Minnesota Vixen

Minnesota Vixen
Founded	1999
League	Independent Women's Football League
Team history	WPFL (1999-2007) NWFA (2008) IWFL (2009-present)
Stadium	Burnsville High School
Based in	Burnsville, Minnesota
Team colors	Black & Red
Owner	Hot Dish Football, Inc.
Head coach	Adam Griffith
Championships	0
Division titles	1 (2000 NWFA)
Mascot	B.A. Vixen

The Minnesota Vixen are a professional women's football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The team has been known as the Minnesota Vixens and Minneapolis Vixens prior to being known as the Vixen (note lack of "s").

A member of the Independent Women's Football League, the Vixen currently play their home games at Burnsville High School in Burnsville, Minnesota. Established in 1999, the Vixen are the longest continuously playing women's American football team in the world.

In 2011, Adam Griffith was promoted from interim head coach to full time head coach. His staff includes offensive coordinator Brandon Pelinka, Emilie Sundberg, Carrie Farwell, Dan Kobylinski, and Eric Thomsen.

History

1999 Barnstorming Tour

The Vixen's history dates as far back as women's football itself; in 1999, businessmen Carter Turner and Terry Sullivan decided to explore the feasibility of a professional women's football league by gathering together top female athletes from across the United States and gather them into two teams for an exhibition game. The two teams were called the Minnesota Vixen and the Lake Michigan Minx, and the exhibition game was played at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis (known worldwide as home to the National Football League's Minnesota Vikings). While the Vixens lost the game by a score of 30-27, the success inspired the two teams to trek outward on the "No Limits" Barnstorming Tour, where they would play each other again in six cities.

2000: WPFL kicks off

The success of the tour led Turner and Sullivan to form the Women's Professional Football League; although the Minx would not join the Vixen in the WPFL's first full season, the Austin Rage, Colorado Valkyries, Daytona Beach Barracudas, Houston Energy, Miami Fury, New England Storm, New York Galaxy, New York Sharks, Oklahoma City Wildcats, and Tampa Tempest would join the Vixen to form the WPFL's inaugural roster of teams. The Vixen would finish the regular season unbeaten at 5-0, clinch the Central Division title, and ensure home-field advantage throughout the American Conference playoffs. However, that playoff run would only last one game, as the Vixen lost the American Conference Championship Game to the eventual WPFL Champion Houston Energy by a score of 35-14.

2001

The Vixen played a three-game season, going 1-2 against the Arizona Caliente and the Indianapolis Vipers.

2002

The Vixen finished 2-3 and fourth place in the National Conference.

2003

The Vixen finished 2-7 and fourth place in the American Conference, North Division.

2004

The Vixen finished 6-4 and second place in the National Conference, North Division, qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in four years. However, they would lose the National Conference Semifinal game to the Delaware Griffins.

2005

Once again, the Vixen finished 6-4, second place in the North Division, and qualified for a playoff spot. Although they defeated the Indiana Speed in the National Conference Semifinal, the Vixen lost to the New York Dazzles in the National Conference Championship game.

2006

The Vixen finished 2-6 and third place in the National Conference, East Division.

2007

In their final year in the WPFL, the Vixen finished 2-5 and third place in the National Conference, North Division. Soon afterwards, the Vixen left the WPFL to join the National Women's Football Association.

2008

In their first and only year in the NWFA, the Vixen qualified for the playoffs for the first time in three years, finishing 6-2 and second place in the Northern Conference, North Division. However, that playoff run would only last one game, as the Vixen lost by a score of 31-7 to the North Division Champions and eventual NWFA runners-up West Michigan Mayhem. After the season ended, the Vixen switched leagues again, this time to the Independent Women's Football League.

Season by season

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties

Season	W	L	T	Finish	Playoff results
Minnesota Vixen (WPFL)
1999	"No Limits" Barnstorming Tour (Lake Michigan): Results Unknown/Not Counted
2000	5	0	0	1st American Central	Lost American Conference Championship (Houston)
2001	1	2	0	Exhibition Team	--
2002	2	3	0	4th National	--
2003	2	7	0	4th American North	--
2004	6	4	0	2nd National North	Lost National Conference Semifinal (Delaware)
2005	6	4	0	2nd National North	Won National Conference Qualifier (Indiana) Lost National Conference Championship (New York)
2006	2	6	0	3rd National East	--
2007	2	5	0	3rd North Central	--
Minnesota Vixen (NWFA)
2008	6	2	0	2nd North North	Lost Northern Conference Quarterfinal (West Michigan)
Minnesota Vixen (IWFL)
2009	2	6	0	3rd Tier I West Midwest	--
2010	0	8	0	8th Tier II West Midwest	--
2011	0	8	0	4th West-Mid West Division	--
Totals	35	55	0	(including playoffs)

* = Current Standing

Season schedules

2009

Date	Opponent	Home/Away	Result
April 11	Kansas City Tribe	Away	Lost 8-45
April 25	Chicago Force	Home	Lost 0-55
May 2	Wisconsin Warriors	Home	Lost 16-54
May 16	Iowa Crush	Home	Won 38-20
May 23	Chicago Force	Away	Lost 0-53
May 30	Wisconsin Warriors	Away	Lost 8-38
June 6	Iowa Crush	Away	Won 14-9
June 13	Kansas City Tribe	Home	Lost 0-65

2010

Date	Opponent	Home/Away	Result
April 3	Wisconsin Wolves	Away	Lost 30-73
April 10	Iowa Crush	Home	Lost 14-35
April 24	Dallas Diamonds	Away	Lost 0-79
April 27	Iowa Crush	Away	Lost 0-37
May 8	Chicago Force	Home	Lost 0-56
May 15	Kansas City Tribe	Home	Lost 0-80
May 22	Wisconsin Warriors	Away	Lost 0-55
June 5	Wisconsin Wolves	Home	Lost 18-20

2011

Date	Opponent	Home/Away	Result
April 9	Iowa Crush	Home	Lost 20-6
April 23	Madison Cougars	Away	Lost 0-16
April 30	Wisconsin Warriors	Home	Lost 46-14
May 7	Iowa Crush	Away	Lost 14-26
May 21	Wisconsin Warriors	Away	Lost 6-60
May 28	Madison Cougars	Home	Lost 7-6
June 4	Iowa Crush	Away	Lost 38-12
June 11	Madison Cougars	Home	Lost 26-14

External links

• Minnesota Vixen website