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Sport | Indoor football |
---|---|
Founded | 2021 |
Inaugural season | 2022 |
No. of teams | 4 |
Country | United States |
Most recent champion(s) | Columbus Lions (2023) |
Official website | www |
The American Indoor Football Alliance (AIFA) is a minor-professional American indoor football league based in the United States.[1]
Teams' typical operating budget is $500,000 with a $90,000 payroll budget per season. Players are paid up to $200 per game, with a $25 bonus for participating in charity events within their local communities. Most teams offer players housing during the season.[2]
History
After the 2021 American Arena League season concluded, four members of the East Division (Carolina Predators, Tampa Bay Tornadoes, Pennsylvania Union and Mississippi Raiders) announced that they would leave the AAL to form a new league, after league president and commissioner Tony Zefiretto had sold the league to the ownership.[3]
The league played its first season in 2022, while the Mississippi Raiders defeat the Las Vegas Kings 55–12 to claim the Inaugural AIFA Championship.[4][5][6]
For the 2023 season, AIFA had a inter-league scheduling agreement with the American West Football Conference.[7][8] The Columbus Lions won the league championship after completing an undefeated season and beating Mississippi Raiders 55 to 10 in AIFA Championship.[9][10][11]
Teams
Team | Home city | Home venue | Capacity | Founded | Joined | Head coach |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Capital City Cyclones | Tallahassee, Florida | TBD | TBD | 2019 | 2021 | Stevie Thomas |
South Florida Thunder | Palm Beach, Florida | TBD | TBD | 2019[12] | 2022 |
* Outdoor facility
Former teams
- Pennsylvania Union (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) — Was part of the original teams joined from the AAL, but then was not included in 2022 alignment.
- St. Charles Bandits (St. Charles, Missouri) — Joined from the AAL for the 2022 season, but never played a game.[13]
- Texas Pride (Garland, Texas) - Was part of the announced teams of the crossover games with the American West Football Conference (AWFC) for the 2023 season, but then was not included in the league standings.[14]
- Columbus Lions - Joined from the National Arena League for the 2023 season,[15] but left for the American Indoor Football after winning the league championship.[16]
- Carolina Predators (Fayetteville, North Carolina) - Joined from the AAL for the 2022 season,[17] but left after the 2023 season for the American Arena League 2.[18]
- Mississippi Raiders (Jackson, Mississippi) - Won the Inaugural AIFA Championship in 2022[19] and played in the 2023 finals before leaving for the American Indoor Football league for the 2024 season.
- Dallas Falcons (Dallas, Texas) - Joined for the 2023 season as a traveling team,[20] but would leave for the American Arena League 2 for the 2024 season.[21]
- Las Vegas Kings (Las Vegas, Nevada) - Played in the inaugural AIFA Championship in 2022, but the owner decided to moved the team after the conclusion of the 2023 season to the International Football Alliance.[22]
References
- ↑ "Home – American Indoor Football Alliance". www.goaifa.com. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
- ↑ "AIFA Expansion Packet" (PDF).
- ↑ "Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report". oursportscentral.com. July 12, 2021.
- ↑ "Mississippi Raiders are now AIFA National Champions". Vicksburg Daily News.
- ↑ Bowker, Ernest (July 8, 2022). "Vicksburg coach Muhammad chasing a championship with Mississippi Raiders". Vicksburg Post.
- ↑ "AIFA Championship". YouTube.
- ↑ "Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report". December 26, 2022.
- ↑ "AWFC/AIFA Partnership".
- ↑ "Lions defeat Raiders 55 to 10 in AIFA Championship". American Indoor Football Alliance.
- ↑ "AIFA Champioinship Part1". youtube.com.
- ↑ "AIFA Champioinship Part 2". youtube.com.
- ↑ "South Florida has a new arena football league coming soon — and you could be a part of it".
- ↑ "Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report". October 3, 2022.
- ↑ "AWFC Schedule & AIFA Partnership".
- ↑ "Lions Join Regional Arena League - Columbus Lions". Columbus Lions.
- ↑ "COLUMBUS LIONS JOIN AMERICAN INDOOR FOOTBALL (AIF) FOR THE 2024 INDOOR SEASON". aif-proindoorfootball.com. American Indoor Football. August 4, 2023. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
- ↑ "Fayetteville set to welcome arena football back to the Crown with the Carolina Predators".
- ↑ "Carolina Predators Arena Football Team".
- ↑ "Mississippi Raiders bringing arena football back to Jackson".
- ↑ "Dallas Falcons set to join the AIFA for the 2023 Season".
- ↑ "Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report". OurSports Central.
- ↑ "Las Vegas Kings Football Team Joins the International Football Alliance". PRLog.