Professional Indoor Football League

Last updated
Professional Indoor Football League
ProfessionalIndoorFootballLeague.PNG
Sport Indoor football
Founded2011
Inaugural season2012
Ceased2015
CEO Ron Selesky
No. of teams 5
CountryUnited States
Last
champion(s)		 Columbus Lions (1st title)
Most titles Alabama Hammers
Albany Panthers
Columbus Lions
Nashville Venom (1 title)
Related
competitions		 American Indoor Football
Indoor Football League

The Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) was a professional indoor football league that played four seasons from 2012 to 2015. Like the Lone Star Football League, the PIFL was mainly composed of teams formerly part of Southern Indoor Football League (five former SIFL teams and one expansion team in total). [1] Despite the name, this PIFL had no connections to the original Professional Indoor Football League.

Contents

History

The PIFL began in 2012 with six teams in the southeastern United States, five of which joined from the Southern Indoor Football League, and the expansion Knoxville NightHawks. [2] On March 10, 2012, the Richmond Raiders defeated the Columbus Lions, 64–58, in the first ever PIFL game. [3] On June 30, 2012, PIFL Cup I was played in Albany, Georgia between the Albany Panthers and the Raiders. It was played at the James H. Gray Civic Center in front of 6,194 people. Albany won the game, 60–56. [4]

Following a successful 2012, the PIFL added two new teams for the 2013 season. The Lehigh Valley Steelhawks of the Indoor Football League, [5] as well as the Charlotte Speed, [6] another former SIFL team who had previously committed to play in the IFL as well. On July 8, 2013, PIFL Cup II was played in Huntsville, Alabama between the Alabama Hammers and the Richmond Raiders. It was played at the Von Braun Center in front of 3,133 people. Alabama won the game, 70–44. [7]

In the fall of 2013, two teams from the Northeast were added to the PIFL roster for the 2014 season. The expansion Trenton Freedom [8] and the Nashville Venom [9] joined the league for the 2014 season, as well as the Harrisburg Stampede, a former American Indoor Football (AIF) team. [10]

Knoxville and Albany, according to the teams' respective websites, suspended play for the 2014 season. As they did not continue into the PIFL's final season of 2015, they had no opportunity to attempt to latch on to another league upon the PIFL's demise. Neither did the former Charlotte Speed franchise, which had not been allowed to participate in 2013 after announcing an intention to do so. This team is also now fully defunct.

For the 2015 season, the league added the Erie Explosion, the two-time defending champions of the Continental Indoor Football League, which had disbanded after the 2014 season.

On September 9, 2015, the league disbanded after several of its teams folded, with the exception of the Columbus Lions (the final PIFL champions) and the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks, both of which would join the American Indoor Football league. The Erie Explosion held out until January 2016, initially joining the Indoor Football Alliance, before suspending operations.

Teams

Map of the team cities in the Professional Indoor Football League. Professional Indoor Football League Map.png
Map of the team cities in the Professional Indoor Football League.

Thirteen different franchises were issued during the PIFL's existence, but only 12 ever took the field for actual play – the Charlotte Speed never fielded a team in the PIFL as the franchise was revoked prior to the 2013 season. During the regular season, each team was allowed a maximum of 27 players on their roster; [11] only 20 of these were eligible to be active (eligible to play) on game days. [12]

Teams that played

PIFL Champions

YearWinnerLoserScore
2012 Albany Panthers Richmond Raiders 60–56
2013 Alabama Hammers Richmond Raiders 70–44
2014 Nashville Venom Lehigh Valley Steelhawks 64–43
2015 Columbus Lions Richmond Raiders 64–38

Player and coach awards

The PIFL recognized a number of awards for their players and coaches.

2012

2013

2014

2015

Related Research Articles

American Indoor Football Former professional indoor football league

American Indoor Football (AIF) was a professional indoor football league, one of the several regional professional indoor football leagues in North America.

The Columbus Lions are a professional indoor football team based in Columbus, Georgia and a founding member of the National Arena League (NAL) for the 2017 season. The Lions were founded in 2006 as an expansion team of the World Indoor Football League (WIFL). After the WIFL went under in 2007, the Lions joined the American Indoor Football Association (AIFA) where they played for two seasons. When the AIFA broke apart, the Lions joined the Southern Indoor Football League (SIFL). The Lions joined the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) in 2012 when the Southern Indoor Football League (SIFL) teams split up into two new leagues. After the 2015 season, the PIFL broke apart, and the Lions joined American Indoor Football for 2016.

The Richmond Raiders were a professional indoor football team located in Richmond, Virginia the Richmond Coliseum as their home arena. The Raiders began play in the 2010 as an expansion team of the American Indoor Football Association (AIFA). The Raiders moved to the Southern Indoor Football League (SIFL) when the Eastern Division of the AIFA merged with the SIFL in the winter of 2010, beginning SIFL play in the 2011 season. After just a single season in the SIFL the Raiders, along with four other members of the SIFL, became the charter members of the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL). The team was then a member the PIFL from 2012 to 2015.

The Albany Panthers were an indoor football team based in Albany, Georgia. The team joined the Southern Indoor Football League (SIFL) during their inaugural season in 2010. When the SIFL folded, the team joined the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) in 2012. The Panthers' home games were played at the Albany Civic Center until 2014.

The Lehigh Valley Steelhawks were a professional indoor football team based in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The Steelhawks began play as an expansion team in the Indoor Football League (IFL) in 2011. The Steelhawks moved to the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) in 2013, where they made their only championship game appearance to date, losing PIFL Cup III to the Nashville Venom. The team joined American Indoor Football for the 2016 season after the PIFL folded, which lasted one season before that league also folded. They joined the National Arena League for the 2017 and 2018 seasons. The Steelhawks are the Lehigh Valley's second indoor football team, following the defunct Lehigh Valley Outlawz of the Continental Indoor Football League (2005–2008). Both teams played their home games at Stabler Arena. The Steelhawks played their home games at the PPL Center.

The Alabama Hammers were a professional indoor football team based in Huntsville, Alabama. The team played in the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) from 2012 to 2015. The Hammers originally began play as an expansion team in the Southern Indoor Football League in 2011. The Hammers are the fourth indoor football team to play at the Von Braun Center; these were the Alabama Vipers of the AFL (2010), the Tennessee Valley Vipers of the af2, and the Tennessee Valley Raptors of the United Indoor Football league (2005). The owner of the Hammers is Southern Sports Entertainment, LLC. The Hammers play their home games at the Von Braun Center. Their name comes from the Yellowhammer, the state bird of Alabama.

Southern Indoor Football League

The Southern Indoor Football League (SIFL) was an indoor football league based in the Southern and Eastern United States. The most recent incarnation of the league was a consolidation of an earlier league of the same name that was formed by Thom Hager along with Dan Blum, Robert Winfrey and Dan Ryan in 2009 and the American Indoor Football Association, which traces its roots to the founding of the Atlantic Indoor Football League in 2005. The SIFL broke up into three regional leagues after the 2011 season.

The 2013 Professional Indoor Football League season was the second season of the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL). The regular season began March 8, 2013, and ended on June 22, 2013. Each team played a 12-game schedule. The top 4 teams in the regular season standings commenced the playoffs on July 1. The final was played July 8, with the Alabama Hammers defeating the Richmond Raiders to win their first league championship.

The Nashville Venom were a professional indoor football team, one of eight franchises of the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL). Based in Nashville, Tennessee, the Venom were members of the American Conference. The team began play in 2014 as an expansion team. The team played at Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, which opened in 1962.

The Trenton Freedom was a professional indoor football team based in Trenton, New Jersey. The Freedom were a member of the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL). The Freedom began play in 2014 as an expansion member of the PIFL. The Freedom played their home games at the Sun National Bank Center.

The 2014 Professional Indoor Football League season was the third season of the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL). The regular season began March 29, 2014, and ended on June 28, 2014. Each team played a 12-game schedule. The top 2 teams in each conference advanced to the playoffs that began on July 5. The final was played July 12, with the Nashville Venom defeating the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks to win their first league championship.

The 2013 Lehigh Valley Steelhawks season was the third season as a professional indoor football franchise and their first in the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL). One of 7 teams competing in the PIFL for the 2013 season.

The 2014 Nashville Venom season was the first season as a professional indoor football franchise and their first in the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL). The Venom were of eight teams competing in the PIFL for the 2014 season.

The 2014 Trenton Freedom season was the first season as a professional indoor football franchise and their first in the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL). One of 8 teams that competed in the PIFL for the 2014 season.

The 2015 Professional Indoor Football League season was the fourth and last season of the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL). The regular season began March 27, 2015, and end on June 20, 2015. Each team played an 11 or 12-game schedule. The top 4 teams in the league advanced to the playoffs that began on June 27, 2015.

The 2015 Columbus Lions season was the ninth season for the indoor football franchise and their fourth in the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL). They won PIFL Cup IV over the Richmond Raiders.

Warren Smith is an American football quarterback for the Jersey Flight of the National Arena League (NAL). He played college football at the University of Maine.

Cortez Stubbs

Cortez Stubbs is an American football defensive back who is currently a free agent. He played college football at the Concordia College Alabama and attended Huffman High School in Birmingham, Alabama. Stubbs has been a member of the Columbus Lions, Jacksonville Sharks, Alabama Hammers, Orlando Predators, New Orleans VooDoo and Tampa Bay Storm.

Dwayne Hollis

Dwayne Hollis is an arena football defensive back who is currently a free agent. He played college football at North Carolina Wesleyan College and attended Denbigh High School in Newport News, Virginia. He has also been a member of the Helsinki Roosters, Lehigh Valley Steelhawks, Trenton Freedom, Shanghai Skywalkers, and Atlanta Legends.

Mason Espinosa is a professional American football quarterback for the Columbus Lions of the National Arena League (NAL). He has also played for the Albany Empire, the Erie Explosion and the Billings Wolves. Espinosa played college football for Ohio Wesleyan University. He currently holds 17 individual Ohio Wesleyan records, as well as being the all-time North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) career leader in passing yards and total yards, while also setting a single season NCAC record for completions.

References

  1. ↑ Benson, Reggie (21 September 2011). "Alabama Hammers join PIFL for upcoming season". The Huntsville Times . Archived from the original on 20 January 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
  2. ↑ Dan Krieger (September 12, 2011). "Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report". OurSports Central. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  3. ↑ John Packett (March 11, 2012). "Young leads Raiders to season-opening win". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Albany hangs on to top Richmond in championship game". Richmond Times-Dispatch. July 1, 2012. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Steelhawks moving for 2013 season". www.mcall.com. The Morning Call. August 8, 2012. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  6. ↑ "PIFL Adds Eighth Member in Charlotte Speed". OurSports Central. September 13, 2012. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  7. ↑ Mark McCarter (July 8, 2013). "Alabama Hammers roll impressively to PIFL championship by dismantling Richmond". www.al.com. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Trenton Freedom join PIFL". The Trentonian. September 20, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  9. ↑ "PIFL Sinks Fangs into Nashville". OurSports Central. November 8, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  10. ↑ Mark McCarter (September 25, 2013). "Defending champs Alabama Hammers to be joined by two new teams in PIFL for the 2014 season". www.al.com. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Lions Announce 27 Man Roster". OurSports Central. March 7, 2012. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  12. ↑ John Millikan (March 9, 2012). "Panthers finalize roster for March 17 season opener". Albany Herald. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
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