Indoor Football League (1999–2000)

Last updated
Indoor Football League
Sport indoor football
Founded1999
Founder Keary Ecklund
Inaugural season1999
Ceased2000
CEO Kellen Winslow
MottoWall to Wall War
No. of teams13
CountryUnited States
Last
champion(s)
Green Bay Bombers (1999)
Peoria Pirates (2000) [1]

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.

Contents

Midway through the 2000 season, the Topeka Knights changed management and nicknames and became the Kings. After the season, the entire league was purchased by the Arena Football League's Orlando Predators. Two teams, the Lincoln Lightning and Peoria Pirates, as well as many players, became a part of their developmental ("farm") league, the AF2. [2] The Wichita Warlords were rebranded the Wichita Stealth. Other teams resurfaced with new names in the Indoor Professional Football League (which consisted of the remnants of the PIFL that Ecklund left in 1999) and the National Indoor Football League.

Teams

1999 teams

North Division

1. y-Peoria Pirates, 11-1

2. x-Green Bay Bombers, 9-3

3. Madison Mad Dogs, 6-6

4. Duluth-Superior Lumberjacks, 1-11

South Division

1. y-Lincoln Lightning, 7-5

2. x-Dayton Skyhawks, 6-6

3. Topeka Knights, 6-6

4. Steel Valley Smash, 2-10

2000 teams

Eastern Conference

Northern Division

1. z-Peoria Pirates (14-0)

2. x-Green Bay Bombers (10-4)

3. x-Madison Mad Dogs (8-6)

4. Minnesota Purple Rage (5-9)

5. Duluth-Superior Lumberjacks (2-12)

6. La Crosse River Rats (2-12)

Southern Division

1. y-Steel Valley Smash (9-5)

2. x-Erie Invaders (6-8)

3. x-Dayton Skyhawks (6-8)

4. Johnstown Jackals (3-11)

5. Flint Flames (2-12)

Western Conference

Northern Division

1. z-Bismarck Blaze (11-3)

2. x-Black Hills Machine (10-4)

3. x-Casper Cavalry (9-5)

4. Billings Thunderbolts (8-6)

5. Fargo Freeze (1-13)

Southern Division

1. y-Topeka Knights/Kings (10-4)

2. x-Lincoln Lightning (10-4)

3. x-Sioux City Attack (9-5)

4. Sioux Falls Cobras (8-6)

5. Wichita Warlords (4-10)

  • z – clinched conference
  • y – clinched division
  • x – clinched wild card

Failed Franchises/Expansion

Playoffs

1999 Playoffs

Semifinals 1999 Gold Cup
      
3 Lincoln 34
2Green Bay44
2Green Bay63
1 Peoria Pirates 60
4 Dayton 40
1Peoria41

2000 Playoffs

Rapid City, South Dakota Topeka, Kansas
6Casper32
3Black Hills21
3Black Hills75 Bismarck, North Dakota
2Topeka26
Western Conference
Lincoln, Nebraska 2Topeka29
Bismarck, North Dakota
1Bismarck38
5Sioux City52Western Conference Championship
5Sioux City14
4Lincoln38 Peoria, Illinois
1Bismarck30
Wild Card playoffs
Divisional playoffs
Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin W1Bismarck42
Wheeling, West Virginia
E1Peoria69
6Dayton232000 Gold Cup
3Green Bay10
3Green Bay64 Peoria, Illinois
2Steel Valley21
Eastern Conference
Madison, Wisconsin 2Steel Valley55
Peoria, Illinois
1Peoria75
5Erie22Eastern Conference Championship
4Madison13
4Madison34
1Peoria25

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Professional Indoor Football League (1998)</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indoor Professional Football League</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peoria Pirates</span> Arena football team

The Peoria Pirates were a professional arena football team that last played in AF2, the minor league to the Arena Football League (AFL). They played their home games at Carver Arena, part of the Peoria Civic Center in Illinois, and were coached by Mike Hohensee and Bruce Cowdrey. The Pirates originally began play as a charter member of the original Indoor Football League in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louisiana Bayou Beast</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnesota Monsters</span> Defunct indoor American football team

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 Warner 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honolulu Hurricanes</span>

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 Colorado Wildcats was a team in the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) in 1998. The Wildcats franchise was owned by Gary Kozacek, who also was head coach/owner of the same Wildcats team for the previous 9 years, as they competed in semi-pro football in and around Colorado. The Wildcats played their home games at the Denver Coliseum, with the team office also located in Denver, CO. The team's colors were: Old Gold, Purple, and White. Colorado's head coach listed in the 1998 PIFL league media guide was Larry Jobe, but the actual head coach was Collins Sanders.

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

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madison Mad Dogs</span>

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.

The Bismarck Blaze were a professional indoor American football team based in Bismarck, North Dakota. They were members of the original Indoor Football League founded in 1999 and began play in 2000. They competed in the Northern Division of the Western Conference.

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

The American Professional Football League (APFL) was an indoor football league that was founded in 2003. After the 2012 season, most of the teams left to start the Champions Professional Indoor Football League. The league consisted of professional and semi-professional teams, with a few core teams that played a full 10 game schedule and other teams that played partial schedules. At the end of each season, the playoffs were contested between the league's core teams. The first few years of league play were dominated by the Kansas Koyotes, but in later years the league had more parity and more stable members, resulting in the first championship won by another team, the Iowa Blackhawks, and the first championship game not involving the Koyotes, when the Iowa Blackhawks defended their championship against the Mid-Missouri Outlaws in the 2010 APFL season. Former Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl champion Clayton Holmes played for the Kansas Koyotes and former Kansas State star QB Jonathan Beasley played for the Wichita Aviators.

<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 2023 season, the league consists of 14 teams in two conferences with each team playing 16 games over 19 weeks.

The Louisville Xtreme are an indoor football team based in Louisville, Kentucky, with home games at the KFC Yum! Center. They began play as the Kentucky Xtreme in the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) in 2013 and 2014. Midway through the 2014 CIFL season, the league removed the team's membership and the Xtreme temporarily suspended operations. After playing the 2015 season in the semi-professional Minor League Football Alliance (MLFA), the team rebranded as the Louisville Xtreme in 2017. In 2020, the Xtreme were added to the American Arena League (AAL) but cancelled its season citing the COVID-19 pandemic. For the 2021 season, the Xtreme were announced to be joining the National Arena League, but instead joined the Indoor Football League three months later.

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

Champions Indoor Football (CIF) is 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">Ernesto Lacayo</span> American football player (born 1989)

Ernesto Lacayo is an American football placekicker for the Duke City Gladiators of the Indoor Football League (IFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2000 Sioux City Attack season</span>

The 2000 Sioux City Attack season was the team's first overall and first as a member of the original Indoor Football League (IFL). One of twenty-one teams in the IFL for the league's second season, the Attack finished the regular season with a 9–5 record to earn the number five seed in the ten-team Western Conference, in which they traveled to Lincoln, Nebraska for the wild card round to play the Lincoln Lightning and defeated them, 52–38. They then moved on to Bismarck, North Dakota, to face the Western's Conference's top-seeded team, the Bismarck Blaze. The Attack had already beaten the Blaze once in the regular season, but fell, 30-14 in the conference semifinals.

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.

The 2022 Indoor Football League season was the fourteenth season of the Indoor Football League (IFL). The league played the season with 14 teams, up from 11 teams the previous season. The Bay Area Panthers, Quad City Steamwheelers, and San Diego Strike Force, returned from dormancy after electing not to play during the 2021 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Vegas Knight Hawks joined the league as an expansion team. The Cedar Rapids River Kings did not return and the announced 2022 expansion Columbus Wild Dogs pushed back their start date to 2023. The Spokane Shock were removed from the league in February 2022 after the team lost its lease for their home arena.

References

  1. "Various Football League Champions". World of Football. Retrieved 2008-09-22.
  2. Paul Reeths (October 20, 2000). "arenafootball2 acquires IFL". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  3. Iowa Voltage logo, LogoShak.com
  4. Iowa Voltage Minor League Football, Our Sports Central