Indoor Football League

For the original Indoor Football League, see Indoor Football League (1999-2000).

Indoor Football League

Current season or competition: 2011 Indoor Football League season
Indoor Football League logo
Sport	Indoor football
Founded	2008
Commissioner	Tommy Benizio
No. of teams	16
Country(ies)	United States
Most recent champion(s)	Sioux Falls Storm
Most titles	Billings Outlaws (2)
Official website	goifl.com

The Indoor Football League is a professional Indoor Football league created in 2008 out of the merger between the Intense Football League and United Indoor Football. For the 2011 season the league had 22 teams in 14 different U.S. states, The 2012 season will consist of 16 teams.

History

Formation of the league

The merger which formed the new IFL was announced the day before the 2008 National Indoor Bowl Championship, a game which pitted the champions of the two leagues against each other. The Sioux Falls Storm (United) defeated the Louisiana Swashbucklers (Intense) 54 to 42.

2009 Season

Of the 17 teams involved in the two previous leagues, 14 carried over to the new organization's 2009 season. An additional 3 teams came over from the CIFL and two expansion teams began their life in the new IFL. In the 2009 IFL United Bowl, the Billings Outlaws (Intense Conference) took the league championship by defeating the River City Rage (United Conference) by a score of 71 to 62.
More Information about 2009 Season

2010 Season

After losing two teams to attrition after the end of the 2009 season, and a third in January 2010, the IFL then added an additional nine franchises to boost its membership to twenty-five for the 2010 season. Three of the new teams were expansion franchises. Two moved over from the Southern Indoor Football League and Continental Indoor Football League. After playing nine games of the 2010 season the Alaska Wild suspended operations, leaving only twenty-four teams to finish the year. In the 2010 IFL United Bowl, the Billings Outlaws (Intense Conference) took the league championship by defeating the Sioux Falls Storm (United Conference) by a score of 43 to 34.
More Information about 2010 Season

2011 Season

Seven new teams were added to the IFL for the 2011 season. Some of these were new expansion teams, and others moved to the IFL from the AIFA. The IFL also lost nine teams during the offseason, bringing the total number to twenty-two for 2011. In the 2011 IFL United Bowl, the Sioux Falls Storm (United Conference) took the league championship by defeating the Tri-Cities Fever (Intense Conference) by a score of 37-10.
More Information about 2011 Season

2012 Season

For the 2012 season, the IFL will be switching to a two-conference format with no divisions.

2012 Teams

An asterisk * indicates a team new to the IFL for the 2012 season.

United Conference

Team	Location	Arena (Capacity)
Bloomington Edge	Bloomington, Illinois	U.S. Cellular Coliseum (7,000)
*Cedar Rapids Titans	Cedar Rapids, Iowa	Cedar Rapids Ice Arena (4,000)
Chicago Slaughter	Hoffman Estates, Illinois	Sears Centre (9,500)
Green Bay Blizzard	Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin	Resch Center (8,621)
Lehigh Valley Steelhawks	Bethlehem, Pennsylvania	Stabler Arena (6,000)
Omaha Beef	Omaha, Nebraska	Omaha Civic Auditorium (9,300)
Reading Express	Reading, Pennsylvania	Sovereign Center (7,083)
Sioux Falls Storm	Sioux Falls, South Dakota	Sioux Falls Arena (4,700)

Intense Conference

Team	Location	Arena (Capacity)
Allen Wranglers	Allen, Texas	Allen Event Center (6,275)
Colorado Ice	Loveland, Colorado	Budweiser Events Center (7,200)
*Everett Raptors	Everett, Washington	Comcast Arena at Everett (8,513)
Nebraska Danger	Grand Island, Nebraska	Eihusen Arena (7,500)
*New Mexico Stars	Rio Rancho, New Mexico	Santa Ana Star Center (6,000)
Tri-Cities Fever	Kennewick, Washington	Toyota Center (5,970)
Wichita Wild	Park City, Kansas	Hartman Arena (5,000)
Wyoming Cavalry	Casper, Wyoming	Casper Events Center (8,395)

Potential future expansion teams

• Bakersfield, California
• Billings, Montana
• Boise, Idaho
• Bridgeport, Connecticut
• Daytona Beach, Florida
• El Paso, Texas
• Fort Wayne, Indiana (Possibly the Fort Wayne Firehawks)
• Fresno, California
• Greensboro, North Carolina
• Houma, Louisiana
• Indianapolis, Indiana
• Knoxville, Tennessee (Tennessee Gamblers)
• Las Vegas, Nevada
• Lexington, Kentucky
• Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Moline, Illinois
• Oregon
• Peoria, Illinois
• San Diego, California
• St. Louis, Missouri
• St. Paul, Minnesota
• Toledo, Ohio
• Tucson, Arizona
• Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pennsylvania
• Winston Salem, North Carolina
• Yakima, Washington

Former Teams

Left for another league

• Abilene Ruff Riders - Left IFL after 2010 season, now a member of the Lone Star Football League
• Amarillo Venom - Left IFL after 2011 season, now a member of the Lone Star Football League
• Corpus Christi Hammerheads - Left IFL after 2010 season, now a member of the Lone Star Football League
• Louisiana Swashbucklers - Left IFL prior to inaugural season, now a member of the Southern Indoor Football League
• Saginaw Sting - Left for the Ultimate Indoor Football League after sitting out the 2010 season.
• Sioux City Bandits - Left IFL after 2010 season, now a member of the American Professional Football League.
• West Texas Roughnecks - Left IFL after 2011 season, now a member of the Lone Star Football League

Folded

• Alaska Wild - Team suspended operations 9 games into the 2010 season. The coach and multiple players left to play elsewhere and the team no longer had money to continue the season.
• Arctic Predators - Originally announced as 2010 IFL member, but stalemate between ownership group and head coach led to lease difficulties, IFL franchise moved and became the Kent Predators. (A different team with the name Arctic Predators then became a member of the American Indoor Football Association)
• Arizona Adrenaline - Ceased operations before the end of the 2011 season. Some games were played with a replacement team.
• Austin Turfcats - Will not be in IFL for 2011 season.
• Bricktown Brawlers - Ceased operations before the end of the 2011 season. Final games were played with a replacement team.
• CenTex Barracudas - Originally announced as an IFL member, but not included in 2009 alignment.
• El Paso Generals - Owners attempted to sell the team, but did not participate in 2010 season.
• Everett Destroyers - Originally announced as an IFL member, but not included in 2009 alignment.
• Frisco Thunder - Originally announced as 2009 IFL member, then announced they would take season off while Dr Pepper Arena was being renovated, team didn't return.
• RiverCity Rage - Owner suspended them to focus on the Omaha Beef.
• Tucson Thunder Kats - Team joined the AIFA West before being officially accepted into the IFL, but ended up suspending operations in November 2010 due to financial losses instead.

Inactive

• Billings Outlaws - Owner suspended the 2011 season, but looking to return in 2012.
• Binghamton - Owner suspended the 2012 season, but looking to begin play in 2013.
• Fairbanks Grizzlies - Owner suspended the 2012 season, but looking to return in 2013.
• La Crosse Spartans - Owners suspended the team, and started the Cedar Rapids Titans. The team is now up for sale, and will not play in 2012.
• Maryland Maniacs - Owner suspended the 2011 season, but looking to return in 2012.
• Richmond Revolution - Owner suspended the 2012 season, but looking to return in 2013.
• Rochester Raiders - Owner suspended the 2011 season, but looking to return in 2012.
• San Angelo Stampede Express - Owner suspended the 2011 season, but looking to return in 2012.
• Wenatchee Valley Venom - Owner suspended the 2012 season, but looking to return in 2013.
• West Michigan ThunderHawks - Owner suspended the 2011 season, but looking to return in 2012.

Timeline

2011 Regular Season - Final Standings

United Conference

2011 Atlantic Division
	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA	DIV	GB	STK
y Reading Express	8	6	0	0.571	525	516	7-1	---	L1
Lehigh Valley Steelhawks	4	10	0	0.286	432	595	3-5	4.0	L2
Richmond Revolution	3	11	0	0.214	441	593	2-6	5.0	W1

2011 Great Lakes Division
	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA	DIV	GB	STK
y Green Bay Blizzard	11	3	0	0.786	764	508	4-2	---	W4
x Bloomington Extreme	9	5	0	0.643	561	473	4-2	2.0	L1
x Chicago Slaughter	8	6	0	0.571	624	627	4-2	3.0	L3
La Crosse Spartans	5	9	0	0.357	495	633	0-6	6.0	W1

2011 Great Plains Division
	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA	DIV	GB	STK
y Sioux Falls Storm	13	1	0	0.929	1022	457	5-1	---	L1
x Omaha Beef	9	5	0	0.643	615	523	5-1	4.0	W1
Wichita Wild	6	8	0	0.429	571	618	1-5	7.0	W2
Nebraska Danger	3	11	0	0.214	617	788	1-5	10.0	L8

y - clinched division title

x - clinched playoff spot

Intense Conference

2011 Lonestar Division
	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA	DIV	GB	STK
y Allen Wranglers	10	4	0	0.714	664	510	7-2	---	W2
x West Texas Roughnecks	10	4	0	0.714	656	391	6-3	---	W3
Amarillo Venom	4	10	0	0.286	529	522	3-6	6.0	L1
Bricktown Brawlers	2	12	0	0.143	292	717	2-7	8.0	L10

2011 Mountain West Division
	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA	DIV	GB	STK
y Colorado Ice	11	3	0	0.786	671	492	5-1	---	W1
x Wyoming Cavalry	9	6	0	0.643	677	582	4-2	2.0	L1
Arizona Adrenaline	1	13	0	0.071	326	908	0-6	10.0	L2

2011 Pacific Division
	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA	DIV	GB	STK
y Fairbanks Grizzlies	10	4	0	0.714	723	545	6-3	---	W2
x Tri-Cities Fever	10	4	0	0.714	816	575	6-3	---	W2
Seattle Timberwolves	5	9	0	0.357	678	796	4-5	5.0	L2
Wenatchee Valley Venom	3	11	0	0.214	508	845	2-7	7.0	L4

2011 Season - Final Playoff Standings

	June 20 - Tri-Cities					June 27 - Colorado
	5	West Texas Roughnecks	49
						4	Tri-Cities Fever	45
	4	Tri-Cities Fever	61								July 9 - Allen
						1	Colorado Ice	42
						Intense Conference
	June 19 - Allen										4	Tri-Cities Fever	67
						June 24 - Fairbanks
											3	Allen Wranglers	46
	6	Wyoming Cavalry	20								Intense Conference Championship
						3	Allen Wranglers	72
	3	Allen Wranglers	27													July 16 - Sioux Falls
						2	Fairbanks Grizzlies	54
	Round 1
	June 18 - Reading															4	Tri-Cities Fever	10
						June 25 - Green Bay
																1	Sioux Falls Storm	37
	6	Chicago Slaughter	33													2011 United Bowl Championship
						3	Reading Express	51
	3	Reading Express	76								July 9 - Sioux Falls
						2	Green Bay Blizzard	68
						United Conference
	June 18 - Omaha										2	Green Bay Blizzard	12
						June 25 - Sioux Falls
											1	Sioux Falls Storm	52
	5	Bloomington Extreme	34								United Conference Championship
						4	Omaha Beef	39
	4	Omaha Beef	39
						1	Sioux Falls Storm	52

IFL United Bowl Championship

The IFL continues to use the "United Bowl" name originally used by United Indoor Football. The UIF used this name before they merged with Intense Football League to form the Indoor Football League. The UIF held United Bowl I, II, III, and IV in 2005 through 2008, with all four being won by the Sioux Falls Storm.

Another piece of history about the United Bowl name is that the United Football League, an outdoor league founded in 2009, was planning on using the name for its championship game, but the IFL retained the trademark to the name so that the UFL couldn't use it. The IFL had to continue using the name in some form, and though the name "National Indoor Bowl Championship" was used for the 2008 contest between the UIF and the Intense Football League, the "United Bowl" name continues to be used for the combined league's championship instead.

2009 United Bowl Championship

The 2009 IFL United Bowl featured the Intense Conference champs, the Billings Outlaws, against the upset-minded United Conference River City Rage. The game became a scoring onslaught at the start of the 1st quarter with each team scoring touchdowns. The Outlaw defense snagged a pick in the 2nd quarter which led to another offensive touchdown and a commanding two score lead by halftime. The Rage fought back though, recovering an onside kick at the beginning of the 3rd quarter and driving the ball the length of the field for a touchdown. That would be the closest the game would get for the Rage. The Outlaws would put up just enough points to keep a comfortable lead throughout the fourth and after recovering an onside kick in the last minute of the game, the Outlaws kneeled the ball and took home the crown with a score of 71-62 in a loud, sold out Rimrock Auto Arena.

2010 United Bowl Championship

In the 2010 IFL United Bowl, the Billings Outlaws of the Intense Conference took the league championship by defeating the Sioux Falls Storm of the United Conference by a score of 43 to 34 in front of a sold out crowd in the Billings Sportsplex (a training facility, used by the outlaws after their arena suffered storm damage).

2011 United Bowl Championship

The 2011 IFL United Bowl was won by the United Conference champion Sioux Falls Storm when they beat the Intense Conference Champion Tri-Cities Fever 37-10 on July 16, 2011.

Year-By-Year

Year	Home Team	Away Team	Winner	Score
2009	Billings Outlaws	RiverCity Rage	Outlaws	71-62
2010	Billings Outlaws	Sioux Falls Storm	Outlaws	43-34
2011	Sioux Falls Storm	Tri-Cities Fever	Storm	37-10

References

External links

• Official website
• Announcement of new league's formation
• IFL Merger media guide
• IFL Statistics and Discussion