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.
The Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) was the second league to successfully play indoor football as a paid pro-league sport, after the Arena Football League (AFL). Since the AFL had a patent given in 1990 on the gameplay of "Arena Football", the PIFL played with mostly the same rules, but without the endzone nets. The PIFL only lasted one season (1998) under that name.
The Indoor Football League (IFL) began in 1999 as an offshoot of the troubled Professional Indoor Football League. Keary Ecklund, the owner of the Green Bay Bombers and Madison Mad Dogs, left the PIFL after its first, financially troubled, season to start his own league. Unlike the PIFL, the IFL was an "entity league"; teams were owned by the league and franchised out to management groups. NFL Hall-of-Famer Kellen Winslow was brought in as commissioner. The league was successful enough for a major expansion in 2000. Expansion was done regionally to cut down on travel expenses. Hence, the majority of the teams were in the Midwest. Their championship game was known as the Gold Cup.
The Indoor Professional Football League (IPFL) was the new incarnation of the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL), which started in 1998. Two of its teams left the league and their owner, Kerry Ecklund, founded the Indoor Football League in 1999. The IPFL led a troubled three-year existence, and died after its 2001 season, with its most successful teams joining up with the National Indoor Football League.
The Beaumont Drillers were a professional indoor football team. They played their home games at Ford Arena in Beaumont, Texas. They originally began playing as the Louisiana Rangers in the Indoor Professional Football League (IPFL) in 2000 when they replaced the Louisiana Bayou Beast. As the Rangers, they played their home games at the Rapides Parish Coliseum in Alexandria, Louisiana. After the league collapsed, the Rangers moved into the National Indoor Football League (NIFL). After two seasons, the franchise moved to Beaumont, Texas, and became the Drillers. The team left the NIFL in 2008 and played in the American Professional Football League in 2008 with new ownership. The team played most of their schedule, cancelling two home games. The team played in APFL Bowl VI, because of the Conroe Storm withdrawing, but lost.
The West Texas Roughnecks were a professional indoor football team based in Odessa, Texas that plays in the Lone Star Football League. The team's nickname was a tribute to the oil industry, which has been the source of Odessa's wealth over the past century.
This team is not to be confused with the softball team in Texas.
The Louisiana Bayou Beast were a team in the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) in 1998, in the Indoor Professional Football League (IPFL) in 1999, and reincarnated in 2001 in the National Indoor Football League (NIFL). The Bayou Beast franchise was owned by James (Sr.) and Carolyn Shiver, who currently own and operate the NIFL which is based in Lafayette, Louisiana. The Bayou Beast competed in the PIFL in 1998, playing their home games at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge. The team colors were red, black, and white. In 1999, the PIFL changed its name to the IPFL, and the Beast changed arenas, moving to the Riverside Centroplex in downtown Baton Rouge for that season.
The Minnesota Monsters were an indoor football team based in Falcon Heights, Minnesota. The Monsters were charter members of the original Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) in 1998. The Monsters franchise was owned by Robert and Joann Edwards. The team office was based in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, and played their games at the Coliseum on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. The team colors were: Blue, Black, and White/Gold. The Monsters were coached by Ron Simmons for the few PIFL games they did participate in.
The Honolulu Hurricanes was a Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) team based in Honolulu, Hawaii, that competed in the 1998 season. According to the team's media guide, the ownership partners – registered as Pro Sports Limited Liability Company – were Rev. John Frederick, the team's founder and co head coach ; Sig Schuster, the CEO; Dennis Enomoto; Neil Wiedemann; Louis "Sonny" Souza, the team's on-field coach; and James K. Wong. The team office was based in Honolulu, and played their home games at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center, also in Honolulu. The team colors were red and gold. The Hurricanes were coached by the Hawaii Police Department's Louis "Sonny" Souza.
The Texas Bullets were a team in the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) in 1998. The Bullets franchise was owned by Wayne Stigler, who also was the team's head coach. The Bullets played their home games at the Bell County Expo Center in Belton, TX., with the team offices located in Temple, TX. The team's color's were: Black, Turquoise, & Silver. The Bullets suffered disappointing attendance and the costs of taking the team on a road trip to Hawaii to take on the Honolulu Hurricanes, proved too much. The team folded after ten regular season games. Of the eight clubs that were in the first batch of PIFL franchises in '98, six still existed. The Bullets franchise was moved to Austin, TX. in 1999 and renamed the Texas Terminators in the renamed Indoor Professional Football League.
The Utah Catzz was a team in the United States Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) in 1998. The Catzz franchise was owned by Michael & Carla Curran, who also started a farm club for the Catzz, the Salt Lake Lions. The Catzz played their home games at the David O. McKay Events Center in Orem, UT., with the team office located in Salt Lake City, UT. The team's color's were: Blue, Red, and Purple. Utah's head coach for the 1998 season was Gordon Hudson.
The Green Bay Bombers was an indoor football team that played in the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) in 1998, and in the Indoor Football League (IFL) in 1999 and 2000. The Bombers franchise was owned by Keary Ecklund. The team office was based in Neenah, Wisconsin, and played their games at the Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena. The Bombers were coached by Mario Russo for the 1998 PIFL season and part of the 1999 IFL season and by Bud Keyes for the remainder of the 1999 and 2000 IFL seasons.
The Madison Mad Dogs were an indoor football team that played in the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) in 1998, and in the Indoor Football League (IFL) in 1999 & 2000. The Mad Dogs franchise was owned by Keary Ecklund. The team office was based in Madison, Wisconsin, and played their games at the Dane County Coliseum, now Veterans Memorial Coliseum, at the Alliant Energy Center. The team colors were: Red, Silver, and Black. The Mad Dogs were coached by Richard "Dick" Adams for the '98 PIFL season.
John Charles Fourcade, Jr. is a former professional American football quarterback in the National Football League for the New Orleans Saints and recent head coach of the New Mexico Stars of American Indoor Football. Fourcade was the most valuable player of the 1982 Senior Bowl after passing for 115 yards and running for 33 yards and two touchdowns. He had gained 6,713 yards at Ole Miss from 1978 to 1981, breaking the career record of Archie Manning.
The Hawaii Hammerheads was an indoor American football team in the Indoor Professional Football League (IPFL) during the 1999 season. The team was owned by George Hetherington and played home games at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. The team's official colors were aqua, silver and black. The head coach for the Hammerheads was Guy Benjamin.
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.
The Lehigh Valley Steelhawks were a professional indoor football team based in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The Steelhawks began play as an expansion team in the Indoor Football League (IFL) in 2011.
The 2013 Green Bay Blizzard season was the team's eleventh season as a football franchise and fourth in the Indoor Football League (IFL). One of just nine teams competing in the IFL for the 2013 season, the Green Bay Blizzard were members of the United Conference. The team played their home games at the Resch Center in the Green Bay suburb of Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin.