The Continental Football League (COFL) is an upcoming professional gridiron football minor league set to launch in the summer of 2026. It is a revival of the original Continental Football League that operated from 1965 to 1969, with no direct organizational lineage from that league.
The new COFL is positioned as a third tier[nb 1] minor professional league (similar to MiLB class AA or USL League One), aimed at smaller markets and providing opportunities for overlooked talent, playing under a hybrid of American football and Canadian football rules.[1]
Premise
The COFL sees itself as complementary to leagues like the UFL, rather than a direct competitor, and intends to work within the broader alt-football ecosystem rather than challenge it.[2] The league aims to fill a strategic summer football gap, offering competitive professional football outside of the NFL and UFL calendar. Its mission includes:[1][2]
Developing players, coaches, and staff for higher levels of professional football
Reviving community-based pro sports through local ownership and civic pride
Avoiding financial pitfalls by prioritizing sustainable spending and long-term viability
The league plan to be a launch pad to younger players, and it does not plan on providing experienced talent a place to continue their pro career, with Kelly describing such players as "mercenaries."[3]
The original Continental Football League operated as a minor professional league during the late 1960s, with teams across the United States, Canada and Mexico. It disbanded after the 1969 season, with its eastern teams merging into the Atlantic Coast Football League and select constituent teams and conferences such as the Trans-American Football League continuing into the early 1970s.
Revival (2025–present)
During summer 2025, Manny Matsakis, a fan of the original Ohio Valley Ironmen of the original Continental Football League, launched a revival of the team.[4] It initially played in the International Football Alliance before multiple issues with that league led to a collapse early in its inaugural season.[5] The revived Ironmen dominated its competition in its abbreviated 2025 season, which eventually led to the team's schedule being cut short after three games.[6] Compared to many of its erstwhile IFA rivals,[7][8][9][10] the Ironmen were relatively well-operated, with no known financial issues and its own television contract with local broadcast station WTRF.[11]
On September 9, 2025, the Ironmen announced the relaunch of the Continental Football League, with former Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Mike Kelly named as commissioner. Kelly, like Matsakis, had been a fan of the original league, in Kelly's case the Waterbury Orbits.[3] The new league is headquartered in Wheeling, West Virginia, and plans to emphasize community ownership, grassroots operations, and summer scheduling to avoid competition with the NFL and other fall football leagues.[1][2]
Teams
The league is planning to launch with eight franchises divided into two divisions (North and South). As of November 2025, four franchises have been officially announced:
North Division
Cincinnati Dukes (Cincinnati, Ohio)—head coach: Daryl "Slash" Moore
The Ironmen name is a nod to the former Wheeling Ironmen, who competed in the original COFL from 1965 to 1969.[13] The Toros are named in homage to the Texas Football League (and briefly COFL) team of the same name that operated from 1968 to 1975, and were established as a replacement for the San Antonio Brahmas, a United Football League team that had suddenly been relocated by its new owner Mike Repole in 2025.[12] The Dukes were an established semi-pro team moving up to the professional ranks after previously facing the Ironmen in 2025.[14]
Players
The CoFL will implement a structured and sustainable approach to roster management, aiming to ensure competitive balance and long-term player development across all franchises.[15]
Each team is allowed to invite up to 50 players to training camp. Of these, at least 25 players must be between the ages of 18 and 25.[16] This policy is designed to encourage youth participation and the development of emerging talent rather than overreliance on veteran players.[15] The league plan to attract student-athletes who entered the NCAA transfer portal but couldn't find new opportunities and allow them to be seen by pro scouts or return to the NCAA.[3]
Following training camp, team rosters are trimmed to a 36-player active roster and 4 additional practice squad members. The system mirrors professional roster structures while allowing smaller-market teams to manage player expenses responsibly.[15]
Local player rule
Every CoFL franchise must include at least five local athletes on its final roster. Eligible players are defined as those who either played high school or small-college football within the team’s home region. The rule aims to strengthen community ties and foster fan loyalty through local representation, as each franchise will be granted exclusive regional rights to players from nearby FBS, FCS, and small college programs.[15]
Schedule
The plan for the 2026 season is for 6-week regular season beginning mid-May (around Memorial Day), ending early July, with a championship game tentatively scheduled around July 4. The league will feature North and South divisions, and teams will play only against their divisions rivals (home and away):[2]
Week 0
Preseason versus non-league opponents
Weeks 1-6
Regular season
Week 7
Divisional Playoff games (#1 seed versus #2 seed)
Week 8
Championship Game (North Champion vs South Champion)
Rules
The CoFL plan is to play under a hybrid of American football and Canadian football rules:
First three quarters: Based on NFL rules, using standard 11-on-11 outdoor football[1]
Fourth quarter: in what the league describes as "The Continental Shift," the game will shift to Canadian football rules, except with 11 men continuing to play on each side and field dimensions remaining the same: three downs, unlimited forward motion, the single, a one-yard neutral zone, play clock shifting to 20 seconds from the spotting of the ball, and no fair catch.[17]
The reason behind the adoption of Canadian rules is to give Canadian Football League scouts an opportunity to "evaluate the skill sets that suit their style of play",[3] and comes after CFL commissioner Stewart Johnston announced the elimination or reduction of many of the rules unique to that code beginning with its own 2026 CFL season.[18]
Ownership and model and league finances
On September 11, 2025 commissioner Mike Kelly revealed that the COFL blueprint for its 2026 season:[1][2]
The COFL plans to offer fan ownership via equity crowdfunding, registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), similar to the way the Green Bay Packers or Canadian Football League teams operates.
The league will target smaller cities (approximately 100,000 or less in population).
Venues will target 5,000–10,000 seat stadiums, in underserved, small-to-mid-size markets.
Diverse revenue streams: the league target attendance for profitability is an average of 3,000 fans, which will account for only part of the revenue, while the rest will come from concessions (including alcohol sales), merchandise and local sponsorships and TV deals.[19]
The business model is built around cost control, regional engagement, and player development, similar to minor league baseball or hockey systems.
Headquarters
The league’s national headquarters is based in Wheeling, West Virginia, where it also has its first franchise (Ohio Valley Ironmen). City officials and league leaders have described the headquarters decision as a strategic move to reinvest in a region with a rich football legacy.[13][20]
Media and future plans
As of late 2025, the league is in discussions with broadcast and streaming partners for its 2026 debut season.[1] It also plans to announce the remaining five franchises in phases throughout late 2025 and early 2026. Tryouts, mini-camps, and fan-ownership investment rounds are expected to begin in early 2026.[2]
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