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.
The Chicago Rush were a professional arena football team based in Rosemont, Illinois. The team played at the Allstate Arena from 2001 to 2013. They were a member of the Central Division of the National Conference of the Arena Football League (AFL). Founded in 2001, the team qualified for the playoffs 11 out of 12 seasons and won one AFL championship, ArenaBowl XX in 2006. During their history, the Rush won five divisional titles and competed in the AFL Conference Championship six times, including four consecutive appearances from 2004 to 2007. They also had the largest market in the AFL.
The Cleveland Gladiators were an arena football team based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, and members of the Arena Football League (AFL). The Gladiators played their home games at Quicken Loans Arena, which they shared with the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association and the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League. The franchise was originally based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and then later in Las Vegas, Nevada, before relocating to Cleveland for the 2008 AFL season. The Gladiators qualified for the playoffs eight times in their history, reaching the ArenaBowl in 2014.
The Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz were an arena football team. The team began play as a 2004 expansion team of the Arena Football League's minor league af2 before becoming a member of the AFL in 2010. Formerly a tenant of the Ford Center from 2004 until 2008, the Yard Dawgz were forced out when the National Basketball Association's Oklahoma City Thunder moved into town; starting in 2009, the Yard Dawgz played across the street at the Cox Convention Center. On October 25, 2010 Yard Dawgz owner Phil Miller announced that he decided not to play in the Arena Football League for the 2011 season.
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 Manchester Wolves were a professional arena football team, based at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire, which folded at the end of the 2009 season along with the rest of the league. They played in the East Division of the American Conference of the AF2 league, which was the minor league of the Arena Football League.
The South Georgia Wildcats were a professional arena football team based in Albany, Georgia. They were member of the South Division of the American Conference of Arenafootball2 (AF2).
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 in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin. The team's logo represents Bruiser, the team mascot.
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers were a minor league arena football team that played in the AF2. The team was part of the East Division in the American conference. The Pioneers were an expansion team for the league's 2002 season, and were the runners-up in ArenaCup VIII and ArenaCup X.
The Quad City Steamwheelers were a professional arena football team. They were a charter member of the AF2 and played their home games at iWireless Center in Moline, Illinois.
The Spokane Shock are a professional indoor American football team based in Spokane, Washington, playing 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 Carolina Rhinos were one of the original 15 teams to join the inaugural 2000 AF2 season. They were members of the American Conference for their entirety of existence, and the Eastern Division in 2001 and 2002. In their first year, they won 7 of their first 9 games, finished the 2000 season with a 9 wins and 7 losses, en route to the playoffs, before losing to the Augusta Stallions. In 2001, again, they won 7 of their first 9 games, completing a season record of 12 wins and 4 losses, and for the first time ever, they won a playoff game, beating the Tulsa Talons, before losing to the eventual champion, Quad City Steamwheelers. In 2002, everyone expected Carolina to not only go to the playoffs, but to do something great. The Rhinos. didn't do so well on the playing field, going 5-11, and missed the playoffs. To add insult to injury, the Rhinos folded after their post season-less year, and left Arena Football to the Carolina Cobras, which fittingly, folded 2 years after the Rhinos said good-bye to the BI-LO Center.
The Pensacola Barracudas were an arena football team based in Pensacola, Florida. They were an inaugural member of the AF2, the Arena Football League's developmental league. They played for three seasons, from 2000 to 2002, when they folded. They made one playoff appearance in their first year. They played their home games at the Pensacola Civic Center.
The Richmond Speed were one of the original 15 teams to join the inaugural 2000 AF2 season. They started off in the American Conference in 2000, before going over to the Northeast Division in 2001, then to the Atlantic Division from 2002–2003. In 2000, Richmond went 7-9 and missed the playoffs. 2001 was a banner year for the Speed. Going 13-3, they cruised through the playoffs and into the ArenaCup. Despite going into the game with high expectations, they lost to the defending champion Quad City Steamwheelers. In 2002, the Speed proved that they weren't a one-time wonder, and went to the playoffs again. This time, they were out by Week 1, thanks to the Cape Fear Wildcats. Back-to-Back post-season losses was too much to handle, as in 2003, they went 6-10, last in the Atlantic Division. The Speed folded after the 2003 season, leaving Richmond without indoor football until the 2005 arrival of the AIFL Richmond Bandits.
The Johnstown Riverhawks was a professional indoor American football team based out of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. They were a charter member of the American Indoor Football Association (AIFA). They played their home games at Cambria County War Memorial Arena.
Bret Munsey is an American football coach. Previously he was the head coach for the Orlando Predators and Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League, and also an executive for the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League.
The Huntington Heroes were a professional indoor football franchise and member of the American Indoor Football Association (AIFA). The Heroes played their home games during their inaugural 2006 season at the Veterans Memorial Fieldhouse in Huntington, West Virginia before moving to the larger Big Sandy Superstore Arena for the 2007 and 2009 seasons. The Heroes were the second indoor football franchise for Huntington, following the River Cities LocoMotives, who played one season (2001) in the National Indoor Football League, and were followed by the Huntington Hammer in 2011. The Heroes were usually known for featuring many former Marshall University football players from the Marshall Thundering Herd program located in Huntington.
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.
Michael David Neu is and American football coach and former quarterback, who is the current head football coach of the Ball State Cardinals. He played college football at Ball State for Paul Schudel from 1990 to 1993 and played in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for one season and the Arena Football League (AFL) for 2 seasons from 1995 to 1997. He then served as the head coach of the af2's Augusta Stallions (2000), the AFL's Carolina Cobras (2001–2002) and the New Orleans VooDoo (2004–2008). In 2016, Neu returned to his alma mater, Ball State.
Aaron Sparrow is a former American football quarterback who played three seasons in the Arena Football League (AFL) with the Nashville Kats, Grand Rapids Rampage and Carolina Cobras. He played college football at Norfolk State University. He was also a member of the Calgary Stampeders, Augusta Stallions, Buffalo Destroyers, Norfolk Nighthawks and Wichita Stealth.
