Dakota Bucks

Last updated

Dakota Bucks
Established 2016
Play in Bismarck Event Center
in Bismarck, North Dakota
DakotaBucks.com
Dakota Bucks Logo.svg
League/conference affiliations
Current uniform
Team colorsOrange, dark blue, black and gold
    
MascotTAG
Personnel
Owner(s)BEK Communications [1]
General managerGregory Schuh
Head coachRod Miller
Team history
  • Bismarck Bucks (2017–2022)
Championships
League championships (0)
Conference championships (0)
Division championships (0)
Playoff appearances (3)
Home arena(s)

The Bismarck Bucks were an indoor American football team based in Bismarck, North Dakota. The Bucks joined Champions Indoor Football (CIF) as an expansion team in 2016, and began play for the 2017 season. [2] The team moved to the Indoor Football League (IFL) beginning with the 2019 season. [3] The team played its home games at the Bismarck Event Center in Bismarck. The team suspended operations in 2022; the team's owners indicated it would attempt to return in 2025 under a new brand, the Dakota Bucks, once the regulatory issues that prevented the team from playing in 2023 were resolved. The issues, as of November 2024, remain unresolved, and the IFL left the team off its 2025 schedule.

Contents

The Bucks were the third indoor football team to play in Bismarck, following the Bismarck Blaze who played in the original Indoor Football League for its second and final season of 2000, as well as the Bismarck Roughriders who played in the National Indoor Football League from 2002 until 2003.

History

2017–2022

On September 28, 2016, it was announced that Bismarck had been granted a team in the CIF to begin play for the 2017 season and owned by the Sallberg family under the corporate name Dakota Pro Football LLC. [1] Richard Davis was announced as the team's first head coach and general manager, with former University of Mary wide receiver Elby Pope signed as the team's first player. [4]

Following a name-the-team contest, the Bismarck Bucks name, logo and colors were announced on the November 1 episode of KXMB-TV news/talk program Good Day Dakota. [5]

During the Bucks' second season, head coach and general manager Richard Davis was relieved of duties after several workplace grievances had been filed against him and his wife Judy Davis, another Bucks' employee. He was replaced by former Wichita Force and Bucks' offensive coordinator Paco Martinez on an interim basis. [6]

On October 5, 2018, the Bucks announced that they had joined the Indoor Football League for the 2019 season, following the Quad City Steamwheelers from the CIF. [3] At the beginning of the 2019 season, the majority ownership of Dakota Pro Football LLC was sold to BEK Communications by the Sallberg family. [1]

2023

The Bucks were inactive for the 2023 season in the IFL. The team will be collaborating with the North Dakota Workforce Safety Insurance (WSI) to determine the scope of services needed to support the franchise. [7] The team' proposed a relocation to Fargo, planning to play its games in Scheels Arena there, with one game at Rough Rider Center in Watford City; to this effect, the team hosted a "Fargo IFL Gridiron Classic" between the Sioux Falls Storm and Massachusetts Pirates on April 27. [8] To accommodate the change, the team announced a name change to the "Dakota Bucks." The Bucks looked to compete in the 2025 season; this did not come to pass, and on October 31, 2024, the IFL released its 2025 schedule, which did not include the Bucks. [9]

Season-by-season results

League championsConference championsDivision championsPlayoff berthLeague leader
Season League Conference Division Regular season Postseason results
FinishWinsLossesTies
2017 CIF North4th570Lost Conference Semifinal (Sioux City) 43–82
2018 CIF North4th570Lost Conference Semifinal (Salina) 51–81
2019 IFL 8th2120
2020 IFL —010Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021 IFL 7th780Lost First round (Massachusetts) 19–44
2022 IFL Eastern6th3130
2023 IFL Dormant year
2024 IFL Dormant year
Totals22480All-time regular season record (2017–2022)
03—All-time postseason record (2017–2022)
22510All-time regular season and postseason record (2017–2022)
Previous logo of the team when it was called Bismarck Bucks BismarckBucks.png
Previous logo of the team when it was called Bismarck Bucks

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">Amarillo Dusters</span> American indoor football team

The Amarillo Dusters are a professional indoor football team based in Amarillo, Texas, currently a member of the National Arena League. They play their home games at the Amarillo Civic Center. The Venom began play in 2004 as a charter member of the Intense Football League, a small indoor football league based in Texas. They won the championship in their first and only season with the Intense Football League.

<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 Falls Storm</span> Indoor American football team

The Sioux Falls Storm are a dormant professional indoor football team based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The Storm joined the original Indoor Football League as an expansion team in 1999 as the Sioux Falls Cobras, and first took the field for the 2000 season. They currently participate in another iteration of the Indoor Football League; prior to that, the Storm were in United Indoor Football (UIF), where they won all four of the league's championship games. In the newer IFL, the Storm have won seven of the eleven championships in the league as of 2019.

<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">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.

Mike Anthony Tatum is an American football coach who is the head coach and offensive coordinator for the Omaha Beef of the National Arena League (NAL). He is former indoor American football wide receiver for the Nebraska Danger, Bismarck Bucks, and the Sioux Falls Storm of the Indoor Football League (IFL). He played college football at Oxnard College. He signed as an undrafted free agent with the Marion Mayhem in 2009. He played with the Mayhem until their disbanding during the 2010 season. Tatum then finished the 2010 season with the Fort Wayne FireHawks. Tatum then returned to Marion in 2011, when a new franchise called the Marion Blue Racers expanded into the CIFL. Tatum has also played for the Everett Raptors of the IFL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Champions Indoor Football</span> Indoor American football league

Champions Indoor Football (CIF) was a professional indoor American football minor league 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.

<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.

Rayshaun Kizer is an American football coach who is the defensive coordinator of the Tucson Sugar Skulls of the Indoor Football League (IFL). He was the former head coach and defensive coordinator of the Massachusetts Pirates of the Indoor Football League (IFL) and of the Omaha Beef of Champions Indoor Football (CIF). He is also a former National Football League, Canadian Football League, and Arena Football League defensive back. He played his college football at Walsh University and graduated with his bachelor's degree in Computer Science. He has been a member of the New York Jets of the National Football League, Montreal Alouettes and Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League, Orlando Predators, Philadelphia Soul, Arizona Rattlers, New Orleans VooDoo, Los Angeles KISS and Cleveland Gladiators of the Arena Football League and Green Bay Blizzard of the Arena Football 2. He also served as the assistant head coach, defensive coordinator and special teams coach of the Bismarck Bucks of the IFL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duke City Gladiators</span> American indoor football team

The Duke City Gladiators were a professional indoor football team based in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, a suburb of Albuquerque, New Mexico. They began play in March 2015 as members of the Champions Indoor Football (CIF) league. The Gladiators played at Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque from 2015 to 2019, but are playing the 2021 season at Rio Rancho Events Center in nearby Rio Rancho due to availability during the COVID-19 pandemic. The team played the entire 2022 Indoor Football League season at Rio Rancho Events Center. After winning back-to-back CIF championships in 2018 and 2019, the Gladiators left the CIF for the Indoor Football League (IFL) in the 2020 season.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Bane</span> American football player (born 1991)

Jonathan Bane is an American football quarterback for the West Texas Desert Hawks of the Arena Football League (AFL). He played college football at Dakota Wesleyan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Arena League</span> American indoor football league

The National Arena League (NAL) is a professional indoor football league that began play in 2017. As of the end of the 2024 season, the league consisted of five teams.

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 2019 Indoor Football League season was the eleventh of the Indoor Football League (IFL). The league played this season with ten teams, up from six the previous season, by adding two expansion teams and two teams from Champions Indoor Football.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Diego Strike Force</span> Indoor Football League team in San Diego, California

The San Diego Strike Force are a professional indoor football team based in San Diego County, California, that competes in the Indoor Football League (IFL). The team plays its home games at Frontwave Arena. The Strike Force began play in the 2019 season.

The 2019 Champions Indoor Football season was the fifth season of the CIF. The regular season began on March 23 when the Salina Liberty traveled to the Amarillo Venom. The regular season concluded on June 22. Two teams per conference advanced to the Champions Bowl playoffs, with the top seed in each conference hosting their conference's second seed in the first round.

The 2021 Indoor Football League season was the thirteenth season of the Indoor Football League (IFL). The league played the season with twelve teams, down from thirteen the previous season, by adding one expansion team, one team from the National Arena League, one team from the American Arena League, and four teams going on hiatus. In addition, three existing teams made their IFL on-field debut after the 2020 season was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2024 Indoor Football League season was the sixteenth season of the Indoor Football League (IFL). It is also the second year it functions as a de facto minor league of the UFL, having originally started as a partnership with the XFL.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "BEK Communications takes over as majority owner of the Bismarck Bucks". KXMB-TV . March 20, 2019.
  2. ↑ Mark Wishnia (September 26, 2016). "Bismarck is Getting an Indoor Football Team". www.cool987fm.com. Loudwire Network.
  3. 1 2 Kosirowski, Ken (October 5, 2018). "Bismarck Bucks moving to IFL, hire new general manager, head coach". MyNDNow.com. Archived from the original on October 6, 2018. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  4. ↑ Thomas, Steve (September 28, 2016). "Football returns to Event Center". BismarckTribune.com. The Bismarck Tribune . Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Bismarck Bucks, the indoor pro football team gets set for winter". MyMDNow.com. KXMB-TV. November 1, 2016. Archived from the original on November 3, 2016. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Bismarck Bucks fire head coach after workplace grievance filed". KXMD-TV . April 19, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Bismark Bucks Press Pause for 2023". Bismark Bucks. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  8. ↑ Jachim, Nick (November 7, 2023). "Bismarck Bucks to return in 2025; may move team to Fargo". KX Television . Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  9. ↑ Carter, Anthony (October 31, 2024). "Indoor Football League announces 14-team league in 2025 schedule release". Arena Insider. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
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.