueIndoor Football LeagueThe Indoor Football League began in 1999 as an offshoot of the troubled Professional Indoor Football League. Keary Ecklund, the owner of the Green Bay Bombers and Madison Mad Dogs, left the PIFL after its first, financially-troubled, season to start his own league. Unlike the PIFL, the IFL was an...
. - South Carolina Force - now playing in Southern Indoor Football LeagueSouthern Indoor Football LeagueThe Southern Indoor Football League was an indoor football league based in the Southern and Eastern United States. The most recent incarnation of the league was a consolidation of an earlier league of the same name that was formed by Thom Hager along with Dan Blum, Robert Winfrey and Dan Ryan in...
as Greenville Force. - San Jose Wolves - relocated to Stockton, California and is playing as an independent for 2011.
- Utah Valley Thunder - assumed the identity of the Utah BlazeUtah BlazeThe Utah Blaze is a professional arena football team based in Salt Lake City, Utah and competes in the West division of the Arena Football League. Home games are played at the EnergySolutions Arena.-The original Utah Blaze :...
in the Arena Football LeagueArena Football LeagueThe Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
in 2010. - Wenatchee Valley Venom - will be joining the Indoor Football LeagueIndoor Football LeagueThe Indoor Football League began in 1999 as an offshoot of the troubled Professional Indoor Football League. Keary Ecklund, the owner of the Green Bay Bombers and Madison Mad Dogs, left the PIFL after its first, financially-troubled, season to start his own league. Unlike the PIFL, the IFL was an...
in 2011. - Wyoming CavalryWyoming CavalryThe Wyoming Cavalry are a professional indoor football team of the Indoor Football League. They play their home games in Casper, Wyoming at Casper Events Center....
- will be joining the Indoor Football LeagueIndoor Football LeagueThe Indoor Football League began in 1999 as an offshoot of the troubled Professional Indoor Football League. Keary Ecklund, the owner of the Green Bay Bombers and Madison Mad Dogs, left the PIFL after its first, financially-troubled, season to start his own league. Unlike the PIFL, the IFL was an...
in 2011.
Substitute
- Chambersburg CardinalsChambersburg CardinalsThe Chambersburg Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.-1946:The team was founded on the basis of local players returning from WWII, they were looking to return back to a life they once remembered...
- outdoor team that played two games as a substitute, from the North American Football League.
Championship games
- 2005: Richmond BanditsRichmond BanditsThe Richmond Bandits were an indoor football team. They were a charter member of the American Indoor Football League. In 2005, the Bandits defeated the Erie Freeze to win the AIFL's first-ever American Bowl, completing the year with a combined record of 11-1...
56-30 Erie FreezeErie FreezeThe Erie Freeze was an American indoor football team based in Erie, Pennsylvania.They were an original member of the American Indoor Football League in 2005, and advanced to the first AIFL Championship Game. When the league was reorganized into the American Indoor Football Association in 2007, they... - 2006: Canton LegendsCanton LegendsThe Canton Legends was a professional indoor football team based out of Canton, Ohio. They were a charter member of the American Indoor Football Association, which played their first season under the name Atlantic Indoor Football League, and their second season as the American Indoor Football...
61-40 Rome RenegadesRome RenegadesThe Rome Renegades were a professional indoor football team, based out of Rome, Georgia. The Renegades played their home games at Forum Civic Center. They began as a 2002 expansion member of the National Indoor Football League, as the Oklahoma Crude. After three unsuccessful seasons, they moved... - 2007: Lakeland ThunderboltsLakeland ThunderboltsThe Lakeland Thunderbolts are a professional indoor football team. They are a member of the American Indoor Football Association. They play their home games at the Lakeland Center.- History :...
54-49 Reading ExpressReading ExpressThe Reading Express are a professional indoor football team based out of Reading, Pennsylvania. They are a member of the Indoor Football League, having begun play as a member of the American Indoor Football League 2006... - 2008: Florence PhantomsFlorence PhantomsThe Florence Phantoms was a professional arena football team based out of Florence, South Carolina, in the United States. They are a 2006 expansion member of the American Indoor Football Association, and the current AIFA Champions as of the 2008 season's end...
48-12 Wyoming CavalryWyoming CavalryThe Wyoming Cavalry are a professional indoor football team of the Indoor Football League. They play their home games in Casper, Wyoming at Casper Events Center.... - 2009: Reading ExpressReading ExpressThe Reading Express are a professional indoor football team based out of Reading, Pennsylvania. They are a member of the Indoor Football League, having begun play as a member of the American Indoor Football League 2006...
65-42 Wyoming CavalryWyoming CavalryThe Wyoming Cavalry are a professional indoor football team of the Indoor Football League. They play their home games in Casper, Wyoming at Casper Events Center.... - 2010: Baltimore MarinersBaltimore MarinersThe Baltimore Mariners were an indoor football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The team was founded when the American Indoor Football Association expelled the Baltimore Blackbirds for negotiating with another league. The AIFA maintained the lease rights to 1st Mariner Arena, so the Mariners were...
57-42 Wyoming CavalryWyoming CavalryThe Wyoming Cavalry are a professional indoor football team of the Indoor Football League. They play their home games in Casper, Wyoming at Casper Events Center....