American West Football Conference

Last updated
American West Football Conference
American West Football Conference.png
Sport Indoor football
Founded2018
FounderPlatinum Events & Security LLC
First season2019
Ceased2024
PresidentChris Reynolds
CommissionerBrandon Berner [1]
No. of teams2 (as of October 2nd 2023)
CountryUnited States
Last
champion(s)		 Idaho Horsemen
Most titlesIdaho Horsemen and Tri-City Rush (2 each)
Official website AmericanWestFootballConference.com

The American West Football Conference (AWFC) was a professional indoor American football minor league created in 2018 by Platinum Events & Security, LLC, the owners of the Idaho Horsemen. The league's inaugural season was in 2019. [2]

Contents

Players are paid $150 per game before taxes with no other benefits, although the teams help the players find host families during the season. [3] Teams' operating budget is $200,000 per season. [3]

The league had an inter-league scheduling agreement with the American Indoor Football Alliance. [4] [5]

History

After being unable to join the Indoor Football League or Champions Indoor Football citing league instability, as well as financial and travel issues due to the distance from the rest of the leagues' teams, Chris Reynolds, owner of the Idaho Horsemen announced that his ownership group Platinum Events & Security, LLC, created a new indoor league, the American West Football Conference (AWFC). [6] The league was created to fill the void of a lack of west coast teams and leagues and to decrease travel costs of operating the regional teams. [2] [7] The league was announced with four teams: the Horsemen, Reno Express, Tri-Cities Fire, and the Wenatchee Valley Skyhawks. The AWFC later added the Sacramento Spartans, but the team's facilities did not meet league standards and was removed a month before the start of the season. [8]

The first game in league history was the Wenatchee Valley Skyhawks at the Idaho Horsemen on March 23, where the Horsemen won 33–22. [9] The season's first forfeit came on May 4 when the Skyhawks did not travel to play the Reno Express, who instead played a local semiprofessional team in order to fulfill its lease agreement. The following week, the only scheduled game was also postponed citing travel issues with the Tri-Cities Fire visiting Idaho, but was made-up on June 19. Idaho went undefeated and won the championship game 40–20 over Reno.

For the 2020 season, the league announced expansion teams in Yakima, Washington, [10] and the San Francisco Bay Area, [11] although the Bay Area team never launched. [12] In February 2020, the Reno Express was removed from the schedule [13] and the Tri-Cities Fire folded, [14] which led to the Idaho Horsemen and Wenatchee Valley Skyhawks both announce they would play independent schedules. [15] [16] The league then announced it would be playing the 2020 season with three teams — Idaho, Wenatchee, and Yakima — while looking for non-league teams to fill in the lost games including the minor outdoor team, Tri-City Rage, filling in for the Fire's six scheduled away games. [17]

On March 13, 2020, the AWFC announced on its website that the 2020 season would be postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, citing the high number of cases reported from Washington, one of two states that had a team in the league. [18] On July 31, 2020, the AWFC announced the cancellation of the 2020 season due to the unavailability of arenas during the pandemic. [19] On September 28, 2020, the league announced a new expansion team in the state of Oregon for the 2021 season [20] called the Oregon High Desert Storm. [21] On November 13, 2020, the Tri-Cities were announced as the league's new franchise named the Tri-City Rush. [22] [23]

On November 22, 2022, league champions Tri-City Rush announced they were folding after their home arena in Pasco shut down for the 2023 season [24] and not meeting their financial goals. [25] With only three teams for the 2023 season, the AWFC announced they would play non-league games with four teams from the American Indoor Football Alliance, and the Cali Gold (San Francisco Bay area) from the American Arena League 2. [26] The Idaho Horsemen defeated the Oregon High Desert Storm 42–20 on July 2, 2023, to win the league championship. [27]

On September 21, 2023, the Horsemen were announced as joining the National Arena League for the 2024 season. [28] As the league's flagship franchise, this effectively forced the two remaining teams to suspend or fold. Oregon High Desert eventually found buyers who plan on returning the team to play as the Oregon Lightning in Arena Football One for 2025. [29]

Final Teams

League teams

Filler Teams/Never Played

Seasons

2019 season

Standings

Final standings. [33]

2019 American West Football Conference
TeamWLPCTPFPAGBSTK
y — Idaho Horsemen 1201.000597331—W12
x – Wenatchee Valley Skyhawks 66.5004613816W2
x – Reno Express 66.500339396W1
Tri-Cities Fire 012.00030359212L12

y – clinched regular season title

x – clinched playoff spot

Playoffs

Semifinal Final
3 Reno Express 20
3Reno Express281Idaho Horsemen40 [34] [35]
2 Wenatchee Valley Skyhawks27

2021 season

Standings

Final standings. [36]

2021 American West Football Conference
TeamWLPCTPFPA
x – Tri-City Rush 82.800621329
x – Oregon High Desert Storm 73.700456349
x – Idaho Horsemen 64.600517346
Yakima Canines19.100198565
Wenatchee Valley Skyhawks 04.00069272

y – clinched regular season title

x – clinched playoff spot

Playoffs

Semifinals
(August 30)		American West Bowl II
(September 4)
3 Idaho Horsemen 27
3Idaho Horsemen551 Tri-City Rush36
2 Oregon High Desert Storm37

2022 season

Standings

Final standings. [37]

2022 American West Football Conference
TeamWLPCTPFPA
x – Tri-City Rush 901.000392114
x – Idaho Horsemen 63.667356279
x – Wenatchee Valley Skyhawks 54.556239233
Oregon High Desert Storm45.444231353
SoCal Red Tails08.000——
Northwest Elite04.00040279

y – clinched regular season title

x – clinched playoff spot

Playoffs

Semifinals
(June 26)		American West Bowl III [38]
(July 10)
3 Wenatchee Valley Skyhawks 32
3Wenatchee Valley Skyhawks801 Tri-City Rush57
2 Idaho Horsemen70

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AF2</span> Former Arena Football Leagues developmental league

The AF2 was the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like its parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup championship in August. The AF2 continued to operate while the AFL suspended operations for its 2009 season. The league was effectively disbanded in September 2009 when no team committed to playing in 2010, but several of the stronger franchises transferred into the reconstituted AFL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwest League</span> Minor League Baseball Class High-A league based in the Pacific Northwest

The Northwest League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Northwestern United States and Western Canada. A Class A Short Season league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganization of the minor leagues. The league operated as the High-A West in 2021, then resumed its original moniker in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Indoor Football League</span> Professional US football league

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. Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, Buffalo Bills running back Fred Jackson, New Orleans Saints quarterback John Fourcade and Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl running back Bam Morris, all played in the NIFL. The league folded in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Indoor Football</span> Professional indoor football league

American Indoor Football (AIF) is a professional indoor football league, one of the several regional professional indoor football leagues in North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dayton Sharks</span> American indoor football team

The Dayton Sharks were a professional indoor football team based in Dayton, Ohio. The team was a member of the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL). The franchise started as an expansion team in the CIFL during the 2013 season. The Sharks were the fifth indoor football team to be based in Dayton, the first being the Dayton Skyhawks of the original Indoor Football League. The Skyhawks were followed by the Dayton Warbirds, who later became the Dayton Bulldogs, of the National Indoor Football League the third being the Cincinnati Marshals who played their 2007 season in Dayton and the fourth being the Dayton Silverbacks who played from 2006 to 2012. The Owner of the Sharks was CA Sports Entertainment LLC. The Sharks played their home games at Hara Arena in nearby Trotwood, Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indoor Football League</span> Indoor American football league founded in 2008

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 2024 season, the league consists of 16 teams in two conferences with each team playing 16 games over 19 weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Coast League</span> Collegiate summer baseball league

The West Coast League (WCL) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league founded in 2005, comprising teams from Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Alberta. The WCL was previously named the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League (WCCBL), but in 2008 it was renamed as the West Coast League. The league is designed to develop college talent, and only current college-eligible players are allowed to participate. The West Coast League has produced dozens of professional players, including a number of major leaguers. League teams are operated similarly to professional minor-league teams. The WCL's season typically runs from early June through the middle of August.

The Western Tri-State League was a professional baseball league, which was formed in 1912, and disbanded in 1914. It was a Class D league. Over its three-year existence, the league featured six teams from six different cities in Oregon, Idaho, and Washington. Two teams, the Pendleton Buckaroos, and the Walla Walla Bears, spent all three seasons in the league. The Pendleton Buckaroos won two league championships, the first coming in 1912, and the other in 1914. The Walla Walla Bears won the first-half league championship in 1913, while the Boise Irrigators were the second half champions. In 1913, the league opened with six teams, two more than the previous year. However, early into the league, two teams were dropped due to financial strains. In 1915, the league folded. Initially, it was attributed to financial difficulties. However, it was later said to be issues with the relations of team owners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Champions Indoor Football</span> Indoor American football league

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Arena League</span> American indoor football league

The National Arena League (NAL) is a professional indoor football league that began play in 2017. As of the end of the 2024 season, the league consisted of five teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Arena League</span> U.S. indoor football league

The American Arena League (AAL) is a 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. Since 2023, the league has operated as American Arena League 2 (AAL2), which was originally conceived as the AAL's minor league but has since effectively taken its parent league's place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Idaho Horsemen</span> American indoor football team

The Idaho Horsemen are a professional indoor football team based out of Nampa, Idaho, with home games at the Ford Idaho Center. They are owned by Chris Reynolds from Platinum Events & Security LLC. In 2019, the team owners founded the American West Football Conference. They joined the National Arena League before the 2024 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reno Express</span> American indoor football team

The Reno Express were a professional indoor football team in Reno, Nevada. They play their home games at the Reno Events Center during the 2019 American West Football Conference (AFC) season. They were the first professional football team to play in Reno since the Reno Barons played part of a season in 2011. The team withdrew from the AWFC 2020 season about a month prior to the start of the season, but stated they had plans to return in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tri-Cities Fire</span>

The Tri-Cities Fire were a professional indoor football team based out of Kennewick, Washington, with home games at the Toyota Center during the 2019 season. They were owned by Kinshasa Martin of Rampage Sports Entertainment, LLC. They folded in February 2020 after playing one season, citing lack of support from sponsors and ticket sales. They were the second arena/indoor team to play in the Tri-City region preceded by the Tri-Cities Fever of the NIFL, af2 and the Indoor Football League and followed by the Tri-City Rush of the AWFC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wenatchee Valley Skyhawks</span> American indoor football team

The Wenatchee Valley Skyhawks are a professional indoor football team based in Wenatchee, Washington, that began playing football in 2019 with home games at the Town Toyota Center. It is the first team to play in the Wenatchee Valley since the Wenatchee Valley Venom of the Indoor Football League in 2011. They are owned by Hook Sports Media, LLC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oklahoma Flying Aces</span> American indoor football team

The Oklahoma Flying Aces are a dormant 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 for the 2022 season. The Flying Aces joined the National Arena League for the 2024 season but became dormant before the season was completed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Indoor Football Alliance</span> American sports league

The American Indoor Football Alliance (AIFA) was a minor-professional American indoor football league based in the United States.

The 2024 Arena Football League season was the first season in the new version of the Arena Football League (AFL), and the 33rd season of play in the history of the Arena Football League brand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oregon Lightning</span> American indoor football team

The Oregon Lightning are a professional indoor football team based in Redmond, Oregon. They were founded in 2020 by Platinum Events & Security, LLC, and began playing football as members of the American West Football Conference in 2021 as the Oregon High Desert Storm. It is the first team to play in Central Oregon. They are now owned by Chuck Jones, former head coach of the Arena Football League's Oregon Blackbears, along with Sara Gumm and Jay Jenkins. They play their home games at the First Interstate Bank Center at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds in Redmond and are now members of Arena Football One.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tri-City Rush</span> Indoor American football team (2021–2022)

The Tri-City Rush were a professional indoor football team based out of Pasco, Washington, with home games at the HAPO Center during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. They were owned by Rage Sports, LLC, and were members of the American West Football Conference. They were the third arena/indoor team to play in the Tri-City region preceded by the Tri-Cities Fever of NIFL, af2 and the Indoor Football League and the Tri-Cities Fire of the AWFC. They folded in 2022 after playing two seasons and winning two league championships, citing financial difficulties.

References

  1. ↑ "NEW AWFC COMMISSIONER". AWFC. October 29, 2020.
  2. 1 2 "HISTORY". Official Website. October 15, 2018. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
  3. 1 2 "These long-shot Horsemen dream big: 'I think, until we can't, we're football players'". Idaho Statesman. May 28, 2019.
  4. ↑ "Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report". 26 December 2022.
  5. ↑ "The AWFC & the AIFA partners for 2023".
  6. ↑ "A DECISION HAS BEEN MADE". AWFC Insider. October 15, 2018.
  7. ↑ Castete, Aaron (October 21, 2018). "Western US based indoor football league forming for 2019". Arena Football Talk. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
  8. ↑ "LETTER FROM THE COMMISSIONER". AWFC. February 20, 2019.
  9. ↑ "Mike Prater: These Horsemen don't appear headless". The Idaho Press. March 23, 2019.
  10. ↑ "YAKIMA CANINES JOIN AWFC". AWFC. September 11, 2019.
  11. ↑ "A NEW AWFC TEAM IN THE BAY AREA". AWFC. November 15, 2019.
  12. ↑ "AWFC Facebook post January 13, 2020". Facebook. January 13, 2020.
  13. 1 2 "Yakima Canines set for arena football at the SunDome". Yakima Herald . February 26, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Tri-Cities Fire Facebook post February 26, 2020". Facebook. February 26, 2020.
  15. ↑ "Idaho Horseman Facebook post February 26, 2020". Facebook. February 26, 2020.
  16. ↑ "Wenatchee Valley Skyhawks Facebook post February 26, 2020". Facebook. February 26, 2020.
  17. 1 2 "THE TRI-CITIES FIRE UN-EXPECTANTLY CLOSES UP SHOP!". AWFC. February 28, 2020.
  18. ↑ "2020 AWFC Season Postponed due to Coronavirus". www.americanwestfootballconference.com. March 13, 2020. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
  19. ↑ "THE AWFC CANCELS THE 2020 SEASON DUE TO COVID-19". American West Football Conference. July 31, 2020. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  20. ↑ "THE AWFC MOVES INTO THE STATE OF OREGON". AWFC. September 28, 2020.
  21. ↑ "OREGON'S TEAM NAME AND LOGO REVEALED". AWFC. October 17, 2020.
  22. ↑ "THE AWFC IS HEADED BACK TO THE TRI-CITIES". AWFC. November 13, 2020.
  23. ↑ "TRI-CITIES TEAM NAME AND LOGO REVEALED". AWFC. November 14, 2020.
  24. 1 2 "Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report". 31 October 2022.
  25. 1 2 "Tri-City Rush Fold".
  26. ↑ "Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report". 16 January 2023.
  27. ↑ "IDAHO HORSEMEN CLAIM VICTORY IN AMERICAN WEST BOWL IV". AWFC. July 3, 2023.
  28. ↑ "IDAHO REVEALED AS THE NEXT NAL FRANCHISE TO JOIN IN 2024". NAL. September 21, 2023.
  29. ↑ "Oregon Lightning Joining Arena Football One for 2025". TheAF1.com. 2024-10-22. Retrieved 2024-10-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  30. ↑ "Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report". March 21, 2022.
  31. ↑ "May 28th Storm will host Cali Gold (Bay Area)". May 11, 2022.
  32. ↑ "2022 season schedule". AWFC. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  33. ↑ "AWFC Standings". AWFC. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  34. ↑ "Express v Horsemen (first half)". Facebook .
  35. ↑ "Express v Horsemen (second half)". Facebook .
  36. ↑ "AWFC Standings". AWFC. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  37. ↑ "AWFC Standings". AWFC. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  38. ↑ "American West Bowl III - #1 Tri-City Rush vs #3 Wenatchee Valley Skyhawks; Full Game Shortened". Facebook .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.