The Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) was an indoor football league based along the Midwestern United States region that played nine seasons from 2006 to 2014. It began play in April 2006 as the Great Lakes Indoor Football League (GLIFL). It was formed by Jeff Spitaleri, his brother Eric, and a third member, Cory Trapp, all from the Canton, Ohio, area.
The Port Huron Pirates were a professional indoor football team based in Port Huron, Michigan. The team was a charter member of the Great Lakes Indoor Football League (GLIFL) joining the league in 2006 as an expansion team. The Pirates were the first professional indoor football team to be based in Port Huron. They played their home games at McMorran Arena in Port Huron, Michigan.
The Chicago Knights were a professional indoor football team based in Loves Park, Illinois. The Knights were founded in 2010 as a member of the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL), playing their home games at the Victory Sports Complex.
The Marion Blue Racers were a professional indoor football team based in Marion, Ohio. The Blue Racers began play as an expansion team in the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) in 2011, before moving to the United Indoor Football League (UIFL) for the 2012 season. The Blue Racers returned to the CIFL in 2013. The team had announced that it would be joining the Xtreme Indoor Football League (XIFL) for the 2014, but later re-signed with the CIFL. During the 2015 season, the Blue Racers played as members of X-League Indoor Football.
The Indianapolis Enforcers were a professional indoor football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team was a member of the Continental Indoor Football League. The Enforcers joined the CIFL in 2011 as an expansion team. The Enforcers were the second indoor football team to be based in Indianapolis, the first being the Indiana Firebirds of the Arena Football League from 2001 to 2004. The founder and owner of the Enforcers was K.C. Carter. The Enforcers played their home games at The SportZone in Indianapolis after playing the 2011 season as a travel team.
The 2011 Continental Indoor Football League season was the league's sixth overall season. The regular season started on Saturday, February 26, with the expansion Port Huron Predators defeating the expansion Indianapolis Enforcers 69-12, and ended with the 2011 CIFL Championship Game on June 11, 2011, at the Cincinnati Gardens in Cincinnati, Ohio, where the Cincinnati Commandos defeated the Marion Blue Racers 44-29 to clinch their second consecutive CIFL Championship.
The 2011 Cincinnati Commandos season was the 2nd season for the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) franchise.
The 2011 Dayton Silverbacks season was the sixth season for the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) franchise. In 2011, the Silverbacks saw several changes. They changed the franchise name from the "Miami Valley Silverbacks" to the "Dayton Silverbacks" and found a home arena in Hara Arena in Trotwood, Ohio. The Silverbacks brought back Derrick Shepard to coach the team after Brian Wells took a job with the Commandos. The Silverbacks continued their success from the following season, finished with a franchise best .500 winning percentage, and a second consecutive playoff appearance. They would go on to lose in the Semi-finals to the Marion Blue Racers.
The 2011 Indianapolis Enforcers season was the first season for the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) franchise.
The 2011 Marion Blue Racers season was the first season for the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) franchise. They took over to fill the void in Marion, Ohio, after the Marion Mayhem folded the year before. The franchise couldn't have asked for a more exciting start than their first game on March 5, 2011. Marion entered the 4th quarter trailing 37–23 to the Port Huron Predators. They started their comeback by scoring a touchdown with 10:31 left in the game. Mike Tatum caught a nine-yard touchdown pass from Josh Harris and Tyler Lorenz added the extra point, cutting Port Huron's lead was cut to 37–30. With 3:27 left in the game, Harris ran in from three yards out to tie the game. The game-winning score came on an eight-yard run by Harris with 27 seconds to play. Port Huron quarterback Jim Roth was intercepted by Bryan Williams as time expired to secure the victory. On April 2, 2011, the Blue Racers set a CIFL record with 8 rushing touchdowns in a single game, against the Indianapolis Enforcers. After the Blue Racers got off to a 3–1 start, Demetrius Ross stepped down from his head coaching position, citing personal reasons. His defensive coordinator, Ryan Terry, took over as head coach, just 2 days before the Blue Racers played their first road game at the Dayton Silverbacks. The Blue Racers went on to an 8–2 regular season record, losing twice to the Cincinnati Commandos. The team defeated the Dayton Silverbacks 53–18 in the league semi-finals, before being defeated by the Commandos again in the 2011 CIFL Championship Game 44–29.
The 2011 Port Huron Predators season was the first season for the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) franchise. They were the first team in Port Huron since the Port Huron Pirates played there in 2007. On February 26, 2011, the Predators won their first game in franchise history, with a 69-12 victory over the visiting Indianapolis Enforcers. They got off to a quick start after a brief scare and never looked back. After the Enforcers brought back the opening kick-off to the Predators nine-yard line, the Port Huron defense stepped up and picked off the first play from scrimmage. It was the first of seven interceptions by the Predators' defense. On the next play, Predators back-up quarterback Jim Roth, who was filling in for Damon Dowdell, found Robert Height for a 41-yard score to put the team ahead for good. The Predators carried the 7-0 into the second quarter and led 21-6 at the half. In the second half, the flood gates opened as the Enforcers, a first-year team travel team, showed their inexperience with several mistakes. After several interceptions and fumbles, Port Huron took a commanding 47-6 lead into the third quarter before going on to win by the lopsided score. On March 28, the Predators fired their second coach of the season as well as their director of operations. Head Coach Jason Lovelock was let go after Brusate said, "The players wanted something different." As for Director of Operations, Julie Crankshaw, Brusate cited, "We had different ideas on what should be done. She was fired. She didn't live up to her contract; she didn't fulfill it. So there is no need to fulfill my end." Brusate appointed Offensive Coordinator, John Forti, as the Interim Head Coach. On April 2, Forti lead the team into his first game as Head Coach, and lead the team to a 29-45 defeat to the Chicago Knights, who hadn't won a game in over 2 season. The Predators announced on April 28, 2011 that they would be forfeiting the rest of the season.
The Port Huron Patriots were a professional indoor football team based in Port Huron, Michigan. The team was a member of the North Division of the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL). The Patriots joined the CIFL in 2012 as an expansion team. The Patriots were the third indoor football team to be based in Port Huron, the first being CIFL charter members and inaugural champions the Port Huron Pirates (2006–2007), and the other being the CIFL based Port Huron Predators. The Owners of the Patriots were Jude Carter, Lonnie Nichols, Lance Nichols, David Nichols, Larry Page, Matt Wuchte and Nick Kennedy-Saura. The Patriots played their home games at the McMorran Arena.
The 2012 Continental Indoor Football League season was the Continental Indoor Football League's seventh overall season. The regular season started on Saturday March 10, with the expansion Port Huron Patriots defeating the expansion Chicago Vipers 52–49 at McMorran Arena, and ended with the 2012 CIFL Championship Game, the league's championship game, on June 2, 2012, at the Dow Event Center in Saginaw, Michigan where the Saginaw Sting defeated the Dayton Silverbacks 35–7.
The 2012 Indianapolis Enforcers season was the second season for the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) franchise.
The 2012 Dayton Silverbacks season is the seventh season for the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) franchise.
The 2012 Port Huron Patriots season is the first season for the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) franchise. After the disappointing end to the Port Huron Predators season in 2011, Dave and Cyndi Kinsman wanted to bring back a team to Port Huron in 2012 and the future. Kinsman stated, "We are aware of the history of teams in this city and the bottom line is that you have to win on and off the field to make this succeed. Other teams could win on the field, but couldn't win off the field meaning they didn't have the front office and leadership it takes to succeed. We are confident in the direction this franchise will head and we are thrilled to be in Port Huron." The team announced that they would be playing at McMorran Arena. In early September 2011, the Patriots signed former Pradators head coach John Forti, as well as re-signed local players who had played for the Predators. On December 24, 2011 the team announced its training camp roster.
The 2012 Evansville Rage season was the first season for the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) franchise.
The Louisville Xtreme were 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.
The Dayton Silverbacks were a professional indoor football team based in Dayton, Ohio. The team was a member of the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL). The franchise started as the Miami Valley Silverbacks and joined the CIFL in 2007 after playing their inaugural season as an expansion team in the American Indoor Football Association. The Silverbacks were the fourth indoor football team to be based in Dayton, the first being the Dayton Skyhawks of the original Indoor Football League. The Skyhawks were followed by the Dayton Warbirds, who later became the Dayton Bulldogs, of the National Indoor Football League and the third being the Cincinnati Marshals who played their 2007 season in Dayton. The Silverbacks played their home games at Hara Arena in nearby Trotwood, Ohio.
The Detroit Thunder was a professional indoor football team based in Fraser, Michigan. The team was a member of the Continental Indoor Football League. The Thunder were the third indoor football team to have called the Motor City home, following two Arena Football League teams: the four-time ArenaBowl champion Detroit Drive (1988–1993) and the Detroit Fury (2001–2004). In addition, a team called the Motor City Reapers was proposed for the 2007 CIFL season, but the team folded before ever playing a single game. The Thunder were owned by Terrence and Lawrence Foster.
