The
Indoor Professional Football League (IPFL) was the new incarnation of the
Professional Indoor Football LeagueThe Professional Indoor Football League was the second league to successfully play indoor football as a paid pro-league sport, after the Arena Football League. Since the AFL had a patent given in 1990 on the gameplay of "Arena Football" , the PIFL played with mostly the same rules, but without the...
(PIFL), which started in 1998. Two of its teams (the
Madison Mad DogsThe Madison Mad Dogs was an indoor football team that played in the Professional Indoor Football League in 1998, and in the Indoor Football League in 1999 & 2000. The Mad Dogs franchise was owned by Keary Ecklund. The team office was based in Madison, Wisconsin, and played their games at the Dane...
and the
Green Bay BombersThe Green Bay Bombers was an indoor football team that played in the Professional Indoor Football League in 1998, and in the Indoor Football League in 1999 & 2000. The Bombers franchise was owned by Keary Ecklund. The team office was based in Neenah, Wisconsin, and played their games at the Brown...
) left the league and their owner, Kerry Ecklund, founded the
Indoor 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 1999. The IPFL led a troubled three year existence, and died after its 2001 season, with its most successful teams joining up with the
National Indoor Football LeagueNational Indoor Football League was a professional minor league indoor 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...
.
The
Indoor Professional Football League (IPFL) was the new incarnation of the
Professional Indoor Football LeagueThe Professional Indoor Football League was the second league to successfully play indoor football as a paid pro-league sport, after the Arena Football League. Since the AFL had a patent given in 1990 on the gameplay of "Arena Football" , the PIFL played with mostly the same rules, but without the...
(PIFL), which started in 1998. Two of its teams (the
Madison Mad DogsThe Madison Mad Dogs was an indoor football team that played in the Professional Indoor Football League in 1998, and in the Indoor Football League in 1999 & 2000. The Mad Dogs franchise was owned by Keary Ecklund. The team office was based in Madison, Wisconsin, and played their games at the Dane...
and the
Green Bay BombersThe Green Bay Bombers was an indoor football team that played in the Professional Indoor Football League in 1998, and in the Indoor Football League in 1999 & 2000. The Bombers franchise was owned by Keary Ecklund. The team office was based in Neenah, Wisconsin, and played their games at the Brown...
) left the league and their owner, Kerry Ecklund, founded the
Indoor 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 1999. The IPFL led a troubled three year existence, and died after its 2001 season, with its most successful teams joining up with the
National Indoor Football LeagueNational Indoor Football League was a professional minor league indoor 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...
.
The IPFL was unique among
indoor footballIndoor football is a variation of American football with rules modified to make it suitable for play within indoor arenas.-Early history:The first documented indoor football games were those played at Madison Square Garden in 1902 and 1903 known as the "World Series of Pro Football." They were the...
leagues in that it sanctioned the use of a
white football, manufactured by
RawlingsRawlings is a sports equipment manufacturing company in the United States. It was founded in 1887. The parent company is Jarden, Inc. Rawlings specializes in baseball equipment, but also manufactures softball, basketball, American football....
, which was easier to see in the artificial lighting conditions.
The league's slogan was "Great Football, No Gimmicks", but most fans saw the white football as precisely that.
In 1999, IPFL was headed by a new commissioner,
Mike StorenMike Storen is an American sports executive, perhaps best known for his tenure as commissioner of the American Basketball Association.Mike Storen started in professional sports management in 1963, after serving in the United States Marine Corps, as promotions director for the Baltimore Bullets of...
, and the league offices were moved to
AtlantaAtlanta is the capital and most populous city in the state of Georgia, as well as the urban core of one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States....
.
IPFL 1999 teams
- Hawaii Hammerheads
The Hawaii Hammerheads was an indoor football team in the Indoor Professional Football League during the 1999 season. The Hammerheads were owned by George Heatherington and played their home games at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. The team's official colors were: Aqua, Silver...
- based in Honululu
- Idaho Stallions
The Boise Stallions are a now-defunct indoor football team from Boise, Idaho. They were a charter member of the Indoor Professional Football League. They originally began as the Idaho Stallions. Throughout their three seasons, the Stallions had very little success. When the league folded, the...
- based in BoiseBoise 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...
/NampaNampa is the largest and the fastest growing city in Canyon County, Idaho, USA. It is now the second largest in the state, passing the eastern Idaho cities of Idaho Falls and Pocatello in the late 1990s. And is owned by Austin Prince. Only the capital city, Boise, is larger. The population of...
- Louisiana Bayou Beast
The Louisiana Bayou Beast was a team in the Professional Indoor Football League in 1998, in the Indoor Professional Football League in 1999, and reincarated in 2001 in the National Indoor Football League . The Bayou Beast franchise was owned by James and Carolyn Shiver, who currently own and...
- based in Baton RougeBaton Rouge is the capital city and the second largest city of Louisiana It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish which contains 428,000 residents. The Greater Baton Rouge population is approximately 774,327...
- Mississippi Fire Dogs
The Mississippi Fire Dogs are a defunct indoor football team from Biloxi, Mississippi. They played their home games at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. They began play in the Indoor Professional Football League in 1999 as a charter member...
- based in BiloxiBiloxi is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, in the United States. The 2000 census recorded the population as 50,644, although the 2008 Census Estimate placed the population at 45,670...
- Rocky Mountain Thunder
The Rocky Mountain Thunder was an indoor football team in the Indoor Professional Football League during the 1999 season. The Thunder was owned by Scott D. Riddel and played their home games at the World Arena in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team's official colors were: Royal Blue, Silver and...
- based in Colorado SpringsColorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is located just east of the geographic center of the state and south of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. At 6,035 feet the city sits over one mile above...
- Texas Terminators
This team is not to be confused with the softball team in Texas.The Texas Terminators was an indoor football team that played in the Indoor Professional Football League in 1999. The Terminators franchise was owned by Jeff Parnell. The team office was based in Austin, and played their games in the...
- based in AustinAustin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 15th-largest in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in the nation...
Announced for the 1999 season, but never joined:
Tucson MirageThe Tucson Mirage played two exhibition games in the Professional Indoor Football League in 1998, losing both. The Mirage was scheduled to join the league as a full-time team in 1999, but this never happened.-Mirage staff & team information:...
&
Syracuse BlitzThe Syracuse Blitz was a Professional Indoor Football League team that played one exhibition game in 1998 and was going to join the league officially in 1999....
IPFL 2000 teams
- Idaho Stallions
The Boise Stallions are a now-defunct indoor football team from Boise, Idaho. They were a charter member of the Indoor Professional Football League. They originally began as the Idaho Stallions. Throughout their three seasons, the Stallions had very little success. When the league folded, the...
- Louisiana Rangers
The Beaumont Drillers are a professional indoor football team. They're currently a member of the American Professional Football League . They play their home games at Ford Arena in Beaumont, TX. They originally began playing as the Louisiana Rangers in the Indoor Professional Football League in...
- Louisiana Bayou Beast relocated to Alexandria, LouisianaAlexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area which encompasses all of Rapides and Grant parishes...
- Mississippi Fire Dogs
The Mississippi Fire Dogs are a defunct indoor football team from Biloxi, Mississippi. They played their home games at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. They began play in the Indoor Professional Football League in 1999 as a charter member...
- Mobile Seagulls
The Mobile Seagulls were a professional indoor football team. They were initially a member of the Indoor Professional Football League for the 2000 season before joining the National Indoor Football League for the 2001 season, their final. They played their home games at Mobile Civic Center Arena...
- Omaha Beef
The Omaha Beef are a professional indoor football team. They are a member of the Indoor Football League. They play their home games at Omaha Civic Auditorium, which was also once the home of the AHL's Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights and now the home of the returning Omaha Lancers.Omaha originally played...
- Portland Prowlers
The Portland Prowlers were a professional indoor football team based in Portland, Oregon. Playing as a member of the Indoor Professional Football League for the 2000-2001 seasons, they played their home games at the Memorial Coliseum for both years of their existence. This was the second indoor...
- Shreveport-Bossier Bombers
The Shreveport-Bossier Bombers were an indoor football team of the Indoor Professional Football League in 2000. The Bombers, based out of Shreveport, LA/Bossier City, LA, were one of four IPFL expansion teams for that season. They played their games in the Hirsch Memorial Coliseum in Shreveport...
IPFL 2001 teams
- Boise Stallions
The Boise Stallions are a now-defunct indoor football team from Boise, Idaho. They were a charter member of the Indoor Professional Football League. They originally began as the Idaho Stallions. Throughout their three seasons, the Stallions had very little success. When the league folded, the...
- Omaha Beef
The Omaha Beef are a professional indoor football team. They are a member of the Indoor Football League. They play their home games at Omaha Civic Auditorium, which was also once the home of the AHL's Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights and now the home of the returning Omaha Lancers.Omaha originally played...
- Portland Prowlers
The Portland Prowlers were a professional indoor football team based in Portland, Oregon. Playing as a member of the Indoor Professional Football League for the 2000-2001 seasons, they played their home games at the Memorial Coliseum for both years of their existence. This was the second indoor...
- St. Louis Renegades
The RiverCity Rage were a professional indoor football team in the Indoor Football League. They played home games at the Family Arena in Saint Charles, Missouri, part of the metropolitan area of St. Louis, Missouri, in past seasons, played in the Scottrade Center in downtown St...
- Trenton Lightning
The Trenton Lightning were an indoor professional football team founded in 2000 by owner/general manager, Phillip J. Subhan and local businessman, Kenneth Samu...
- Tennessee ThunderCats
The Johnstown Riverhawks was a professional indoor football team based out of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. They are a charter member of the American Indoor Football Association. They play their home games at Cambria County War Memorial Arena....
Announced for the 2002 season, but never joined:
Fort Wayne SafariThe Fort Wayne Safari was officially announced in 2000 as an expansion team in the Indoor Professional Football League and based out of Fort Wayne, Indiana. They were to join the league in 2002, and to play their home games at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. Official team colors were going...