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.
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.
American Indoor Football (AIF) was a professional indoor football league, one of the several regional professional indoor football leagues in North America.
Major Harris is a former college football quarterback for West Virginia University during the 1980s. Harris was a 1989 All-American and finished fifth and third in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1988 and 1989, respectively. He was also the ECAC Player of the Year in 1988 and 1989. Harris was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2009. He is now an assistant wide receivers coach for North Hills High School in Pittsburgh.
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.
The Syracuse Blitz was a Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) team that played one exhibition game in 1998 and was going to join the league officially in 1999.
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.
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 Texas Bullets were a team in the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) in 1998. The Bullets franchise was owned by Wayne Stigler, who also was the team's head coach. The Bullets played their home games at the Bell County Expo Center in Belton, TX., with the team offices located in Temple, TX. The team's color's were: Black, Turquoise, & Silver. The Bullets suffered disappointing attendance and the costs of taking the team on a road trip to Hawaii to take on the Honolulu Hurricanes, proved too much. The team folded after ten regular season games. Of the eight clubs that were in the first batch of PIFL franchises in '98, six still existed. The Bullets franchise was moved to Austin, TX. in 1999 and renamed the Texas Terminators in the renamed Indoor Professional Football League.
The Utah Catzz was a team in the United States Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) in 1998. The Catzz franchise was owned by Michael & Carla Curran, who also started a farm club for the Catzz, the Salt Lake Lions. The Catzz played their home games at the David O. McKay Events Center in Orem, UT., with the team office located in Salt Lake City, UT. The team's color's were: Blue, Red, and Purple. Utah's head coach for the 1998 season was Gordon Hudson.
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.
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.
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 Friends of Coal Bowl is the name given to the Marshall–West Virginia football rivalry. It is an American college football rivalry game played by the Marshall Thundering Herd football team of Marshall University and the West Virginia Mountaineers football team of the West Virginia University. The game was sponsored by the Friends of Coal, a coal industry trade group. Planned to be a seven-year series, the Friends of Coal Bowl was organized by the West Virginia Coal Association at the urging of West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin.
The Utah Saints was a team of the American Indoor Football Association that played in 2008. They played their home games at the Utah Olympic Oval in Kearns, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The Oval is best known for being a venue of the 2002 Winter Olympics, known as the "Fastest Ice On Earth," and was expanded to 2,500 for Saints games.
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 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 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.
Stephen Panasuk is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent.
