| 2024 NAL season | |
|---|---|
 | |
| League | National Arena League |
| Sport | Indoor American football |
| Duration | March 15 – June 8 |
| Number of teams | 6 |
| Regular season | |
| 2024 NAL Championship | |
The 2024 National Arena League season is the planned seventh season of the National Arena League (NAL). The league will include six teams, five of which are new, with only the Carolina Cobras returning from the previous season.
In August 2023, the league announced it had added the Omaha Beef [1] and Sioux City Bandits [2] from Champions Indoor Football for the 2024 season. On August 22, 2023, the Jacksonville Sharks announced they were joining the Indoor Football League (IFL). [3] The league added the expansion Colorado Spartans, based out of Loveland, Colorado, on August 31. [4] Also on August 31, the Warbirds, which had been renamed as the West Texas Desert Hawks, were announced as joining the relaunched Arena Football League. [5] On September 14, the Topeka Tropics, another CIF team, were accepted into the NAL [6] only for the NAL to rescind the group's membership in February 2024, prompting the team's planned owner to back out of the purchase agreement in protest and the current owners to release an open letter begging for new investors. [7] On September 21, the two-time American West Football Conference champions Idaho Horsemen joined the NAL. [8] On September 26, the San Antonio Gunslingers were announced as also joining the IFL. [9] The next day, the North Texas Bulls announced their membership in the NAL. [10] On October 16, the Oklahoma Flying Aces were as announced as the eighth and final team for the 2024 NAL season. [11] On February 17, 2024, the league announced that they had terminated the membership of the Bulls. [12] On February 28, 2024, the league terminated the Tropics membership. [13]
| Team | Location | Arena | Capacity | Founded | Joined | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina Cobras | Greensboro, North Carolina | Greensboro Coliseum Complex | 12,000 | 2017 | 2018 | Brandon Negron |
| Colorado Spartans | Loveland, Colorado | Blue Arena | 7,500 | 2023 | 2024 | Fred Shaw |
| Idaho Horsemen | Nampa, Idaho | Ford Idaho Center | 12,279 | 2018 [lower-alpha 1] | 2024 | Chris Reynolds |
| Oklahoma Flying Aces | Enid, Oklahoma | Chisholm Trail Coliseum | 8,000 | 2018 [lower-alpha 2] | 2024 | Richard Davis |
| Omaha Beef | Omaha, Nebraska | Liberty First Credit Union Arena | 4,600 | 2000 [lower-alpha 3] | 2024 | Mike Tatum |
| Sioux City Bandits | Sioux City, Iowa | Tyson Events Center | 6,941 | 2000 [lower-alpha 4] | 2024 | Erv Strohbeen |
| Team | Win | Loss | PCT | GB | PF | PA | STK | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sioux City Bandits | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | 141 | 109 | W3 | |||||||||
| Omaha Beef | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 0.5 | 99 | 75 | W2 | ||||||||
| Carolina Cobras | 3 | 1 | .750 | 0.5 | 180 | 144 | W2 | ||||||||
| Oklahoma Flying Aces | 0 | 2 | .000 | 2.5 | 48 | 79 | L2 | ||||||||
| Idaho Horsemen | 0 | 2 | .000 | 2.5 | 55 | 93 | L2 | ||||||||
| Colorado Spartans | 0 | 3 | .000 | 3.0 | 128 | 151 | L3 | ||||||||
| Legend | |||||||||||||||
| z – clinched home field advantage | |||||||||||||||
| y – clinched home playoff game | |||||||||||||||
| x – clinched playoff berth | |||||||||||||||
| e – eliminated from playoffs | |||||||||||||||
| Date | Time | Away Team | Result | Home Team | Stadium | Notes | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 15 | 7:10 p.m. CT | Oklahoma Flying Aces | 24 | 37 | Sioux City Bandits | Tyson Events Center | ||
| March 15 | 8:00 p.m. CT | Carolina Cobras | 51 | 49 | Idaho Horsemen | Ford Idaho Center | ||
| Date | Time | Away Team | Result | Home Team | Stadium | Notes | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 24 | 2:00 p.m. CT | Omaha Beef | 54 | 43 | Carolina Cobras | Greensboro Coliseum Complex | ||
| Date | Time | Away Team | Result | Home Team | Stadium | Notes | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 30 | 6:30 p.m. CT | Colorado Spartans | 32 | 45 | Omaha Beef | Liberty First Credit Union Arena | ||
| April 1 | 6:30 p.m. CT | Idaho Horsemen | 6 | 42 | Carolina Cobras | Greensboro Coliseum Complex | ||
| Date | Time | Away Team | Result | Home Team | Stadium | Notes | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 6 | 6:30 p.m. CT | Colorado Spartans | 35 | 44 | Carolina Cobras | Greensboro Coliseum Complex | ||
| April 6 | 7:10 p.m. CT | Oklahoma Flying Aces | 24 | 42 | Sioux City Bandits | Tyson Events Center | ||
| Date | Time | Away Team | Result | Home Team | Stadium | Notes | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 12 | 7:10 p.m. CT | Colorado Spartans | 61 | 62 | Sioux City Bandits | Tyson Events Center | ||
| Date | Time | Away Team | Result | Home Team | Stadium | Notes | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 19 | 7:00 p.m. CT | Idaho Horsemen | Omaha Beef | Liberty First Credit Union Arena | ||||
| April 19 | 7:00 p.m. CT | Carolina Cobras | Colorado Spartans | Blue Arena | ||||
| Date | Time | Away Team | Result | Home Team | Stadium | Notes | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 27 | 7:00 p.m. CT | Oklahoma Flying Aces | Idaho Horsemen | Ford Idaho Center | ||||
| April 27 | 7:00 p.m. CT | Carolina Cobras | Sioux City Bandits | Tyson Events Center | ||||
| Date | Time | Away Team | Result | Home Team | Stadium | Notes | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 4 | 5:30 p.m. CT | Oklahoma Flying Aces | Omaha Beef | Liberty First Credit Union Arena | ||||
| May 5 | 8:00 p.m. CT | Colorado Spartans | Idaho Horsemen | Ford Idaho Center | ||||
| Date | Time | Away Team | Result | Home Team | Stadium | Notes | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 11 | 5:30 p.m. CT | Sioux City Bandits | Omaha Beef | Liberty First Credit Union Arena | ||||
| Date | Time | Away Team | Result | Home Team | Stadium | Notes | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 18 | 6:30 p.m. CT | Oklahoma Flying Aces | Colorado Spartans | Blue Arena | ||||
| May 18 | 7:10 p.m. CT | Omaha Beef | Sioux City Bandits | Tyson Events Center | ||||
| Date | Time | Away Team | Result | Home Team | Stadium | Notes | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 25 | 6:00 p.m. CT | Colorado Spartans | Carolina Cobras | Greensboro Coliseum Complex | ||||
| May 25 | 8:00 p.m. CT | Sioux City Bandits | Idaho Horsemen | Ford Idaho Center | ||||
| Date | Time | Away Team | Result | Home Team | Stadium | Notes | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 1 | 7:00 p.m. CT | Idaho Horsemen | Oklahoma Flying Aces | Chisholm Trail Coliseum | ||||
| June 1 | 7:10 p.m. CT | Carolina Cobras | Sioux City Bandits | Tyson Events Center | ||||
| June 1 | 8:00 p.m. CT | Omaha Beef | Colorado Spartans | Blue Arena | ||||
| Date | Time | Away Team | Result | Home Team | Stadium | Notes | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 8 | 7:00 p.m. CT | Sioux City Bandits | Oklahoma Flying Aces | Chisholm Trail Coliseum | ||||
| June 8 | 8:00 p.m. CT | Idaho Horsemen | Colorado Spartans | Blue Arena | ||||
| Date | Time | Away Team | Result | Home Team | Stadium | Notes | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 15 | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | ||||
| June 15 | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | ||||
| Date | Time | Away Team | Result | Home Team | Stadium | Notes | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 22 | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | ||||
 | This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (November 2023) |
| Team | TV Station(s) | Radio Station(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Carolina Cobras | TBD | TBD |
| Colorado Spartans | TBD | TBD |
| Idaho Horsemen | TBD | TBD |
| Oklahoma Flying Aces | TBD | TBD |
| Omaha Beef | TBD | TBD |
| Sioux City Bandits | TBD | TBD |
The Omaha Beef are a professional indoor football team based in Omaha, Nebraska. The Beef plays their home games at Liberty First Credit Union Arena in nearby Ralston. The Beef competes in the National Arena League (NAL). The Beef has been a member of several leagues, including being a charter member of Champions Indoor Football (CIF).
The Sioux City Bandits are a professional indoor football team based in Sioux City, Iowa, and compete as a member of National Arena League (NAL). The team was founded in 1999 as the Sioux City Attack. In 2001, the team assumed their current name of the Bandits. The Bandits play their home games at the Tyson Events Center.
The Indoor Football League (IFL) is a professional indoor American football league created in 2008 out of the merger between the Intense Football League and United Indoor Football. It has one of the largest number of currently active teams among indoor football leagues. As of the 2023 season, the league consists of 14 teams in two conferences with each team playing 16 games over 19 weeks.
Kerry Barth Locklin is an American football coach.
The Jacksonville Sharks are a professional indoor football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, playing their home games at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. As of 2024, they are members of the Indoor Football League (IFL).
The Louisville Xtreme were an indoor football team based in Louisville, Kentucky, with home games at the KFC Yum! Center. They began play as the Kentucky Xtreme in the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) in 2013 and 2014. Midway through the 2014 CIFL season, the league removed the team's membership and the Xtreme temporarily suspended operations. After playing the 2015 season in the semi-professional Minor League Football Alliance (MLFA), the team rebranded as the Louisville Xtreme in 2017. In 2020, the Xtreme were added to the American Arena League (AAL) but cancelled its season citing the COVID-19 pandemic. For the 2021 season, the Xtreme were announced to be joining the National Arena League, but instead joined the Indoor Football League three months later.
Tyler Knight is an American football coach and former linebacker who is the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator for the Omaha Beef of the National Arena League (NAL). He played college football at Mississippi Valley State, and currently plays for the Sioux City Bandits.
Champions Indoor Football (CIF) was a professional indoor American football minor league created in 2014 out of the merger between the Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL) and Lone Star Football League (LSFL), plus one team from the Indoor Football League and two expansion teams.
Robert Kent is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Jackson State. He has also been a member of the Tennessee Titans, Montreal Alouettes, Birmingham/Alabama Steeldogs, Lubbock Renegades, Toronto Argonauts, Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz, Abilene Ruff Riders, Houston Stallions, Corpus Christi Fury, San Antonio Talons, St. Louis Attack, Texas Revolution, Dallas Marshals, Monterrey Steel, Massachusetts Pirates, and Duke City Gladiators. He also was the head coach of the Duke City Gladiators in the Indoor Football League (IFL) for the remainder of the 2021 season.
Phillip Barnett is an American football wide receiver for the Albany Firebirds of the Arena Football League (AFL). He previously played for the Washington Valor of the Arena Football League (AFL) and played college football at the University of Toledo.
The National Arena League (NAL) is a professional indoor football league that began play in 2017. For the upcoming 2024 season, the league consists of six teams.
The American Arena League (AAL) is a dormant professional indoor football minor league that began playing in 2018. The league was initiated by a merger between Arena Pro Football (APF) and the Can-Am Indoor Football League (Can-Am), although the AAL only claimed the APF history after the former Can-Am founder left the league. Teams from both leagues, new teams, and later teams from Supreme Indoor Football and National Arena League constituted the new league for its inaugural season.
The Massachusetts Pirates are a professional indoor football team of the Indoor Football League based in Lowell, Massachusetts, with home games at the Tsongas Center. The Pirates began play in the 2018 season as a member of the National Arena League (NAL).
The Oklahoma Flying Aces are a professional indoor football team based in Enid, Oklahoma, and members of the National Arena League (NAL). The team was founded in 2018 as an expansion franchise in Champions Indoor Football for the 2019 season. The team was dormant for the 2021 season, but did not return in for the 2022 season. The Flying Aces' home games were initially played at Stride Bank Center. They will begin play at the Chisholm Trail Expo Center in 2024.
The West Texas Desert Hawks are a professional indoor football team and an inaugural member of the relaunched Arena Football League. The Desert Hawks are based in Odessa, Texas, with home games at the Ector County Coliseum. The team played their first several seasons as the West Texas Warbirds.
The Topeka Tropics are a professional indoor football based in Topeka, Kansas, and play their home games at the Stormont Vail Events Center. The team originally folded after its inaugural 2022 season, but was renewed under new ownership before the 2023 season. The Tropics are the third indoor football team to be based in Topeka following the Topeka Knights/Kings (1999–2000) and the Kansas Koyotes (2003–2014).
The San Antonio Gunslingers are a professional indoor football team in the Indoor Football League (IFL). The team is based in San Antonio, Texas, where they play home games at Freeman Coliseum. They share their name with the original USFL's team of the same name that played from 1984 to 1985.
The 2022 National Arena League season was the fifth season of the National Arena League (NAL). The league played with only six teams mostly based in the Eastern United States, with one new team arriving from the American Arena League, the San Antonio Gunslingers, based in Texas. The season ended with the Albany Empire, Carolina Cobras, Columbus Lions, and Jacksonville Sharks qualifying for the playoffs and the Albany Empire winning the championship.
The 2023 National Arena League season was the sixth season of the National Arena League (NAL). The league started the season with seven teams following the additions of the expansion team, the Fayetteville Mustangs, and the West Texas Warbirds joining from the Arena Football Association, while the Columbus Lions left the league following the previous season.
The North Texas Bulls are a professional indoor football team based in Fort Worth, Texas, established in 2021. In their inaugural season, they secured the national championship within the American Arena League (AAL).
