Champions Indoor Football

Last updated

Champions Indoor Football
ChampionsIndoorFootball.png
Sport Indoor football
Founded2014
FounderRicky Bertz
Stephanie Tucker
Darlene Jones
First season 2015
CeasedOctober 5, 2023 (merged with the AFL)
CommissionerMike McCoy
CountryUnited States
Headquarters Ralston, Nebraska
Last
champion(s)		 Omaha Beef (2nd)
Most titles Duke City Gladiators
Omaha Beef
(2 titles each)
TV partner(s) YouTube
Related
competitions		Direct: CPIFL, LSFL, AFL
Other: IFL
Official website http://gocif.net

Champions Indoor Football (CIF) was a professional indoor American football minor league [1] 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. [2]

Contents

The league maximum player salary as of 2022 was $200 per game, along with housing, medical and meal expenses. [3] In the past the league used salary cap system which was divided amongst team players, with a minimum per game salary of $75 and a maximum of $300 with no other benefits. [4] [5]

The CIF merged with the Arena Football League on October 5, 2023. [6]

History

2014

The merger which formed the CIF was announced on August 22, 2014, [7] after it had been rumored that the CPIFL and LSFL had been in discussions of a possible merger since July 31, 2014. [8]

2015

The Gary Dawgs, originally announced as a charter member of the CIF, rebranded as the Illiana Eagles (later the Chicago Eagles) after a change in ownership and delayed their entry into the league until 2016. [9] [10] On February 21, 2015, the new owners of the New Mexico Stars announced that the team would not enter the league as planned after head coach Dominic Bramante resigned two weeks before the scheduled start of training camp. [11] On March 3, the Albuquerque-based Duke City Gladiators announced they were joining the CIF for the 2015 season and would play an abbreviated 11-game schedule as a partial replacement for the New Mexico Stars.

At the end of the regular season, the four teams (ordered by seeding) that made the postseason were the Sioux City Bandits, Texas Revolution, Wichita Force, and Amarillo Venom. On Thursday, June 11, Texas defeated Wichita 39–27. Two days later, Sioux City beat Amarillo 83–52 leading to Texas facing Sioux City in Champions Bowl I on June 20 in Iowa. At halftime the score was tied 35–35, but a rushing touchdown for eventual Champions Bowl MVP Andrew Prohaska of the Sioux City Bandits led to a final score of 76–61.

2016

The Mesquite Marshals, Salina Liberty, and Bloomington Edge announced their entrance into the league, bringing the total number of teams to 12. The league meetings were on August 19 in Dodge City, Kansas. Many league changes were announced, including Darlene Jones resigning as commissioner, citing personal health-related reasons. Ricky Bertz was then appointed interim commissioner, with the help of Indoor Football League Hall-of-Famer, Tommy Benizio (who was the IFL's commissioner). Stephanie Tucker also joined Bertz and Benizio. Also announced at that time was the Northern/Southern divisional alignment. Later, on January 11, 2016, Bertz stepped down to focus on his team's sales, and Randy Sanders was named the interim commissioner. [12] The updated alignment had each division with six teams. The top three teams reaching the playoffs and the team with the best record in each division received a bye in the first round. The division leader would then play the winners of the 2 vs. 3 seeds playoff game.

2017

At the end of the 2016 season, the Mesquite Marshals changed their name to the Dallas Marshals. Later, the San Angelo Bandits folded but were immediately replaced by an expansion team called the CenTex Cavalry out of Belton, Texas. The CIF continued to expand for the 2017 season by adding the River City Raiders and West Michigan Ironmen from the recently defunct American Indoor Football and two expansion teams in Kansas City Phantoms and Bismarck Bucks. The CIF announced the league would realign from two to four divisions, with two teams each division making the playoffs. [13] In November 2016, the Chicago Eagles announced that they had suspended operations for the 2017 season. [14] Following the Eagles' departure, the River City Raiders left the league, citing the adverse effects on their schedule due to losing a regional opponent, although there had been claims that the Raiders were actually asked to leave due to non-payment of league fees. [15] With the departure of the two teams, the league realigned back into two conferences of seven teams, with four teams per conference making the playoffs.[ citation needed ]

During the league winter meetings, Bertz returned to his former position of interim league commissioner. Sonny Clark of the Texas Revolution was named as director of operations. [16]

2018

On August 16, 2017, the CIF announced the Quad City Steamwheelers as an expansion team for 2018. On August 30, the league announced the addition of the Sioux Falls Storm from the IFL. The Wichita Falls Nighthawks of the IFL also joined on September 12. [17] On the same day the Nighthawks joined, the Bloomington Edge and West Michigan Ironmen left the CIF for the IFL. The CIF apparently then attempted to sue the IFL, Edge, and Ironmen for leaving the CIF after the two teams had already signed league affiliation agreements with the CIF for 2018. The IFL then threatened to sue the CIF, Storm, and Nighthawks in return despite neither former IFL team signing an affiliation agreement with the IFL for 2018. [18] To avoid disputes, the CIF stated they would not schedule either team. [19] The Storm immediately announced that they would return to the IFL [20] and the Nighthawks had to suspend operations. [21] While the CIF did drop the lawsuit against the IFL, it filed for an injunction against the Edge and Ironmen teams from participating in the IFL for breaking the terms of their signed affiliation agreements. A temporary injunction from participation against the two teams was granted on January 31, 2018. [22]

2019

During the 2018 season, it was announced that after a change in ownership, the West Michigan Ironmen would return to the CIF after playing a season in the semi-professional Midwest Professional Indoor Football. The league also added an expansion team called the Oklahoma Flying Aces in Enid, Oklahoma. During the offseason, the CIF lost the Bismarck Bucks and Quad City Steamwheelers to the IFL. When the 2019 schedule was released, both the West Michigan Ironmen and the Kansas City Phantoms had been removed as members. [23] On May 9, the Texas Revolution folded during the season. [24] At the end of the season, the Duke City Gladiators won their second consecutive championship and then withdrew from the league, eventually joining the IFL.

2020

The league announced it had partnered with the National Arena League (NAL) to create a new league for the 2020 season under a new identity with two conferences: the CIF and NAL. [25] However, it was announced on October 10 that the deal had been postponed, with both leagues playing their own individual schedules in 2020. [26]

The league added the West Texas Warbirds in Odessa, Texas, as an expansion team. The 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic without playing a game. [27]

2021

For the 2021 season, the league added the Wyoming Mustangs in Gillette, Wyoming, as an expansion team. In August 2020, the CIF announced a schedule, keeping a four-team playoff format but with a 10-game regular season starting March 12, 2021, [28] and that all games in 2021 would be streamed live on YouTube, officially ending the league's four-year relationship with Pluto TV. [29] However, by February 2021, the effects of the pandemic caused the Amarillo Venom and West Texas Warbirds to back out of the season due to a conflicting schedule at their home arena and play an independent regional schedule instead. [30] On April 1, one week prior to their first game of the season, the Oklahoma Flying Aces withdrew from the season citing drastically increased workers' compensation insurance and were replaced by a reactivated Dodge City Law. On April 5, director of operations Todd Walkenhorst was named the new league commissioner, replacing founder Bertz who had been in the position since 2017. [31]

2022

In August 2021, Walkenhorst was replaced as commissioner by Tommy Benizio, the former commissioner of the Indoor Football League. [32] The league announced expansion teams in the Billings Outlaws, [33] [34] Rapid City Marshals, [35] and the Topeka Tropics. [36] The league also announced a team in Denver, [37] but it did not make the schedule announced on September 30, 2021, along with the Amarillo Venom, Oklahoma Flying Aces, and West Texas Warbirds. [38] On October 1, the Dodge City Law, which had been a temporary replacement for the Oklahoma Flying Aces, was replaced by an expansion team in Dodge City called the Southwest Kansas Storm. [39] Amarillo and West Texas officially left the league and turned their Lone Star Series from the previous season into the Arena Football Association (AFA) in November 2021. [40] By the end of 2021, J. R. Bond, the new owner of the Sioux City Bandits and Topeka Tropics, had been named the commissioner of the league. [41] The Wichita Force were removed from the league in January 2022. [42]

2023

The same eight teams returned for the 2023 season, with the Omaha Beef winning the championship after beating Salina Liberty 50–30 in the Champions Bowl.

After the season ended, founding CIF members Beef and Sioux City Bandits, as well as the Topeka Tropics (who ultimately folded instead after ownership abandoned the team [43] ), all announced they were leaving the CIF for a new league, later revealed to be the National Arena League. [44] The CIF then named Mike McCoy as league commissioner. [45] On August 28, 2023, the league added the ICT Regulators based out of Park City, Kansas, in the Wichita area. [46] On August 29, 2023, the Billings Outlaws left the league and was announced as the first official member of the relaunched Arena Football League. [47]

On September 25, 2023, the Gillette Mustangs suspended operations, stating that the remaining CIF members were being absorbed into the AFL and that their arena could not accommodate the additional rebound nets necessary to compete in that league, nor would the league allow any franchise owner to control multiple teams. [48] The three remaining CIF teams held a press conference on October 5, in which they confirmed they would be joining the AFL. [6] McCoy was named the AFL Deputy Commissioner on October 26. [49]

Several of the former CIF teams who joined the AFL indicated that commissioner Lee Hutton had made promises to cover increased travel and salary expenses for playing in the new league, but failed to deliver on them. The Iowa Rampage, a team that had originally planned to join CIF before it merged into the AFL for the 2024 season, folded after one game when the promised compensation never arrived; [50] the Rapid City Marshals, Salina Liberty and Billings Outlaws confirmed that the Rampage's complaints were legitimate but were committed to playing out the season, with the Outlaws hinting at seeking to oust Hutton from the commissioner's post. [51] [52] Hutton was successfully ousted May 14, with Jeff Fisher named his successor. [53]

Teams

Active franchises at the 2023 season

TeamLocationArenaCapacityHead coachFoundedJoined2024 League
Billings Outlaws Billings, Montana MetraPark First Interstate Arena 7,000 Kerry Locklin 20212022 Arena Football League
Gillette Mustangs [54] Gillette, Wyoming Wyoming Center at the CAM-PLEX [55] 4,500 Cedric Walker 20202021Folded
Omaha Beef Ralston, Nebraska Liberty First Credit Union Arena 4,600 Rayshaun Kizer 20002015 National Arena League
Rapid City Marshals Rapid City, South Dakota Summit Arena at The Monument [56] 7,500Dante Dudley20212022 Arena Football League
Salina Liberty Salina, Kansas Tony's Pizza Events Center 7,583Heron O'Neal20152016 Arena Football League
Sioux City Bandits Sioux City, Iowa Tyson Events Center 6,941Erv Strohbeen20002015 National Arena League
Southwest Kansas Storm Dodge City, Kansas United Wireless Arena 5,300Brandon Venson20212022 Arena Football League
Topeka Tropics Topeka, Kansas Stormont Vail Events Center 10,000Tyrus Jackson20222022Folded. Owner and coach moved to AFL as Iowa Rampage

Map of teams

Former teams

Timeline

ICT RegulatorsTopeka TropicsSouthwest Kansas StormRapid City MarshalsBillings Outlaws (CIF)Gillette MustangsWest Texas WarbirdsOklahoma Flying AcesQuad City Steamwheelers (2018–)West Michigan IronmenKansas City PhantomsCenTex CavalryBismarck BucksSalina LibertyDallas MarshalsChicago Eagles (CIF)Bloomington EdgeDuke City GladiatorsWichita ForceTexas Revolution (indoor football)Sioux City BanditsSan Angelo BanditsSalina BombersOmaha BeefDodge City LawAmarillo VenomChampions Indoor Football

Champions Bowl

When the CPIFL started in 2013, the championship game was known as the "Champions Bowl", so the CIF used the same name for their title game.

YearTitleWinning teamLosing teamScore
2015 Champions Bowl I Sioux City Bandits Texas Revolution 76–61
2016 Champions Bowl II Wichita Force Amarillo Venom 48–45
2017 Champions Bowl III Texas Revolution Omaha Beef 59–49
2018 Champions Bowl IV Duke City Gladiators Sioux City Bandits 31–27 [68]
2019 Champions Bowl V Duke City Gladiators Salina Liberty 35–29
2020Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021 Champions Bowl VI Omaha Beef Salina Liberty 40–39 [69]
2022 Champions Bowl VII Salina Liberty Omaha Beef 38–34 [70]
2023 Champions Bowl VIII Omaha Beef Salina Liberty 50–30 [71]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas Revolution (indoor football)</span> American indoor football team

The Texas Revolution were an American professional indoor football team and a founding member of Champions Indoor Football (CIF). The Revolution were based in Allen and Frisco, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex.

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

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).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sioux City Bandits</span> Professional indoor football team in Sioux City, Iowa

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bloomington Edge</span>

The Bloomington Edge was a professional indoor football team based in Bloomington, Illinois. While it was in operation, the team hosted home games at Grossinger Motors Arena. Originally named the Bloomington Extreme, the team was a member of United Indoor Football (UIF), and joined the Indoor Football League (IFL) in 2009 during the UIF and Intense Football League merger. They left the IFL for the Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL) in 2013, and in 2015 the CPIFL merged with the Lone Star Football League (LSFL) to create Champions Indoor Football (CIF), where Bloomington did not follow and joined X-League Indoor Football (X-League). Following the 2015 season the Edge joined the CIF. The Edge then announced it had rejoined the IFL for the 2018 season, but a court ruling prevented the team from joining the league until 2019, however, they were not included in that season's schedule.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wichita Wild</span>

The Wichita Wild were a professional indoor football team based in Wichita, Kansas. They were members of the Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL). The team was founded in 2006 as an independent indoor football franchise. In 2008, the team joined United Indoor Football (UIF). They joined the Indoor Football League (IFL) during the UIF and Intense Football League merger of 2009. In 2012, the team left the IFL to become charter members of the CPIFL. The Wild's home games were played at Hartman Arena in nearby Park City. When they lost their lease with the Hartman Arena, they folded..

<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">Champions Professional Indoor Football League</span>

The Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL) was an indoor football minor league based along the Midwestern United States region. The league began play in February 2013. In August 2014, the CPIFL and Lone Star Football League (LSFL) completed a merger to form Champions Indoor Football (CIF) and began play in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salina Bombers</span>

The Salina Bombers were a professional indoor football team based in Salina, Kansas. The team was founded by Chris Vercher, Jake Leighty and Jake Sharp in 2012 as charter member of the Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL). The Bombers played their home games at the Bicentennial Center in Salina. After the Bombers folded, the Salina Liberty were started as a new indoor football franchise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dodge City Law</span>

The Dodge City Law were a professional indoor football team based in Dodge City, Kansas, with home games at the United Wireless Arena. The team joined the Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL) in 2013 as an expansion member for the 2014 season. In 2014, the CPIFL merged with the Lone Star Football League (LSFL) to form Champions Indoor Football (CIF). The branding was used again for the 2021 season as a replacement team before an expansion team was granted to the Southwest Kansas Storm for the 2022 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wichita Falls Nighthawks</span>

The Wichita Falls Nighthawks were a professional indoor American football team. They were based in Wichita Falls, Texas. The team was headquartered in Wichita Falls and played its home games at Kay Yeager Coliseum. The Nighthawks first joined the Indoor Football League as an expansion team in 2015. The Nighthawks were announced as a member of Champions Indoor Football (CIF) for 2018, however, due to litigation, the team ceased operations for the season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wichita Force</span>

The Wichita Force were a professional indoor football team based in Wichita, Kansas, with home games in Wichita Ice Center. The team was founded in 2014 as an expansion franchise in the Champions Indoor Football league for the 2015 season. The Force's membership in the CIF was revoked prior to the 2022 season and the team joined the new Arena Football Association.

The 2015 Indoor Football League season was the seventh season of the Indoor Football League. Playing with ten teams in two conferences located in mid-sized cities predominantly in the central United States, the league's regular season kicked off on February 28, 2015, when the reigning league champion Sioux Falls Storm travelled to the Bemidji Axemen. The regular season ended 16 weeks later on June 20, 2015, with the Green Bay Blizzard visiting the Iowa Barnstormers. The playoffs were held in two rounds with the top two teams in each conference facing off in a conference championship game followed by the winners of those games meeting in the United Bowl.

The 2015 Salina Bombers season was the team's third and final season as a professional indoor football franchise and first as a member of Champions Indoor Football (CIF). One of nine teams in the CIF for the inaugural 2015 season, the Salina Bombers were owned by Chris Vercher. The Force played their home games at the Bicentennial Center in Salina, Kansas, under the direction of head coach Bob Ray. The season ended abruptly on May 28, 2015, after the CIF ejected the team from the league and the team subsequently folded entirely.

The 2015 Sioux City Bandits season was the team's sixteenth overall, fifteenth as the Sioux City Bandits and first as a member of Champions Indoor Football (CIF). One of nine teams in the CIF for the inaugural 2015 season, the Bandits finished the regular season with a 9–3 record to earn the number one seed in the playoffs, in which they defeated the Amarillo Venom, 83–52 in the semifinals and beat the Texas Revolution in Champions Bowl I, 76–61.

The 2015 Champions Indoor Football season was the first season of the CIF. The new league was the result of a merger between the Lone Star Football League and the Champions Professional Indoor Football League. The regular season began on Saturday, February 28 and finished on Saturday, June 6. The league champion was the Sioux City Bandits, who defeated the Texas Revolution 76-61 in Champions Bowl I. The season MVP was Charles Dowdell of the Sioux City Bandits, and the Champions Bowl MVP was Drew Prohaska, also of the Bandits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Michigan Ironmen</span> Sports team

The West Michigan Ironmen are a professional indoor football team based in Muskegon, Michigan, the Ironmen play their home games at Trinity Health Arena. The team joined American Indoor Football (AIF) in 2016. The AIF ceased operations following the 2016 season, leaving the Ironmen without a league. They joined Champions Indoor Football for the 2017 season. For the 2018 season, the team was originally announced to have joined the Indoor Football League, however, the team was forced to sit out the 2018 Indoor Football League season. The team was then sold and played in the regional Midwest Professional Indoor Football for the 2018 season until they could rejoin the CIF in 2019. However, they were not among the list of members for the 2019 CIF season and instead joined the American Arena League.

The 2018 Indoor Football League season was the tenth season of the Indoor Football League (IFL). The league played with six teams, after the suspension of operations of three teams, the departure of another two teams, and the addition and subsequent suspension of two teams.

The 2018 Champions Indoor Football season was the fourth season of the CIF. The regular season began on March 3, when the Wichita Force traveled to Salina Liberty, losing 17–15. The regular season concluded on June 10. This was the second season in which four teams per conference advanced to the Champions Bowl playoffs, with the top seed in each conference hosting their conference's fourth seed, and second seeds hosting third seeds in the first round.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billings Outlaws (AFL)</span> American indoor football team

The Billings Outlaws are a professional indoor football team that began play as a member of Champions Indoor Football for the 2022 season. Based in Billings, Montana, the Outlaws play their home games at MetraPark First Interstate Arena. For 2024, they have been announced as members of the revived Arena Football League. They are the 2024 AFL champions, defeating the Albany Firebirds 46-41 at the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rapid City Marshals</span> Professional indoor football team based in Rapid City, South Dakota

The Rapid City Marshals were a professional indoor football team based in Rapid City, South Dakota. The Marshals played their home games at the Summit Arena at The Monument. They began as an expansion team in Champions Indoor Football in 2022 and played in that league until 2023. They became members of the revived Arena Football League and began play in 2024 before folding midseason among labor strife tied to a wider league instability.

References

  1. ↑ "Minor League Markets:Methodology". Sports Business Journal . September 18, 2017. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  2. ↑ Krieger, Dan (September 22, 2014). "Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report". Our Sports Central. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
  3. ↑ "A quick look at the new Billings Outlaws and the Champions Indoor Football league". 406MTsports.com. March 23, 2022.
  4. ↑ Zimmer, Matt (August 30, 2017). "Sioux Falls Storm leaving IFL for Champions Indoor Football". Argus Leader .
  5. ↑ "At $75 a game, indoor football isn't about the money". AP. May 29, 2015.
  6. 1 2 Henry, Tyler (October 5, 2023). "Arena Football League Announced CIF Merger". Salina Post .
  7. ↑ Ewing, Shane (August 22, 2014). "CPIFL and LSFL merger creates league called "Champions Indoor Football"". Wichita, KS: KAKE. Archived from the original on August 27, 2014. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Two indoor football leagues talk merger". San Angelo Standard-Times . San Angelo, TX: Scripps Media, Inc. July 31, 2014. Archived from the original on August 27, 2014. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  9. ↑ Hamnik, Al (October 14, 2014). "Northwest Indiana's CIFL Dawgs to sit out the 2015 season". The Times of Northwest Indiana . Munster, Indiana: Lee Enterprises . Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  10. ↑ Burbridge, John (January 23, 2015). "Illiana Eagles set indoor football flight plan for the CIF 2016 season". The Times of Northwest Indiana . Munster, IN: Lee Enterprises . Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  11. ↑ Christ, Bob (February 22, 2015). "NM Stars owners pull plug on season". Albuquerque Journal . Albuquerque, NM . Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Sanders Named Interim CIF Commissioner". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. January 11, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  13. ↑ "CHAMPIONS INDOOR FOOTBALL 2017 SCHEDULE". OurSportsCentral. October 11, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Chicago Eagles suspend operations for the 2017 Season". Chicago Eagles. November 18, 2016. Archived from the original on November 19, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Weekly Sports League & Franchise Report". OurSports Central. November 28, 2016.
  16. ↑ "CIF Announces New Front Office Changes for the 2017 Season". CIF. January 14, 2017.
  17. ↑ "Sioux Falls Storm Officially Join the Champions Indoor Football League". ESPN 99.1 – Sioux Falls Sports Leader – Sioux Falls Sports. August 30, 2017. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  18. ↑ "Tryon addresses legal aspect of switching leagues". KWSN . October 5, 2017. Archived from the original on October 8, 2017. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
  19. ↑ "CIF Commissioner Issues State of the League Address". Salina Scoop. October 4, 2017. Archived from the original on October 5, 2017. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
  20. ↑ "LETTER FROM TODD TRYON". Sioux Falls Storm. October 4, 2017. Archived from the original on October 5, 2017. Retrieved October 4, 2017.
  21. ↑ "Nighthawks suspend operations for 2018". KAUZ-TV . October 16, 2017.
  22. ↑ "TEMPORARY INJUNCTION BARS RENEGADE TEAMS FROM LEAVING C.P.I.F.L." KSCJ . January 31, 2018.
  23. ↑ "CIF Publishes 2019 Schedule Featuring 2 Conferences". GoCIF.net. October 30, 2018.
  24. ↑ "May 9 Texas Revolution announcement". TexasRevs.com. May 9, 2019. Retrieved May 9, 2019.[ permanent dead link ]
  25. ↑ "NAL and CIF merge to form new indoor football league". WTVM . September 26, 2019.
  26. ↑ "National Arena League and Champions Indoor Football to Postpone 2020 partnership". GoCIF.net. October 10, 2019. Archived from the original on October 10, 2019. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
  27. ↑ "Wichita Force season canceled amid coronavirus pandemic". June 9, 2020.
  28. ↑ "CIF announces 2021 schedule". The Salina Journal . August 25, 2020.
  29. ↑ "CIF Announces 2021 Schedule, Move to YouTube". Arena Football Talk. August 25, 2020.
  30. ↑ "West Texas Warbirds to play independent football schedule". Midland Reporter-Telegram . February 10, 2021.
  31. ↑ "CIF Announces League Office Changes". CIF. April 5, 2021. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  32. ↑ "Tommy Benizio named Commissioner of the CIF". CIF. August 23, 2021.
  33. ↑ "Professional Indoor Football to Return to Billings for the 2022 season". CIF. April 30, 2021.
  34. ↑ "The Name the Fans chose for the new Billings Professional football team is..... Billings Outlaws!!". Billings Outlaws Indoor Football Team Facebook. May 27, 2021.
  35. ↑ "Professional Indoor Football to Return to Rapid City for the 2022 season". CIF. September 3, 2021.
  36. ↑ "Champions Indoor Football adds Topeka, Kansas for the upcoming 2022 season". OurSports Central. August 9, 2021.
  37. ↑ "GET READY DENVER…INDOOR FOOTBALL IS COMING!". CIF. August 12, 2021.
  38. ↑ "PRESS RELEASE: 2022 Schedule". CIF Facebook. September 30, 2021.
  39. ↑ "Southwest Storm arena football team introduced in Dodge City". Dodge City Daily Globe . October 1, 2021.
  40. ↑ "Sponsors And Investors See Ground-Floor Opportunities With The Expansion Of Arena Football Association". PR Newswire . November 4, 2021.
  41. ↑ "CIF announces its revised 16-week, 48-game regular-season schedule for 2022". CIF. January 17, 2022.
  42. 1 2 "The Wichita Force have been removed from the CIF". CIF. January 13, 2022. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022.
  43. ↑ Self, Matthew (February 22, 2024). "Topeka Tropics put out 'heartfelt call' for investors after owner backs out". KSNT via Yahoo! News . Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  44. ↑ "Sioux City Bandits leaving the Champions Indoor Football League". KTIV . July 26, 2023.
  45. ↑ "Mike McCoy Named CIF Commissioner". OurSports Central. August 3, 2023.
  46. ↑ "CIF announces addition of Park City, Kansas expansion team". Rapid City Journal. August 28, 2023.
  47. 1 2 "OUTLAWS JOIN AFL FOR 2024 SEASON". BillingsOutlaws.com. August 29, 2023.
  48. ↑ "Mustangs football will not play in Gillette in 2024". county17.com. September 25, 2023.
  49. ↑ Arena Football League Taps Mike McCoy to Serve as League's Deputy Commisioner
  50. ↑ Parsons, McKenzy (May 2, 2024). "Iowa's AFL team discontinues operations at start of their first season". KETV. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  51. ↑ Letasky, John (May 1, 2024). "Billings Outlaws' opponent and location for Week 2 game changed; owner comments on status of AFL". 406 MT SPORTS. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  52. ↑ "News: League Troubles & Stability of the Marshals - Rapid City Marshals". www.marshalsfootball.com. May 2, 2024. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  53. ↑ Organ, Mike. "Former Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher named Arena Football League interim commissioner". The Tennessean. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  54. ↑ "Wyoming Mustangs become CIF's 8th team for 2021 season". Salina Post . October 8, 2020.
  55. ↑ "Pro football inches closer in Gillette". November 24, 2020.
  56. ↑ "Rapid City Marshals - The Monument". The Monument. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  57. 1 2 "IFL Announces Addition of Bloomington & West Michigan". IFL. September 12, 2017.
  58. ↑ "Dallas Marshals Suspends 2018 season". CIF. April 27, 2018. Archived from the original on April 28, 2018. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  59. ↑ "CIF concerned fans may be owed money by Dodge City franchise". KWCH. July 8, 2017.
  60. ↑ "The Dodge City Law leave CIF League". KWCH. July 10, 2017.
  61. ↑ Norling, Ashle (July 25, 2019). "Duke City moves to the Indoor Football League". Last Word on Sports. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  62. ↑ "Mustangs football will not play in Gillette in 2024". county17.com. September 25, 2023.
  63. ↑ "CIF CHAMPION OMAHA BEEF JOINS THE NAL". National Arena League. August 9, 2023.
  64. ↑ "NAL ANNOUNCES SIOUX CITY BANDITS AS EXPANSION FRANCHISE". National Arena League. August 8, 2023.
  65. ↑ "NATIONAL ARENA LEAGUE EXPANSION CONTINUES IN KANSAS". NAL. September 14, 2023.
  66. ↑ "CIF Announced First Expansion Team for 2019". CIF. April 23, 2018. Archived from the original on April 25, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  67. ↑ "Professional Indoor Football Coming to West Texas in 2020". OurSports Central. October 2, 2019.
  68. ↑ "Champions Bowl IV - Sioux City Bandits @ Duke City - June 30, 2018". YouTube .
  69. ↑ "Champions Bowl VI - Omaha Beef @ Salina Liberty - July 17, 2021". YouTube . July 17, 2021.
  70. ↑ "CIF Champions Bowl VII-Salina Liberty vs Omaha Beef 06/25/22". YouTube . June 26, 2022.
  71. ↑ "CIF Championship 2023 - Salina Liberty @ Omaha Beef". YouTube .
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.