2023 National Arena League season

Last updated

2023 NAL season
NAL Logo.png
League National Arena League
Sport Indoor American football
DurationApril 8 – August 12, 2023
Number of teams7
Regular season
Season champions Jacksonville Sharks
2023 NAL Championship
Champions Jacksonville Sharks
  Runners-up Carolina Cobras
NAL seasons

The 2023 National Arena League season was the sixth season of the National Arena League (NAL). [1] The league started the season with seven teams following the additions of the expansion team, the Fayetteville Mustangs, [2] [3] and the West Texas Warbirds joining from the Arena Football Association, while the Columbus Lions left the league following the previous season.

Contents

Teams

TeamsLocationArenaCapacityFoundedJoinedHead Coach
Albany Empire [a] Albany, New York MVP Arena [4] 13,785 [5] 20202021 Maurice Leggett
Carolina Cobras Greensboro, North Carolina [6] Greensboro Coliseum Complex [7] [8] 5,000 [7] 2017 [8] 2018 James Fuller
Fayetteville Mustangs [b] Fayetteville, North Carolina Crown Complex [2] [9] 8,50020222023Charles Gunnings
Jacksonville Sharks Jacksonville, Florida VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena [10] 13,01120092017Jason Gibson
Orlando Predators Orlando, Florida Amway Center 17,19220192019 Herkie Walls
San Antonio Gunslingers San Antonio, Texas Freeman Coliseum [11] 9,00020202022 [12] Fred Shaw [13]
West Texas Warbirds [9] Odessa, Texas [14] Ector County Coliseum [15] 8,000 [16] [17] 2019 [18] 2023Tate Smith [19] [20]
  1. ↑ Albany was expelled from the league and NAL membership was terminated due to non-payment of league dues. Owner Antonio Brown was also fined for conduct detrimental to the league, a fine included with league dues, and Brown failed to pay that fine.
  2. ↑ Fayetteville could not afford to keep the team running and folded after Week 12.

Standings

2023 National Arena League Standings
TeamWinLossPCTPFPASTK
z – Jacksonville Sharks 103.769810555L1
y – Carolina Cobras 104.714814653W5
x – San Antonio Gunslingers 84.727569606L3
x – Orlando Predators 48.333520618L3
e – West Texas Warbirds 311.214576769W1
DNF – Fayetteville Mustangs 44.500371373L1
DNF – Albany Empire 16.142257339L6

z – clinched home field advantage

y – clinched home playoff game

x - clinched playoff berth

e – eliminated from playoffs

DNF – Did not finish the season

Reference: [2] [21]

2023 NAL Playoffs

Semifinal 2023 NAL Championship
      
1Jacksonville Sharks 62
4Orlando Predators 18
1 Jacksonville Sharks 54
2 Carolina Cobras 45
2Carolina Cobras 52
3San Antonio Gunslingers 36

Reference: [2] [22] [23] [24]

Players of the Week

Players of the Week throughout the 2023 NAL Season
WeeksOffensive Player of the WeekDefensive Player of the WeekSpecial Team Player of the WeekIronman Player of the Week
1 Rakeem Cato, Fayetteville Mustangs Marvin Ross, Jacksonville Sharks Kendrick Ings, Fayetteville MustangsTre Long, Fayetteville Mustangs
2 Darius Prince, Albany Empire Kenny Veal, Carolina CobrasMarc Orozco, Albany EmpireJalen Childress, West Texas Warbirds
3 Arvell Nelson, San Antonio GunslingersSha-ki Holines, Jacksonville SharksKevin Didio-Webber, Jacksonville Sharks Phillip Barnett, San Antonio Gunslingers
4Rakeem Cato, Fayetteville MustangsFreddie Booth-Lloyd, Orlando Predators T. C. Stevens, Carolina CobrasJensen Stoshak, Jacksonville Sharks
5Jalen Childress, West Texas WarbirdsTrevon Shorts, West Texas WarbirdsKendrick Ings, Fayetteville MustangsTrevon Shorts, West Texas Warbirds
6Zach Brown, Carolina CobrasMike Green, Carolina CobrasDarius Prince, Orlando PredatorsZach Brown, Carolina Cobras
7Sam Castronova, Jacksonville SharksJabari Gorman, Jacksonville SharksAdam Smith, Carolina CobrasMarquel Wade, Jacksonville Sharks
8Sam Castronova, Jacksonville SharksJabari Gorman, Jacksonville SharksMarc Orozco, Jacksonville SharksJalen Wilson, West Texas Warbirds
9Sam Castronova, Jacksonville SharksSha-ki Holiness, Jacksonville SharksKevin Didio-Weber, West Texas WarbirdsDevonte Baker, Fayetteville Mustangs
10Malik Henry, Carolina CobrasJoshua Jenkins, Orlando PredatorsMarquel Wade, Jacksonville SharksDevonte Baker, Fayetteville Mustangs
11Darius Prince, Orlando PredatorsDwayne Hollis, Orlando PredatorsKevin Didio-Weber, West Texas WarbirdsTrevon Shorts, West Texas Warbirds
12
13
14

Reference: [25] [26]

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References

  1. ↑ "About the NAL - National Arena League". www.nationalarenaleague.com. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Rubel, Abigail (July 14, 2022). "National Arena League announces expansion team". Times Union. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  3. ↑ "National Arena League Announces Expansion Team for 2023". OurSports Central. July 14, 2022. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  4. ↑ Singelais, Mark (December 22, 2021). "Albany Empire's 2022 schedule is announced". Times Union. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  5. ↑ "MVP Arena". www.albany.org. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Carolina Cobras - Indoor/Arena Football on OurSports Central". www.oursportscentral.com. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  7. 1 2 "Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center". Greensboro Convention and Visitors Bureau. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  8. 1 2 "Carolina Cobras Arena Football". Greensboro Convention and Visitors Bureau. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  9. 1 2 "News: Expansion Team Reveals Logo and Name - National Arena League". www.nationalarenaleague.com. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Jacksonville Sharks". Downtown Jacksonville. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  11. ↑ Ramirez, Daniel Villanueva, Mark Mendez, Larry (April 22, 2022). "The San Antonio Gunslingers are headed to Freeman Coliseum". KSAT. Retrieved July 25, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. ↑ Rachuk, Stephan (November 11, 2021). "NAL Announces San Antonio Gunslingers as Expansion Franchise". XFL Newsroom. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Staff - San Antonio Gunslingers". www.sanantoniogunslingers.com. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  14. ↑ "HIGHLIGHTS: Warbirds finish another undefeated championship season". Yourbasin. July 17, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  15. ↑ Aguirre, Priscilla (July 20, 2022). "VIDEO: Brawl at West Texas indoor football game spills into stands". mySA. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Ector County Coliseum". www.cvent.com. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Data view of Ector County Coliseum from United States - Sports Stadiums & Arenas dataset". rlist.io. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  18. ↑ "Professional Indoor Football Coming to West Texas in 2020". OurSports Central. October 2, 2019. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  19. ↑ "Coaching Staff | Warbirds Football". warbirdfootball.com. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Warbirds introduce Tate Smith as head coach". May 12, 2021. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  21. ↑ "Stats - National Arena League". www.nationalarenaleague.com. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  22. ↑ "Stats - National Arena League". www.nationalarenaleague.com. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
  23. ↑ "Stats - National Arena League". www.nationalarenaleague.com. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
  24. ↑ "Stats - National Arena League". www.nationalarenaleague.com. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
  25. ↑ "Players of the Week - National Arena League". www.nationalarenaleague.com. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  26. ↑ "News: THE EMPIRE LEAVES JACKSONVILLE IN WEEK TWO WITH THEIR FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON - National Arena League". www.nationalarenaleague.com. Team for Rob Jones. Retrieved July 30, 2022.

See also

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