2002 NIFL season | |
---|---|
League | National Indoor Football League |
Sport | indoor American football |
Regular season | |
Season champions | Ohio Valley Greyhounds |
Playoffs | |
Atlantic champions | Ohio Valley Greyhounds |
Atlantic runners-up | Tennessee ThunderCats |
Pacific champions | Billings Outlaws |
Pacific runners-up | Bismarck Roughriders |
Indoor Bowl II | |
Champions | Ohio Valley Greyhounds |
Runners-up | Billings Outlaws |
The 2002 National Indoor Football League season was the second season of the National Indoor Football League (NIFL). The league champions were the Ohio Valley Greyhounds, who defeated the Billings Outlaws in Indoor Bowl II.
The National Indoor Football League (NIFL) 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 markets such as Atlanta, Denver, and Los Angeles, and AF2 markets such as Fort Myers and Houston. The league folded in 2008.
The Ohio Valley Greyhounds were a professional indoor football team. They began play in 1999 as the Steel Valley Smash, a charter member of the IFL. After the league folded, they moved to the NIFL, became a charter member, and renamed themselves as the Ohio Valley Greyhounds. After four successful years in the league, they moved to the UIF in 2005 and became a charter member to the new league. However, the Greyhounds failed to reach the same level of success from the NIFL years. Their home games were played at the WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, West Virginia, which is also the home to the ECHL's Wheeling Nailers. After three dismal years in the UIF, the team folded in October 2007.
The Billings Outlaws were a professional league indoor football team based in Billings, Montana. They were a member of the Indoor Football League (IFL), of which they were the 2-time defending champions. They played their home games at Rimrock Auto Arena at MetraPark. Their games were broadcast live locally on News Talk 910 KBLG AM and online through Teamline.
Team | Overall | Conference | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wins | Losses | Percentage | Wins | Losses | Percentage | |
Atlantic Conference | ||||||
Eastern Division | ||||||
Louisiana Rangers | 8 | 7 | 0.533 | 3 | 1 | 0.750 |
Mississippi Fire Dogs | 3 | 11 | 0.214 | 2 | 2 | 0.500 |
Tupelo FireAnts | 4 | 10 | 0.286 | 1 | 3 | 0.250 |
Southern Division | ||||||
Lake Charles Land Sharks | 13 | 2 | 0.867 | 6 | 0 | 1.000 |
Austin Knights | 9 | 5 | 0.643 | 4 | 3 | 0.571 |
Houma Bayou Bucks | 5 | 9 | 0.357 | 2 | 5 | 0.286 |
Oklahoma Crude | 1 | 13 | 0.071 | 1 | 5 | 0.167 |
Northern Division | ||||||
Ohio Valley Greyhounds | 15 | 1 | 0.938 | 7 | 1 | 0.875 |
Tennessee ThunderCats | 11 | 5 | 0.688 | 4 | 3 | 0.143 |
Winston-Salem Energy | 6 | 7 | 0.462 | 2 | 4 | 0.333 |
River City Renegades | 1 | 13 | 0.071 | 1 | 6 | 0.143 |
Pacific Conference | ||||||
Northern Division | ||||||
Lincoln Capitols-xy | 10 | 5 | 0.667 | 6 | 2 | 0.750 |
Omaha Beef | 9 | 6 | 0.667 | 5 | 3 | 0.625 |
Sioux City Bandits | 9 | 5 | 0.643 | 4 | 4 | 0.500 |
Tri-City Diesel | 7 | 7 | 0.500 | 5 | 3 | 0.625 |
La Crosse Night Train | 1 | 13 | 0.071 | 0 | 8 | 0.000 |
Western Division | ||||||
Bismarck Roughriders | 12 | 4 | 0.750 | 9 | 2 | 0.818 |
Billings Outlaws | 12 | 5 | 0.706 | 6 | 4 | 0.375 |
Sioux Falls Storm | 8 | 6 | 0.571 | 5 | 3 | 0.625 |
Rapid City Red Dogs | 6 | 8 | 0.429 | 2 | 7 | 0.222 |
Wyoming Cavalry | 3 | 11 | 0.214 | 1 | 7 | 0.125 |
Round 1
Semifinals
The RiverCity Rage were a professional indoor football team. 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. Louis in the 2006 season, and returned to the Family Arena for the 2007 UIF season.
The Tri-Cities Fever were a professional indoor football franchise based in Kennewick, Washington. The Fever joined National Indoor Football League (NIFL) in 2005 as an expansion team. The Fever are owned by Teri Carr. Since 2005 the Fever have played their home games only at the Toyota Center in Kennewick, Washington. On June 30, 2016, the team announced it would go dormant for the 2017 season and beyond.
The Wyoming Cavalry were an American professional indoor football team based in Casper, Wyoming. They were most recently members of the Intense Conference in the Indoor Football League (IFL). The Cavalry began play in 2000 as an expansion member of the original Indoor Football League as the Casper Cavalry. The Cavalry became a charter member of the National Indoor Football League (NIFL) in 2001 following the original IFL's purchase by the Arena Football League's Orlando Predators. The move in 2001 also brought a franchise name change to the current Wyoming Cavalry. The team then joined the American Indoor Football Association (AIFA) in 2008 after the NIFL's demise. With the AIFA's presence in the Western United States dwindling, the Cavalry joined the IFL in 2011. In September, 2014, majority owner Mitch Zimmerman announced that the team would cease operations.
The Sioux City Bandits are a professional indoor football team based in Sioux City, Iowa. The Bandits compete in Champions Indoor Football (CIF) as a member of the league's North Conference. The team was founded in 1999 as the Sioux City Attack. In 2001, the team assumed their current name of the Bandits. The Bandits joined the CIF as result of the merger in 2014. The Bandits play their home games at the Tyson Events Center.
The Sioux Falls Storm are a professional indoor football team based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The Storm joined the original Indoor Football League as an expansion team in 1999 as the Sioux Falls Cobras, and first took the field for the 2000 season. They currently participate in another iteration of the Indoor Football League; prior to that, the Storm were in United Indoor Football (UIF), where they won all four of the league's championship games. In the newer IFL, the Storm have won six of the nine championships in the league.
The Johnstown Riverhawks was a professional indoor American football team based out of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. They were a charter member of the American Indoor Football Association (AIFA). They played their home games at Cambria County War Memorial Arena.
The Winston-Salem Energy was an indoor football team based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The Energy competed in the National Indoor Football League (NIFL), as a member of the league's Atlantic Conference Northern Division. The team was owned by David Graham. The club folded following their only season in 2002. Winston-Salem was without an NIFL team until 2007, with the arrival of the Winston-Salem Wildcats.
The 2001 National Indoor Football League season was the first season of the National Indoor Football League (NIFL). The league champions were the Mississippi Fire Dogs, who defeated the Wyoming Cavalry in Indoor Bowl I.
The 2003 National Indoor Football League season was the third season of the National Indoor Football League (NIFL). The league champions were the Ohio Valley Greyhounds, who wrapped up a perfect season by defeating the Utah Warriors in Indoor Bowl III and becoming the first team in league history to win back-to-back titles.
The 2004 National Indoor Football League season was the fourth season of the National Indoor Football League (NIFL). The league champions were the Lexington Horsemen, who defeated the Sioux Falls Storm in Indoor Bowl IV.
The 2005 National Indoor Football League season was the fifth season of the National Indoor Football League (NIFL). The league champions were the Tri-Cities Fever, who defeated the Rome Renegades in Indoor Bowl V.
The 2006 National Indoor Football League season was the fifth season of the National Indoor Football League (NIFL). The league champions were the Billings Outlaws, who defeated the Fayetteville Guard in Indoor Bowl VI.
The Indoor Bowl was the main championship game of the National Indoor Football League (NIFL). In 2001, it was played between the top two teams who survived the eight-team playoff format. Since 2002, it has been played between the Atlantic Conference champion and the Pacific Conference champion.
The 2005 United Indoor Football season was the very first season of the UIF and was succeeded by 2006. The league champions were the Sioux Falls Storm, who defeated the Sioux City Bandits in United Bowl I.
Rayshawn Askew is a former American football running back. He has played for the All American Football League, United Indoor Football, Canadian Football League, Continental Indoor Football League and the National Indoor Football League.
Leif Murphy is a former professional American football defensive end. He is one of Indoor Football's most prolific producers in the Sack and Tackle For Loss, categories.
Danny Ragsdale is a former American football quarterback who played two seasons with the New York Dragons of the Arena Football League (AFL). He played college football at University of Redlands. He was also a member of the Bismarck Blaze, Iowa Barnstormers, Bismarck Roughriders, Utah Warriors and Billings Outlaws. He is president of Exclusive Insurance Brokerage, a life insurance general agency located in Thousand Oaks, California.
Robert Bees is a former American football quarterback who played two seasons in the Arena Football League (AFL) with the Oklahoma Wranglers, San Jose SaberCats and Buffalo Destroyers. He played college football at Rocky Mountain. He was also a member of the Richmond Speed, Billings Outlaws/Mavericks, Las Vegas Gladiators and Tulsa Talons.