List of Arena Football League teams
The following is a list of Arena Football League (AFL) teams. The AFL is a professional indoor American football league based in the United States. Fourteen franchises fielded a team in 2014. AFL's inaugural 1987 season featured four teams; the Chicago Bruisers (2–4), the Denver Dynamite (4–2), the Pittsburgh Gladiators (4–2), and the Washington Commandos (2–4). Pittsburgh was relocated to Florida in 1991 and renamed the Tampa Bay Storm. They are the only franchise in the league that played in the inaugural 1987 season. The Los Angeles Kiss and the Portland Thunder were established before the 2014 season, making them the AFL's newest franchises. At its height, the AFL has featured 19 teams (2001, 2004, 2007).
Current franchises
| Team | City | Arena | Head coach | Founded | Joined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore | Baltimore, Maryland | Royal Farms Arena | TBD | 2016 | 2017 |
| Cleveland Gladiators | Cleveland, Ohio | Quicken Loans Arena | Steve Thonn | 1997 | |
| Philadelphia Soul | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Wells Fargo Center | Clint Dolezel | 2004 | |
| Tampa Bay Storm | Tampa, Florida | Amalie Arena | Lawrence Samuels | 1987 | |
| Washington Valor | Washington, DC | Verizon Center | Dean Cokinos | 2016 | 2017 |
Expansions and contractions
The Arena Football League had expanded and contracted many times throughout its history. Every year in the AFL there has been at least one team which did not play the previous season with the same name. There have never been two consecutive seasons in which the league had exactly the same lineup of cities. The league reached its maximum size in the 2004 and 2007 seasons, in which 19 teams competed in each instance. The league last expanded in 2011, when it went from 15 teams to 18 teams, and has been in a contraction mode since that time, dropping teams proving to be financially unfeasible.
| Year | # of teams | Expansion teams | Folded teams | Suspended teams | Returning teams | Relocated teams | Name changes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 4 | Chicago Bruisers Denver Dynamite Pittsburgh Gladiators Washington Commandos |
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| 1988 | 6 | Detroit Drive Los Angeles Cobras New England Steamrollers New York Knights |
Denver Dynamite Washington Commandos |
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| 1989 | 5 | Los Angeles Cobras New England Steamrollers New York Knights |
Denver Dynamite Maryland Commandos |
Maryland Commandos (from Washington) | |||
| 1990 | 6 | Albany Firebirds Dallas Texans |
Chicago Bruisers | Washington Commandos (from Maryland) | |||
| 1991 | 8 | Columbus Thunderbolts New Orleans Night Orlando Predators |
Washington Commandos | Pittsburgh → Tampa Bay Storm | |||
| 1992 | 12 | Arizona Rattlers Charlotte Rage Cincinnati Rockers Sacramento Attack San Antonio Force |
Denver Dynamite | Columbus → Cleveland Thunderbolts | |||
| 1993 | 10 | New Orleans Night San Antonio Force |
Sacramento → Miami Hooters | ||||
| 1994 | 11 | Fort Worth Cavalry Las Vegas Sting Milwaukee Mustangs |
Cincinnati Rockers Dallas Texans |
Detroit → Massachusetts Marauders | |||
| 1995 | 13 | Connecticut Coyotes Iowa Barnstormers Memphis Pharaohs St. Louis Stampede San Jose SaberCats |
Cleveland Thunderbolts | Massachusetts Marauders
Fort Worth Cavalry |
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| 1996 | 15 | Texas Terror | Las Vegas → Anaheim Piranhas Fort Worth → Minnesota Fighting Pike (dormant from 1995) |
Florida Bobcats (from Miami Hooters) | |||
| 1997 | 14 | Nashville Kats New Jersey Red Dogs New York CityHawks |
Charlotte Rage Connecticut Coyotes Minnesota Fighting Pike St. Louis Stampede |
Memphis → Portland Forest Dragons | |||
| 1998 | 14 | Anaheim Piranhas | Massachusetts Marauders → Grand Rapids Rampage (dormant for three years) |
Houston Thunderbears (from Texas Terror) | |||
| 1999 | 15 | Buffalo Destroyers | New York → New England Sea Wolves | ||||
| 2000 | 17 | Carolina Cobras Los Angeles Avengers |
Portland → Oklahoma Wranglers | ||||
| 2001 | 19 | Chicago Rush Detroit Fury |
Albany → Indiana Firebirds Iowa → New York Dragons New England → Toronto Phantoms |
New Jersey Gladiators (from New Jersey Red Dogs) | |||
| 2002 | 16 | Dallas Desperados | Florida Bobcats Houston Thunderbears Milwaukee Mustangs Oklahoma Wranglers |
Nashville → Georgia Force[1] | |||
| 2003 | 16 | Colorado Crush | Toronto Phantoms | New Jersey → Las Vegas Gladiators | |||
| 2004 | 19 | Austin Wranglers New Orleans VooDoo Philadelphia Soul |
Buffalo → Columbus Destroyers | ||||
| 2005 | 17 | Nashville Kats | Carolina Cobras Detroit Fury Indiana Firebirds |
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| 2006 | 18 | Kansas City Brigade Utah Blaze |
New Orleans VooDoo | ||||
| 2007 | 19 | New Orleans VooDoo | |||||
| 2008 |
17 | Austin Wranglers[2] Nashville Kats |
Las Vegas → Cleveland Gladiators | ||||
| 2009 |
0 | New Orleans VooDoo Los Angeles Avengers |
Arizona Rattlers Chicago Rush Cleveland Gladiators Colorado Crush Columbus Destroyers Dallas Desperados Georgia Force Grand Rapids Rampage Kansas City Brigade New York Dragons Orlando Predators Philadelphia Soul San Jose SaberCats Tampa Bay Storm Utah Blaze |
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| 2010 |
15 | Alabama Vipers* Bossier–Shreveport Battle Wings* Dallas Vigilantes Iowa Barnstormers* Jacksonville Sharks Milwaukee Iron* Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz* Spokane Shock* Tulsa Talons* (* Promoted from af2) |
Arizona Rattlers Chicago Rush Cleveland Gladiators Orlando Predators Tampa Bay Storm Utah Blaze |
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| 2011 |
18 | Pittsburgh Power | Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz | Kansas City Command Philadelphia Soul San Jose SaberCats |
Alabama Vipers → Georgia Force Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings → New Orleans VooDoo[3] |
Kansas City Command (from Kansas City Brigade) Milwaukee Mustangs (from Milwaukee Iron) | |
| 2012 |
17 | Dallas Vigilantes | Tulsa Talons → San Antonio Talons | ||||
| 2013 |
14 | Georgia Force Kansas City Command |
Milwaukee Mustangs | ||||
| 2014 |
14 | Los Angeles Kiss | Chicago Rush Utah Blaze |
Milwaukee Mustangs → Portland Thunder | |||
| 2015 |
12 | Las Vegas Outlaws | Iowa Barnstormers (transferred to Indoor Football League) Pittsburgh Power San Antonio Talons |
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| 2016 | 8 | Las Vegas Outlaws New Orleans VooDoo Spokane Shock (transferred to Indoor Football League) San Jose SaberCats |
Portland Steel (from Portland Thunder) | ||||
| 2017 | 5 | Baltimore Washington Valor[4][5] |
Arizona Rattlers (transferred to Indoor Football League) Jacksonville Sharks (transferring to National Arena League) Los Angeles Kiss Orlando Predators Portland Steel |
Defunct franchises
| Team | First AFL season | Final AFL season | Previous name(s) | Previous name(s) season(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama Vipers | 2010 | 2010 | Franchise moved to Georgia and became the Georgia Force | ||
| Anaheim Piranhas | 1994 | 1997 | Las Vegas Sting | 1994–1995 | Reason for cession of operations: Owner C. David Baker became league Commissioner. |
| Arizona Rattlers | 1992 | 2016 | Moved to Indoor Football League. | ||
| Austin Wranglers | 2004 | 2007 | Moved to af2, folded. | ||
| Carolina Cobras | 2000 | 2004 | |||
| Charlotte Rage | 1992 | 1996 | |||
| Chicago Politicians | 1986 | 1986 | Playtest game only. | ||
| Chicago Bruisers | 1987 | 1989 | |||
| Chicago Rush | 2001 | 2013 | Suspended operations. | ||
| Cincinnati Rockers | 1992 | 1993 | |||
| Cleveland Thunderbolts | 1991 | 1994 | Columbus Thunderbolts | 1991 | |
| Colorado Crush | 2003 | 2008 | |||
| Columbus Destroyers | 1999 | 2008 | Buffalo Destroyers | 1999–2003 | |
| Connecticut Coyotes | 1995 | 1996 | Attempted and failed to sell the franchise. | ||
| Dallas Desperados | 2002 | 2008 | Replaced by Dallas Vigilantes | ||
| Dallas Texans | 1990 | 1993 | |||
| Dallas Vigilantes | 2010 | 2011 | |||
| Denver Dynamite | 1987 | 1991 | Inactive for 1988. | ||
| Detroit Fury | 2001 | 2004 | |||
| Florida Bobcats | 1992 | 2001 | Sacramento Attack, Miami Hooters |
1992, 1993–1995 |
|
| Fort Worth Cavalry | 1994 | 1994 | |||
| Georgia Force | 2002 | 2012 | Inactive for 2010 season. | ||
| Grand Rapids Rampage | 1998 | 2008 | |||
| Houston ThunderBears | 1996 | 2001 | Texas Terror | 1996–1997 | |
| Indiana Firebirds | 1990 | 2004 | Albany Firebirds | 1990–2000 | Albany Firebirds name and logo returned in af2 in 2009, replacing the Albany Conquest. |
| Iowa Barnstormers | 2010 | 2014 | Original franchise became the New York Dragons following 2000 season; the revived franchise launched in AF2 in 2008 and rejoined the AFL in 2010. Team left following the 2014 season for the Indoor Football League. | ||
| Jacksonville Sharks | 2010 | 2016 | Left the AFL for the new National Arena League. | ||
| Kansas City Command | 2006 | 2012 | Kansas City Brigade | 2006-2008 | |
| Las Vegas Outlaws | 2015 | 2015 | |||
| Los Angeles Avengers | 2000 | 2008 | |||
| Los Angeles Cobras | 1988 | 1988 | |||
| Los Angeles Kiss | 2014 | 2016 | |||
| Massachusetts Marauders | 1988 | 1994 | Detroit Drive | 1988 - 1993 | |
| Miami Vise | 1987 | 1987 | Showcase game only. | ||
| Milwaukee Mustangs | 1994 | 2001 | |||
| Milwaukee Mustangs | 2010 | 2012 | Milwaukee Iron | 2010 | |
| Minnesota Fighting Pike | 1996 | 1996 | |||
| Nashville Kats | 1997 | 2007 | Returned as the Nashville Kats in 2005. | ||
| New England Steamrollers | 1988 | 1988 | |||
| New Orleans Night | 1991 | 1992 | |||
| New Orleans VooDoo | 2004 | 2008 | Did not play 2006 season. | ||
| 2011 | 2015 | Bossier–Shreveport Battle Wings | 2010 | Bossier-Shreveport moved to New Orleans and became the VooDoo after coming back from the af2. | |
| New York Dragons | 1995 | 2008 | Iowa Barnstormers | 1995–2000 | Barnstormers name returned in 2010 with a new AFL team. |
| New York Knights | 1988 | 1988 | |||
| Oklahoma Wranglers | 1995 | 2001 | Memphis Pharaohs, Portland Forest Dragons |
1995 - 1996, 1997 - 1998 |
|
| Oklahoma City Yard Dawgs | 2010 | 2010 | |||
| Orlando Predators | 1991 | 2016 | Suspended operations | ||
| Pittsburgh Power | 2011 | 2014 | Suspended operations. | ||
| Portland Steel | 2016 | 2016 | Portland Thunder | 2014–2015 | |
| Rockford Metros | 1986 | 1986 | Playtest game only. | ||
| San Antonio Force | 1992 | 1992 | |||
| San Antonio Talons | 2012 | 2014 | Tulsa Talons | 1999-2011 | Franchise started as the Tulsa Talons in af2 back in 1999. Joined the new AFL in 2010 and relocated to San Antonio in 2012. |
| San Jose SaberCats | 1995 | 2015 | |||
| Spokane Shock | 2010 | 2015 | Franchise started in af2 in 2005. Joined the new AFL in 2010. Team left for the IFL after 2015 season. | ||
| St. Louis Stampede | 1995 | 1996 | |||
| Toronto Phantoms | 1997 | 2002 | New York CityHawks, New England Sea Wolves |
1997 - 1998, 1999 - 2000 |
|
| Utah Blaze | 2006 | 2013 | Suspended operations. | ||
| Washington Commandos | 1987 | 1990 | Maryland Commandos | 1989 | Did not play the 1988 season. |
See also
References
- ^ The history of the Kats stayed in Nashville, similar to the agreement made between the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens of the NFL.
- ^ The Austin Wranglers changed leagues from the AFL to af2.
- ^ Nakia Hogan, The Times-Picayune. "The New Orleans VooDoo and the Arena Football League are returning". NOLA.com. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
- ^ Ted Leonsis close to securing Arena Football League team to play at Verizon Center, Jonathan O'Connell and Dan Steinberg, Washington Post, February 10, 2016
- ^ Ted Leonsis to announce D.C. is getting an Arena Football League team, Scott Allen, The Washington Post, March 10, 2016