The Oklahoma Wranglers were a professional arena football team based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They were members of the Central (1996–1997) and Western (1998–2001) Division of the American Conference of the Arena Football League (AFL). They previously played as the Memphis Pharaohs and Portland Forest Dragons. The team played at the Myriad, now known as the Cox Convention Center, in downtown Oklahoma City.
The Alabama Steeldogs, originally known as the Birmingham Steeldogs, were incorporated in 2000 as one of the charter teams in the AF2, the developmental league of the Arena Football League. Entering their eighth season as of 2007, they were the longest running of many professional football franchises in the city of Birmingham. Management announced that it would not field a team in 2008 but had hopes of returning in 2009. But the team's front office has since been dissolved, and with no announcements of further plans, the team is defunct.
The Louisville Fire was an arena football team that played its home games at the Brown-Forman Field in Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky. They were a 2001 expansion team of the af2. Their owner/operator was former Pro Bowl lineman and Louisville native Will Wolford. The team was somewhat successful. After a rocky first few seasons they finally found success in 2004 and then made it all the way to the Arena Cup in the 2005 season.
The Green Bay Blizzard is a professional indoor football team based in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, founded in 2003. The Blizzard began play in the Indoor Football League in 2010, after having played the previous seven seasons in af2, the now-defunct minor league of the Arena Football League. They play their home games at the Resch Center. The team's logo represents Bruiser, the team mascot.
The Amarillo Venom are a professional indoor football team based in Amarillo, Texas. They play their home games at the Amarillo Civic Center and are members of American Indoor Football as of August 2024. The Venom began play in 2004 as the Amarillo Dusters, a charter member of the Intense Football League, a small indoor football league based in Texas. They won the championship in their first and only season with the Intense Football League.
The Memphis Xplorers were a professional arena football team. They were a 2001 expansion member of the af2. They played their home games at DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven, Mississippi. The team's logo featured the likeness of the namesake of both the venue and the team, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto.
The Spokane Shock were a professional indoor American football team based in Spokane, Washington, that played their home games at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. The team was initially a member of arenafootball2 (af2), the Shock won division titles in all four seasons and ArenaCups in 2006 and 2009 before they joined the Arena Football League (AFL) in its 2010 relaunch. The team advanced to the playoffs three times after joining the AFL, winning ArenaBowl XXIII in their first season, making them the only arena football franchise to win both the ArenaCup and the ArenaBowl.
The Columbus Wardogs were an arena football team in af2 that played their home games in the Columbus Civic Center in Columbus, Georgia, from 2001 through 2004. The franchise was relocated as the Mississippi Headhunters for the 2006 season, but did not play any games.
The Baton Rouge Blaze was an expansion team that joined the af2 in 2001. The Advocate held a "Name the Team" contest which was won by a local teacher, Sean Fluharty. The head coach was former LSU quarterback Alan Risher. The cheer/dance team was known as the Starz and was led by former Miss Fitness Universe and Miss Bikini Universe Katie Uter. The Blaze was joined by the Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings, Columbus Wardogs, Florida Firecats, Iowa Barnstormers, Lafayette Roughnecks, Lincoln Lightning, Louisville Fire, Macon Knights, Memphis Xplorers, Peoria Pirates, Rochester Brigade, and Wichita Stealth. In 2001, the Blaze went 10-6 but did not make the playoffs. Due to the owner's financial difficulties, the team was dissolved prior to the 2002 season.
The 2001 AF2 season was the second season of the AF2. The league champions were the Quad City Steamwheelers, who defended their title with a victory over the Richmond Speed in ArenaCup II. This is the first time that both conferences contained two divisions each, like the Arena Football League.
The 2002 AF2 season was the third season of the AF2. It was preceded by 2001 and succeeded by 2003. The league champions were the Peoria Pirates, who defeated the Florida Firecats in ArenaCup III. This is also the first time that both conferences have the same division name. It is also the only season where both conferences have four divisions each, a la the 2002–present era of the NFL.
The 2003 AF2 season was the fourth season of the AF2. It was preceded by 2002 and succeeded by 2004. The league champions were the Tulsa Talons, who defeated the Macon Knights in ArenaCup IV. For the first time ever, AF2 uses the six-division alignment.
The 2004 AF2 season was the fifth season of the AF2. It was preceded by 2003 and succeeded by 2005. The league champions were the Florida Firecats, who defeated the Peoria Pirates in ArenaCup V.
The 2006 AF2 season was the seventh season of the AF2, the Arena Football League's minor league. It was preceded by 2005 and succeeded by 2007. The league champions were the Spokane Shock who capped off an impressive inaugural season with a win over the Green Bay Blizzard in ArenaCup VII.
The 2007 AF2 season was the eighth season of the AF2. It was preceded by 2006 and succeeded by 2008. The regular season began on Friday, March 30 and ended on July 28. The league champions were the Tulsa Talons, who defeated the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers in ArenaCup VIII.
Brett Dietz is American football coach and former quarterback. He is the head football coach at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, a position he has held since 2020. Dietz played college football at Hanover College in Hanover, Indiana and professionally with several teams including the Turku Trojans in Finland Vaahteraliiga and in Arena Football League (AFL), Af2, and the National Indoor Football League (NIFL) for the Cincinnati Marshals, Louisville Fire, Tampa Bay Storm and California Redwoods.
The 2008 AF2 season was the ninth season of the AF2. It was preceded by 2007 and succeeded by 2009. The regular season began on Friday, March 28 and ended on Saturday, July 26. The league champions were the Tennessee Valley Vipers, who beat the Spokane Shock in ArenaCup IX.
The 2009 AF2 season was the AF2's 10th and final season. It was preceded by 2008. The regular season began on Friday, March 20 and finished on Saturday, July 25. The league champion was the Spokane Shock, who defeated the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers 74–27 in ArenaCup X.
Mark Charles Weivoda is a former gridiron football defensive lineman. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at Idaho State University.
Brian Jones is a former American football quarterback who played three seasons in the Arena Football League with the Las Vegas Gladiators, Arizona Rattlers and Kansas City Command. He played college football at the University of Toledo, after a record setting career at Shasta College. He also played in the af2 for the Memphis Xplorers and Manchester Wolves, winning ArenaCup VI with the Xplorers.