Continental Football League (2026)

Continental Football League

Sport	Hybrid gridiron football
Founded	2025
First season	2026 (planned)
Commissioner	Mike Kelly
No. of teams	8 (planned)
Country	United States
Headquarters	Wheeling, West Virginia
Official website	www.coflfootball.com

The Continental Football League (COFL) is an upcoming professional gridiron football 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 aimed at smaller markets and providing opportunities for overlooked talent, playing under a hybrid of American football and Canadian football rules. ^[1]

History

Original COFL (1965–1969)

Main article: Continental Football League

The original Continental Football League operated as a minor professional league during the late 1960s, with teams across the United States and Canada. 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. ^[2] It initially played in the International Football Alliance before multiple issues with that league led to a collapse early in its inaugural season. ^[3] 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. ^[4] Compared to many of its erstwhile IFA rivals, ^{[5] [6] [7] [8]} the Ironmen were relatively well-operated, with no known financial issues and its own television contract with local broadcast station WTRF. ^[9]

On September 9, 2025, the Ironmen announced the relaunch of the Continental Football League, with Mike Kelly named as commissioner. 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] [10]}

League structure

Teams

The league is planning to launch with eight franchises divided into two divisions (North and South). As of October 2025, three franchises have been officially announced:

• Ohio Valley Ironmen (Wheeling/Moundsville, West Virginia)
• Texas Syndicate (Austin, Texas) ^{[1] [11]}
• San Antonio Toros (San Antonio, Texas) ^[12]

The Ironmen name is a nod to the former Wheeling Ironmen, who competed in the original COFL from 1965 to 1969. ^[11] 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]

Roster and schedule

• Roster size: 36 active players + 4 practice squad players (50 players in training camp)
• Season: 6-week regular season beginning mid-May, ending early July
• Championship Game: Tentatively scheduled around July 4
• Game 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. ^[13]

The adoption of Canadian rules comes after Canadian Football League commissioner Stewart Johnston announced the elimination or reduction of many of the rules unique to that code beginning with its own 2026 CFL season. ^[14]

Ownership and model

• The COFL plans to offer fan ownership via equity crowdfunding, registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
• Venues will target 5,000–10,000 seat stadiums in underserved, small-to-mid-size markets
• The business model is built around cost control, regional engagement, and player development, similar to minor league baseball or hockey systems ^{[1] [10]}

League mission and positioning

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. ^[10] 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] [10]}

• 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

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. ^{[11] [15]}

Media and future plans

As of late 2025, the league is in discussions with broadcast and streaming partners for its 2026 debut season. It also plans to announce the remaining six franchises in phases throughout late 2025 and early 2026. Tryouts, mini-camps, and fan-ownership investment rounds are expected to begin in early 2026. ^[10]

Notes

1. Behind the first-tier National Football League and second-tier United Football League, which would place it roughly even with upper level indoor football leagues such as the Indoor Football League and Arena Football One as of 2025.

References

1. "Continental Football League's Fit In The Alt-Football Landscape". Pro Football Newsroom. September 19, 2025. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
2. Mayares, Dan (April 25, 2025). "Ohio Valley Ironmen to launch season in June at Monarch Stadium". WTRF. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
3. Novotney, Steve (2025-04-25). "Ohio Valley Ironmen - Final Regular Season Schedule". ledenews.com. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
4. "Ohio Valley Ironmen Announce Cancellation Of Remaining 2025 Schedule". theintelligencer.net. Retrieved 2025-07-16.
5. "IFA Hosts Messy Exhibition Showcase Between Dallas & Arkansas". Pro Football Newsroom. September 14, 2025. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
6. "Defraudan a deportistas norteamericanos aquí en Chihuahua". El Pueblo (in Spanish). 2025-07-14. Retrieved 2025-07-16.
7. Balenger, Nick (2025-05-10). "IFA officials want to keep Alabama Beavers in the past and look towards the future of the Huntsville Astros". WAFF. Retrieved 2025-05-10.
8. Lathrop, Michael (2025-02-21). "IFA-Lightning Divorce Headed to Court". Pro Football Newsroom. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
9. Mayares, Dan (April 25, 2025). "Ohio Valley Ironmen to launch season in June at Monarch Stadium". WTRF. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
10. "Continental Football League: The 2026 Blueprint Revealed". Pro Football Newsroom. September 12, 2025. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
11. "Ohio Valley Ironmen Officially Join Continental Football League". WTOV 9 News. September 11, 2025. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
12. Cerna, Ryan (2025-10-23). "The Toros return to San Antonio after nearly 50 years for the Continental Football League's 2026 season". KSAT. Retrieved 2025-10-29.
13. "The Continental Shift: When the Fourth Quarter Goes North". Continental Football League. October 14, 2025. Retrieved October 23, 2025.
14. Naylor, Dave (September 22, 2025). "CFL announces changes to playing surface, modified rouge". TSN. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
15. "Former Football League Re-established, Will Have Headquarters in West Virginia". WTRF. September 2025. Retrieved October 21, 2025.