 | |
| Sport | American Football |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1974 |
| No. of teams | 21 total |
| Country | United States |
| Most titles | Toledo Troopers (4) |
The National Women's Football League (NWFL) was a women's American football league that operated from 1974 to 1988.
| | |
| Sport | American Football |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1974 |
| No. of teams | 21 total |
| Country | United States |
| Most titles | Toledo Troopers (4) |
The National Women's Football League (NWFL) was a women's American football league that operated from 1974 to 1988.
The first attempts to formalize women's gridiron football came about during the 1960s when Sid Friedman, an entrepreneur, created the Women's Professional Football League (WPFL). The league's approach was considered exploitative but the league resulted in the creation of a number of teams that later formed the NWFL. [1] [2]
The NWFL was formed in 1974, originally consisting of seven teams. [3] Its creation came about due to a belief that women's football was an unserved market. [4] Players were paid around $25 a game. [3] Teams were typically located in less populous towns and more rural settings. [3]
A NWFL game was televised for the time in August 1975 but coverage of the league remained limited. [2] [3] What coverage the league achieved was often dismissive and played on various gender stereotypes. [2] [5] [6]
Linda Jefferson, a running back with Toledo Troopers, was inducted into the American Football Association Hall of Fame. [7] and was named the 1975 Athlete of the Year by womenSports. [8]
The NFWL began to fragment towards the end of the 1970s when ten teams broke off to form the Western States Women's Professional Football League. [9] The league ceased in 1988 and its failure was attributed to limited funding, a lack of media coverage and support, and poor organization. [4]
The NWFL followed customary rules of 11-on-11 gridiron football with the exception of extra point attempts. In the NWFL, a successful kick attempt was awarded two points and a successful rush or pass attempt was awarded one point.
A few NWFL teams existed before the formation of the league in 1974, namely the Toledo Troopers (est. 1971), Dallas Bluebonnets (est. 1972), Detroit Demons (est. 1972), and Los Angeles Dandelions (est. 1973).
| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Toledo Troopers | – | no game † |
| 1975 | Toledo Troopers | – | no game † |
| 1976 | Toledo Troopers, Oklahoma City Dolls | – | 13-12 †† |
| 1977 | Toledo Troopers | Oklahoma City Dolls | 25-14 |
| 1978 | Oklahoma City Dolls | Toledo Troopers | 8-0 |
| 1979 | Oklahoma City Dolls | Columbus Pacesetters | no game ††† |
| 1980 | Columbus Pacesetters | ||
| 1981 | Columbus Pacesetters | ||
| 1982 | Cleveland Brewers | Columbus Pacesetters | 12-18 †††† |
| 1983 | Cleveland Brewers | Columbus Pacesetters | 43-6 |
| 1984 | Toledo Furies | Cleveland Brewers | 34-6 |
| 1985 | Grand Rapids Carpenters | Toledo Furies | |
| 1986 | Grand Rapids Carpenters | Toledo Furies | |
| 1987 | Grand Rapids Carpenters | Toledo Furies | |
| 1988 |
† In 1974 and 1975, the NWFL Champion was determined on basis of win-loss record. No playoffs or championship games were held.
†† Toledo initially claimed a 13–12 victory over Oklahoma City after a 2-point kick attempt by the Dolls was ruled no good. However, after further review of game film by league officials, the game was declared a 13–13 tie, and the two teams had to share the league title. [11] [12] [13]
††† The championship game was not played, and Oklahoma City was awarded the league title administratively. [14] [15] [16]
†††† While Columbus initially claimed a 18–12 victory in double overtime, Cleveland later successfully protested the officiating of the game. A league oversight committee found that three of the four officials hired by the Pacesetters were not sanctioned according to NWFL bylaws. The committee awarded the Brewers a 20-0 forfeit victory and the league title. [17]
Women's gridiron football, more commonly known as women's tackle football, women's American football, women's Canadian football, or simply women's football, is a form of gridiron football played by women. Most leagues play by similar rules to the men's game. Women primarily play on a semi-professional or amateur level in the United States. Very few high schools or colleges offer the sport solely for women and girls. However, on occasion, it is permissible for a female player to join the otherwise male team.
Keith Max Jackson was an American sports commentator, journalist, author, and radio personality, known for his career with ABC Sports (1966–2006). While he covered a variety of sports over his career, he is best known for his coverage of college football from 1952 until 2006, and his distinctive voice, "a throwback voice, deep and operatic. A voice that was to college football what Edward R. Murrow's was to war. It was the voice of ultimate authority in his profession."
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College Basketball on NBC Sports is the de facto branding used for broadcasts of NCAA Division I men's college basketball games produced by NBC Sports, the sports division of the NBC television network in the United States. The NBC network broadcast college basketball games in some shape or form between 1969 and 1998. From 1969 to 1981, NBC covered the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. It became the first major network to broadcast the championship game, at a cost of more than US$500,000 in 1969.
The Oklahoma Thunder are a professional American football team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Starting with the 2011 season, the team competes in the Gridiron Developmental Football League, playing in the Midwest-North Division in the GDFL's Impact Conference. Players have included University of Oklahoma alumni, former major college standouts, and former NFL players, including Willie Ponder and Calvin Barnett. The team was founded by Bruce Madden, Daniel Cornelison, and Gary Joice in 2007; James Ashford later bought a piece of the team. Now, the Thunder are owned by Venkatesh Mowa. The team originally competed in the World Football League. The league was formed as a minor league for players to work on their skills in hopes of making an NFL team. During the team's time in the WFL the Thunder had players signed by several teams including the New Orleans VooDoo and the Colorado Crush of the Arena Football League (AFL). The team's name pre-dates the relocation of the National Basketball Association (NBA) team the Seattle SuperSonics to Oklahoma City to become the Oklahoma City Thunder. The team's official colors are silver and blue. The team's cheerleaders are known as the Thunder Girls.
The 1977 Orange Bowl was the 43rd edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, on Saturday, January 1. Part of the 1976–77 bowl game season, it matched the eleventh-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes of the Big Ten Conference and the #12 Colorado Buffaloes of the Big Eight Conference. Behind early, favored Ohio State won 27–10.
The 1976 Orange Bowl was the 42nd edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, on Thursday, January 1. Part of the 1975–76 bowl game season, it matched the fifth-ranked Michigan Wolverines of the Big Ten Conference and the #3 Oklahoma Sooners of the Big Eight Conference. In the first meeting between these two teams, favored Oklahoma won 14–6.
Chuck Heater is an American football coach and former player. He was a running back for the University of Michigan from 1972 to 1974 and finished his playing career as the fifth all-time leading rusher in Michigan Wolverines football history. Heater has been an assistant football coach at ten universities since 1976. He has been affiliated with College Football Hall of Fame coaches Bo Schembechler, Earle Bruce, and Lou Holtz. He has been on coaching staffs of national championship teams at Notre Dame (1988) and Florida.
Linda Jefferson was an American female professional football player in the 1970s.
The Women's Professional Football League (WPFL) was the first American football league for women. It was founded in 1965 by talent agent Sid Friedman, for exhibition games. The WPFL ceased operations in 1973.
By 1969, Major League Baseball had grown to 24 teams and the net local TV revenues had leaped to $20.7 million. This is in sharp contrast to 1950 when local television brought the then 16 Major League clubs a total net income of $2.3 million. Changes baseball underwent during this time, such as expansion franchises and increasing the schedule from 154 games to 162, led to a wider audience for network and local television.
Jane Rubel is an athlete and postal worker noted for her lawsuit against the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU) when she was denied eligibility to play after marrying and having a child.
The Toledo Troopers were a professional women's American football team based in Toledo, Ohio.
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