2025 Indoor Football League season

Last updated
2025 IFL season
League Indoor Football League
Sport Indoor American football
DurationMarch 21 – August 23, 2025
Number of teams14
TV partner(s) CBS Sports Network
Streaming partner(s)IFL Network
Regular season
Playoffs
Eastern champions Green Bay Blizzard
  Eastern runners-up Quad City Steamwheelers
Western champions Vegas Knight Hawks
  Western runners-up San Diego Strike Force
2025 IFL National Championship
DateAugust 23, 2025
Venue Tucson Arena
Champions Vegas Knight Hawks
  Runners-up Green Bay Blizzard
IFL seasons
2026 

The 2025 IFL season is the 17th season of the Indoor Football League (IFL). The season began on March 21, 2025, with the Jacksonville Sharks defeating the Massachusetts Pirates during the IFL Opening Weekend. The regular season will conclude on July 27. The playoffs start date is to be announced but will conclude with the 2025 IFL National Championship, the league's championship game, in Tucson Arena at the Tucson Convention Center in Tucson, Arizona, on August 23.

Contents

Team movement

Expansion

The IFL announced that one team would be established:

Dormancy

The IFL announced that three teams were going dormant:

Player movement

Positions key
OffenseDefenseSpecial teams
  1. Sometimes referred to as an edge rusher (EDGE)
  2. Includes nose tackle (NT)
  3. Includes middle linebacker (MLB or MIKE), outside linebacker (OLB, WILL, SAM), and off-ball linebacker
  4. Includes free safety (FS) and strong safety (SS)
  5. Also known as a placekicker (PK)
  6. Includes kickoff and punt returners

Free agency

Notable players to change teams included:

  1. Charles McCullum played for the Salina Liberty of the Arena Football League (AFL) during the 2024 season.
  2. Drew Powell played for the Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League (AFL) during the 2024 season.
  3. Shaq Curenton played for the Rapid City Marshals of the Arena Football League (AFL) during the 2024 season.
  4. Johnny King played with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the 2024 season.

League call-ups

Rule changes

The following rule changes were approved at the IFL annual league meeting on January 13–14 in Phoenix, Arizona: [6]

Regular season

The season will be played over a 19-week schedule, beginning on March 21, 2025, and ending on July 27, 2025. Each of the league's 14 teams will play 16 games, with three bye weeks.

Regular season standings

  1. 1 2 San Diego holds the tiebreaker over Arizona by conference record.

Coaches poll

 Wk 2
[7]
Wk 3
[8]
Wk 4
[9]
Wk 5
[10]
Wk 6
[11]
Wk 7
[12]
Wk 8
[13]
Wk 9
[14]
Wk 10 [15] Wk 11 [16] Wk 12 [17] Wk 13 [18] Wk 14 [19] Wk 15 [20] Wk 16 [21] Wk 17 [22] Wk 18 [23] Final [24]
Arizona Rattlers 211111211114565633
Bay Area Panthers 3108533332221111211
Fishers Freight 864451011111213121313121111119
Green Bay Blizzard 979664776655336764
Iowa Barnstormers 121214141311131313121414141414141414
Jacksonville Sharks 442245443463753478
Massachusetts Pirates 10111111899101110999888910
Northern Arizona Wranglers 141413131414141414141312121313131313
Quad City Steamwheelers 733322125532222122
San Antonio Gunslingers 119791112121210111010111112121212
San Diego Strike Force 681010107889777444346
Tucson Sugar Skulls 13131212121310989111110101091011
Tulsa Oilers 5568785543486991087
Vegas Knight Hawks 125796667886877555
Legend
  Improvement in ranking
 Drop in ranking
 No change in ranking

Postseason

2025 IFL playoffs

4Jacksonville41
1Quad City57
Eastern Conference
1Quad City64
2Green Bay71
Eastern Conference Championship
3Tulsa26
Aug 23 – Tucson Arena
2Green Bay58
IFL Playoffs Round One
2Green Bay
4Vegas
2025 IFL National Championship
4Vegas36
1Bay Area31
Western Conference
4Vegas74
3San Diego68
Western Conference Championship
3San Diego49
2Arizona48

Awards

AwardWinnerPositionTeamRef
Most Valuable Player Max Meylor Quarterback Green Bay Blizzard [25]
Offensive Player of the Year Josh TomasRunning Back Bay Area Panthers [26]
Defensive Player of the YearJoe FouchaDefensive Back Bay Area Panthers [27]
Special Teams Player of the YearAntonio WimbushKick Returner Vegas Knight Hawks [28]
Offensive Rookie of the Year Ron Brown Jr. Running Back Arizona Rattlers [29]
Defensive Rookie of the YearCaleb StreatDefensive Back Iowa Barnstormers [30]
Coach of the Year Cory Ross Head Coach Quad City Steamwheelers [31]
Assistant Coach of the Year Matt Behrendt Offensive Coordinator Green Bay Blizzard [32]
IFL National Championship Most Valuable Player Jayden de Laura Quarterback Vegas Knight Hawks [33]

All-IFL teams

All-IFL First Team
Offense
QB
RB
WR
C
OL
Defense
DL
LB
LB/DB
DB
Special Teams
K
KR
IFL All-Rookie Team
Offense
QB
RB
WR
C
OL
Defense
DL
LB
LB/DB
DB
Special Teams
K
KR
All-IFL Second Team
Offense
QB
RB
WR
C
OL
Defense
DL
LB
LB/DB
DB
Special Teams
K
KR

Players of the Week

The following were named the top performers during the season:

WeekOffensiveDefensiveSpecial Teams
1 [34] Daquan Neal QB
(Quad City)
Malik Jones DB
(Jacksonville)
Tyler King KR
(Jacksonville)
2
3 [35] Dalton Sneed QB
(Arizona)
Alan Arslanian LB
(Quad City)
Andrew Mevis K
(Green Bay)
4 [36] T. J. Edwards QB
(Tulsa)
Joe Foucha DB
(Bay Area)
Devin Hafford KR
(Fishers)
5 [37] T. J. Edwards QB
(Tulsa)
JaQuez Jackson LB
(Tucson)
Axel Perez K
(Bay Area)
6 [38] Max Meylor QB
(Green Bay)
Caleb Streat DB
(Iowa)
Kyle Kaplan K
(Quad City)
7 [39] Joshua Tomas WR
(Bay Area)
Taylor Hawkins DB
(Tulsa)
Kevin Macias K
(Tucson)
8 [40] T. J. Edwards QB
(Tulsa)
Ahmad Lyons DB
(Tucson)
Quian Williams KR
(Iowa)
9 [41] Max Meylor QB
(Green Bay)
Andre White LB
(Green Bay)
Quian Williams KR
(Iowa)
10 [42] T. J. Edwards QB
(Tulsa)
Javaris Davis DB
(Jacksonville)
Antonio Wimbush KR
(Vegas)
11 [43] Joaquin Collazo QB
(San Antonio)
Atoa Fox DB
(San Diego)
Antonio Wimbush KR
(Vegas)
12 [44] Nate Davis QB
(San Diego)
Nicholas Harris DB
(Quad City)
Kyle Kaplan K
(Quad City)
13 [45] Max Meylor QB
(Green Bay)
Jamyest Williams RB
(Tucson)
Kyle Kaplan K
(Quad City)
14 [46] Tyler Huff QB
(Jacksonville)
John McMullen DL
(Tucson)
Antonio Wimbush KR
(Vegas)
15 [47] Ron Brown Jr. RB
(Arizona)
Aaron Jackson DB
(Fishers)
Dylan Barnas K
(Jacksonville)
16 [48] Kenji Bahar QB
(Massachusetts
Tre Henry DL
(Tucson)
Kevin Macias K
(Tucson)
17 [49] Max Meylor QB
(Green Bay)
Michael Miller DB
(San Antonio)
Josiah King KR
(Fishers)
18 [50] Sam Castronova QB
(Tulsa)
Bryce Hampton DB
(Vegas)
Andrew Mevis K
(Green Bay)
19 [51] Sam Castronova QB
(Tulsa)
Jaylin Swan DL
(Fishers)
Kyle Kaplan K
(Quad City)

Head coaching changes

Off-season

TeamDeparting coachIncoming coachNotes
Fishers Freight Dixie Wooten
Massachusetts Pirates Rod MillerAmeer IsmailAfter one season, an 8–8 (.500) regular season record, and a 2024 IFL National Championship appearance, Miller left Massachusetts and joined the San Diego Strike Force as their associate head coach and defensive coordinator on October 11, 2024. [52]

On November 25, the Pirates hired Ameer Ismail as their head coach, this will be his second stint with the team. Ismail previously served as the head coach of the Bloomington Edge in 2017, Massachusetts Pirates in 2018, and the Iowa Barnstormers from 2020 2021. He has compiled a 34–16 (.680) regular season record and is 0–3 (.000) in three playoff appearances. [53]

Northern Arizona Wranglers Les Moss Ron James On August 31, 2024, Moss stepped down as the head coach of Northern Arizona after leading the team to two playoff appearances, an IFL National Championship title, and a 28–19 (.596) regular season record. [54]

James was hired as Northern Arizona's head coach on September 16, after serving five seasons as the head football coach of Juan Diego Catholic High School. This is James' seventh indoor football head coaching job, serving as the head coach of the Las Vegas Gladiators from 2005 2006, Utah Blaze from 2010 2013, Pittsburgh Power in 2014, Portland Steel in 2016, Tampa Bay Storm in 2017, and Atlantic City Blackjacks in 2019. In his time as an Arena Football League (AFL) head coach, James compiled a 74–77 (.490) regular season record, two AFL Coach of the Year awards, and an ArenaBowl XXX appearance. [55]

In-season

TeamDeparting coachIncoming coachNotes
Massachusetts Pirates Ameer IsmailFrederick GriggsOn March 9, 2025, Griggs was elevated from associate defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach to head coach after Ismail failed to report to camp, citing that he was looking for coaching jobs on the outdoor spring circuit. [56]
San Antonio Gunslingers Tom Menas James Fuller On March 31, 2025, Menas was relieved of his duties as general manager and head coach. Fuller was elevated from assistant head coach and offensive coordinator to head coach. [57]
Massachusetts PiratesFrederick GriggsTom MenasOn April 30, 2025, Griggs was relieved of his duties as interim head coach and defensive coordinator, hiring Menas to take both roles [58]

Arenas

Broadcasting

On March 12, 2025, the IFL announced a multi-year partnership with Visaic to launch the IFL Network, a subscription video service that will carry all IFL games live and on-demand. The agreement brings an end to the IFL's broadcasting of its games on YouTube. [64]

In July the IFL entered into a deal with Victory+ which gave them a national game of the week broadcast.

CBS Sports Network is on the third and final year in a contract to carry the IFL National Championship. [65]

References

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