The Columbus Lions are a professional indoor football team based in Columbus, Georgia , and are a member of the National Arena League (NAL).
45-910: 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
90-453: A generous expansion draft, the team defied all odds and advanced to the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals in their first year of existence, and later won the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals in just their sixth season. The National Football League (NFL), despite being considered the most generous in its revenue sharing and the strictest with its salary cap, has had far more difficulty bringing expansion teams up to par with their more established brethren. Of
135-768: A new league called the Arena Developmental League to begin play in spring 2017. They named former Canadian Football League , Arena Football League , and AF2 coach John Gregory as the league's commissioner. In November 2016, the Jacksonville Sharks joined and the Sedas yielded control over the new league for it to become the National Arena League . The Lions appeared in the NAL playoffs in every season they participated. They, and
180-680: A professional indoor football team based in Jacksonville, Florida , playing their home games at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena . As of 2024, they are members of the Indoor Football League (IFL). They were members of the Arena Football League (AFL) from 2010 to 2016 and won the championship of their division in the first four seasons of their existence. The Sharks joined the AFL for the 2010 season , following
225-435: A result, most expansion teams are known for their poor play during their first seasons. Expansion teams must also compete with any expansion rivals for available talent, a common problem since leagues often expand by two or four teams in one season. Expansion teams are not necessarily doomed to mediocrity, however, as most leagues have policies which promote parity, such as drafts and salary caps, which give some expansion teams
270-615: Is done so that the history of the team stays with the original city, to be assumed a few years later by a revival of the franchise after a period of inactivity. The league expands in the season corresponding to the original franchise's revival, and holds an expansion draft for the revived franchise. For examples, see the notes below on the NFL 's Baltimore Ravens (relocated in 1996 from the Cleveland Browns , which were revived in 1999), NBA 's New Orleans Pelicans (relocated in 2002 from
315-417: Is generally stocked with less talented free agents , inexperienced players, and veterans nearing retirement. Additionally, prospective owners may face expensive fees to the league as well as high startup costs such as stadiums and facilities. The team is also at a disadvantage in that it has not been together as a team as long as its opponents and thus lacks the cohesiveness other teams have built over years. As
360-478: Is most commonly used in reference to the North American major professional sports leagues but is applied to sports leagues in other countries with a closed franchise system of league membership. The term refers to the expansion of the sport into new areas. The addition of an expansion team sometimes results in the payment of an expansion fee to the league by the new team and an expansion draft to populate
405-482: Is not an expansion team. If it moves, it is known as a relocated team , and if the name changes, the team is known as a renamed team . Relocated teams may change their name, colors, and mascot at the same time as the move; however, because the roster is the same and the league does not expand as a result, they are not regarded as expansion teams. A handful of franchise relocations are officially recognized by their respective leagues as creation of expansion franchises; this
450-529: Is the home of several former AFL franchises), as the IFL was focused on a regional footprint that did not include Florida. On November 18, 2016, Sharks owner Jeff Bouchy announced the team has joined the newly formed National Arena League (NAL). He also announced the hiring for former Toronto Phantoms head coach Mark Stoute as their second head coach in franchise history, replacing interim head coach Bob Landsee . After going undefeated through eight games, Stoute
495-724: The 1969 draft and acquiring Oscar Robertson from the Cincinnati Royals before the 1970–71 season began. In the NHL, the Florida Panthers made the Stanley Cup Finals in their third season even though, like MLB, the league then had no salary cap; a cap was established in 2005. However, the Vegas Golden Knights quickly emerged as one of the NHL's best teams in its first season. Thanks to
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#1732775449144540-549: The Arizona Rattlers 73–70, for the first AFL Championship in franchise history. The Sharks left the AFL after the 2016 season and became charter members of the National Arena League (NAL). They left the NAL after the 2023 season and plan to join the Indoor Football League for the 2024 season. The Arena Football League originally wanted to place a franchise in Jacksonville in the 1990s, citing
585-783: The Charlotte Hornets , which were revived in 2004 and were initially named the Charlotte Bobcats), and NHL 's Utah Hockey Club (relocated from the Arizona Coyotes in 2024, revival of the Coyotes expected in 2029). The National League had an eight-team lineup established in 1900, mirrored by the eight charter franchises of the American League in 1901. This list enumerates franchises added since this "Classic Eight" era. Eight charter franchises of
630-690: The Indoor Football League (IFL) beginning with the 2024 season. Since 2010, the Sharks' home arena has been VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena , a $ 130 million facility opened in 2003. Capacity for arena football games is 13,011. Running backs Wide receivers Defensive linemen Defensive backs Kickers → More rosters The following Sharks players have been named to All-Arena Teams: The following Sharks players have been named to All-Ironman Teams: The following Sharks players have been named to All-NAL Teams: Note: Statistics are correct through
675-559: The Los Angeles Sparks , New York Liberty , Phoenix Mercury , and Utah Starzz (now Las Vegas Aces ). AFL Women's, launched in 2017 with 8 teams, is operated by the Australian Football League, with all teams fielded by AFL clubs. The league expanded to 10 teams prior to the 2019 season and 14 prior to the 2020 season. In 2023, the remaining four AFL clubs launched women's sides. Originally known as
720-480: The National Arena League had announced that the membership of the Lions had been discontinued. One day later, the Lions announced they have joined the regional American Indoor Football Alliance . They played only home games, going 6–0, and defeated the Mississippi Raiders 55–10 in the league championship. On August 4, 2023, the Lions announced their return to relaunched American Indoor Football for
765-501: The Orlando Predators AFL team under his brother Brett Bouchy. On May 3, 2014, it was officially announced that former Mötley Crüe front man Vince Neil purchased a minority stake in the team. On October 12, 2016, the Sharks announced that they were leaving the AFL for a rival league beginning with the 2017 season. The Sharks were rejected from their first choice of league, the Indoor Football League (which itself
810-727: The Southern Indoor Football League (SIFL) and play from 2010 to 2011. They won the SIFL championship in 2010 defeating the Louisiana Swashbucklers in President's Cup II,. The SIFL split into two separate leagues before the 2012 season, with the Lions going to the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL). In 2015, they defeated the Richmond Raiders in PIFL Cup IV. Following the Lions' 2015 championship,
855-484: 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. They were a founding member of the National Arena League (NAL) for the 2017 season. The then joined the new American Indoor Football Alliance for 2023 before they rejoined American Indoor Football for 2024. In their first seventeen seasons,
900-419: The 2024 American Indoor Football season. Expansion team An expansion team is a new team in a sports league, usually from a city that has not hosted a team in that league before, formed with the intention of satisfying the demand for a local team from a population in a new area. Sporting leagues also hope that the expansion of their competition will grow the popularity of the sport generally. The term
945-559: The 2024 season. In 2024, the Lions announced they were returning home to the league they helped start, the National Arena League. Running backs Wide receivers Defensive linemen Defensive backs Special teams The following is a list of all Lions players who have won league awards: Front office Head coaches Offensive coaches Note: Statistics are correct through
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#1732775449144990-464: The 20th century. During that time, the United States population doubled and expanded to the south and west. Rival interests explored the possibility of forming a rival league in the untapped markets. To forestall that possibility, one of the measures that MLB took was to expand by four teams in 1961 and 1962. Over the past four decades, MLB expanded further, to its current 30-team membership. In
1035-473: The AFL of the 1960s were expansion teams in that league. Both joined the AFL after the merger with the NFL was agreed to, but before it was finalized. The NHL had a six-team lineup established in 1942. This list enumerates the teams added since the " Original Six " era. Six of the seven charter franchises from 2018 remain active. The WNBA began in 1997 with eight charter franchises, four of which are still active:
1080-523: The Celtic League, and later as Pro12 and Pro14. The League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) and the League of Legends European Championship (LEC) initially fielded teams from eight organizations when they began operations in 2013; both leagues expanded to a total of ten teams in 2015. LCS expansion teams LEC expansion teams Jacksonville Sharks The Jacksonville Sharks are
1125-488: The Lions have won five league championships: in 2010, 2015, 2016, 2023, and 2024. The Lions were founded in 2006. They began play in the short-lived World Indoor Football League (WIFL) in 2007. The Lions' inaugural game on February 26, 2007, was marred by tragedy when opposing defensive back Javon Camon of the Daytona Beach Thunder was killed after a hard but clean hit by Lions fullback Cedric Ware during
1170-531: The Lions moved back to American Indoor Football (AIF), formerly the AIFA, for the 2016 season. The Lions completed the regular season 8–0 and won the 2016 AIF Championship over the West Michigan Ironmen . One week after winning the championship, the Lions announced they were leaving the AIF for the 2017 season. In July 2016, Lions' owners Skip Seda and his father, Keke Seda, announced the formation of
1215-725: The NAL, would not play in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic . They made three appearances in the NAL Championship Game, losing to the Jacksonville Sharks 27–21 in 2017, the Carolina Cobras 66–8 in 2018, and the Albany Empire 79–62 in 2021. On August 30, 2022, the Lions announced new ownership led by Jeff Levack, who also has ownership stake in the Orlando Predators and Albany Empire . He
1260-681: The NBA (founded in 1950 via merger of the BAA and NBL ) are still active. There was only one expansion team in the whole history of the ABA. Only extant teams are listed. Two charter franchises, the Chicago Cardinals (now Arizona Cardinals ) and Decatur Staleys (now the Chicago Bears ), are still active. Starting in 1960, the NFL held an expansion draft for new franchises. Two teams from
1305-586: The Tomcats folded after the 2002 season, before construction of the Arena was completed. Interest in placing an arena football team in Jacksonville remained. In 2010, following the restructuring of the AFL and the cancellation of the 2009 season, the AFL announced it would place an expansion team in Jacksonville. The ownership group would be Jacksonville Sports Group, led by Jeff Bouchy, formerly part owner of
1350-610: The best candidates for new teams. In rugby league , the United Kingdom-based Rugby Football League 's Super League has added teams from France and Wales to cover a great demographic spread. The operator of Super League, England's Rugby Football League , has also added teams to the lower levels of its league pyramid, specifically the Championship and League 1 , from both France and Wales, and most recently Canada . In rugby union ,
1395-658: The city's historical support for football. The proposal drew the attention of Wayne Weaver , then owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars , but the league decided that the Jacksonville Coliseum was too small for AFL standards. In 2000, the Jacksonville Tomcats began play in the af2 , the AFL's developmental league. The AFL and Tomcats ownership anticipated the completion of the new 15,000-seat Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena , but
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1440-509: The competition originally known as the Celtic League and now as Pro14 , which began with sides only from the Celtic nations of Ireland , Scotland , and Wales, has added teams from Italy and more recently South Africa . The U.S.-based NFL has been laying groundwork for a potential franchise in the UK , with a target date some time in the early to mid-2020s. When an expansion team begins play, it
1485-407: The context of MLB, the term "expansion team" is also used to refer to any of the 14 teams enfranchised in the second half of the 20th century. Leagues that are new and/or financially struggling may also admit large numbers of expansion teams so that the existing franchises can pocket more revenue from expansion fees. Indoor American football leagues are notorious for doing so: the leagues can double
1530-557: The fourth quarter. The Lions finished with the best regular season record, but lost the championship to the Augusta Colts . For the Lions' inaugural season, head coach Jason Gibson won the league's Coach of the Year Award. The WIFL collapsed after the season and the Lions moved to the American Indoor Football Association (AIFA) where they played two seasons in 2008 and 2009, winning their division in 2009. They would then join
1575-456: The game in their 9th and 21st seasons of existence) playing in the game. In 1996 , the Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars each made it to their respective conference championship games in their second season in the league. Expansion teams are usually considered as such in their first season and sometimes in their second season. A team that moves to another location and/or changes its name
1620-625: The inaugural NAL championship game 27–21 over the Columbus Lions . In 2018, the Jacksonville Sharks went 10–7 under returning head coach Burley. The Sharks advanced to the National Arena League playoffs, but lost on the road to the Carolina Cobras 73–48. The Cobras won the 2018 championship over the Columbus Lions. Following the season, operating manager and majority owner Jeff Bouchy resigned and sold his interest in
1665-557: The league's complete reorganization the previous year. In their inaugural season, they set the league record for most regular season wins by an expansion team, winning twelve of their sixteen games, and ranked third in the league in ticket sales and average attendance. They advanced to the 2010 AFL playoffs, claiming the South Division title. In their second year in the league, they advanced to the ArenaBowl XXIV , defeating
1710-402: The new roster. In North America, expansion often takes place in response to population growth and geographic shifts of population. Such demographic change results in financial opportunities to engage with the new market as consumers of sports demand local teams to support. Major League Baseball (MLB) was limited to 16 teams located north and east of St. Louis, Missouri for the first half of
1755-422: The number of teams and have many new teams fail within a year or two. Major League Soccer , after spending most of its first decade of existence with relatively stable membership and struggling finances, adopted a policy of continuous expansion beginning in 2005, a policy that the league as of 2017 has no intention of stopping. Cities and regions with large populations that lack a team are generally regarded to be
1800-478: The opportunity to win championships only a few years after their first season. In Major League Baseball (MLB) The Arizona Diamondbacks won the 2001 World Series in their fourth season, and the Florida Marlins won the 1997 World Series in their fifth season. In the NBA, The Milwaukee Bucks won the 1971 NBA Finals in their third year of existence, greatly helped by drafting Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in
1845-601: The six teams to have been added to the NFL since the AFL–NFL merger , the fastest turnaround between an inaugural season and the team's first Super Bowl victory was 27 seasons (the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , established in 1976, won Super Bowl XXXVII in the 2002 season); none of the four teams to hold expansion drafts since 1995 have ever won that contest, with only one, the Carolina Panthers (who reached
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1890-464: The team to the other owners on March 11, 2019. The Sharks added another minority owner in Nick Furris on April 26, 2019. The Sharks finished the 2019 season with a 13–1 record and won the league championship. After the 2019 season, the Sharks did not come to terms with head coach Burley on a contract extension and replaced him with former Maine Mammoths head coach James Fuller. The 2020 season
1935-463: Was a part of two staffs that helped the Empire win three championships in four years. On September 13, 2022, they introduced new branding for the team designed by former player and designer, Mike Jones. They also announced arena football veteran player and coach Chris McKinney as the second head coach in team history after Gibson had left and became head coach of the Jacksonville Sharks . On December 22,
1980-547: Was fired. Siaha Burley was immediately hired as his replacement after serving as the offensive coordinator of the AFL's Cleveland Gladiators . The Sharks nearly went undefeated throughout their inaugural NAL season before losing their home finale against the Monterrey Steel 44–37. They avenged the loss by beating the Steel one week later in the playoff semifinal 43–32 to advance to the championship game. The Sharks won
2025-423: Was then cancelled due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic . When the league returned in the delayed and shortened 2021 season, Fuller led the team to a 2–6 record and the Sharks missed the playoffs for the first time since joining the NAL. Burley was re-hired as head coach for the 2022 season. The Sharks won the league championship in the 2023 season . On August 22, 2023, the Sharks announced they were joining
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