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28-684: The SIF was originally the creation of the Cape Fear Heroes ownership. During the league's initial launch in 2015, it was to be part of the Indoor Football Alliance , which would have also included a revived Continental Indoor Football League and begun play in 2016. When the CIFL revival never materialized, and the league had difficulties in finding teams to join the league, the Heroes suspended operations, effectively suspending

56-483: A 2016 season, the Heroes announced that it would sit out the 2016 season on March 3. Heroes' owner Barbara Spigner again relaunched Supreme Indoor Football (SIF) as a league with the Heroes as one of the charter members. They went on to win the championship against the previously undefeated Triangle Torch . During the offseason, many of the SIF members joined the newly formed American Arena League (AAL). On August 23, 2017,

84-653: A draft that included five teams, the previously mentioned three plus the ASI Panthers (formerly of AIF) and a team called "Western Pennsylvania" (presumably a last-minute replacement for the Explosion). Shortly thereafter, the Heroes released a revised schedule, removing the Atlanta Sharks and adding an unnamed team from Lockport, New York (taking the place of one of the Explosion's home games, an away game

112-870: The Crown Coliseum . The Heroes are the fourth arena/indoor football team to be based in Fayetteville, following the Cape Fear Wildcats of arenafootball2 (which played from 2002 until 2004 after which they to Albany, Georgia and became the South Georgia Wildcats ), the Fayetteville Guard which played in the National Indoor Football League ( 2005 – 2007 ) and American Indoor Football Association ( 2008 – 2010 ), and

140-721: The Fayetteville Force which only played in the Southern Indoor Football League for the 2011 season , after which both the Force and the SIFL folded. Despite the AIF's purchase of the Force, the Heroes are considered a completely new franchise. The Cape Fear Heroes were founded as an expansion team in the 2012 American Indoor Football season by a partnership headed by Barbara Spigner. Jack Bowman, who

168-726: The AAL as well. Cape Fear Heroes The Cape Fear Heroes were a professional indoor football team based in Fayetteville, North Carolina . They last played in the American Arena League in 2019. The Heroes were owned by Barbara Spigner. They began play in 2012 as an expansion member of American Indoor Football (AIF). The Heroes fared very well in their first three seasons of play, going to back-to-back-to-back AIF Championship Games, going undefeated in 2012. The Heroes finished as runner-up in 2013 and 2014. In 2015, it

196-553: The AIF championship game and fell to the Harrisburg Stampede 57–42. Following the 2013 season, owner Barbara Spigner took over as general manager from Jack Bowman. In December, 2013, Spigner named Josh Resignalo the team's head coach. The team finished as the top seed in the 2014 regular season and appeared in their third-straight championship game, losing to the Baltimore Mariners . On July 31, 2014,

224-555: The AIF that failed to launch prior to their first season. The SIF held a press conference on October 28 officially announcing its return to organizing as a league with the management of the Heroes and the Torch. The SIF listed the Heroes, Torch, Bulls, Ravens, and Cottonmouths on their Facebook page. On November 5, the league added the Anderson Gladiators from the recently formed Arena Developmental League . On November 14,

252-746: The Alliance. On the same day, the Heroes (still at that point alone as members of their league) held a press conference holding firm to their plans on launching Supreme Indoor Football, with a target of eight teams for its inaugural 2016 season. On December 4, 2015, the league announced its first new team, the Kentucky Knights, a team that had originally been announced as a team in the Texas-based North American Indoor Football. The Heroes released their 2016 schedule on December 9, 2015; it included games against

280-597: The Anderson Gladiators, Louisiana Cottonmouths, and South Carolina Ravens are still listed as SIF teams, they were left off the 2017 schedule and their social media pages have not been updated in several months; the header of the league's website now also includes the helmets of the EIF's Savannah Steam and Carolina Cowboys (whose helmet in turn is an unauthorized copy of the Dallas Desperados '). Neither

308-811: The Bulldogs losing 45–0 to the Lightning. In August 2016, the league reactivated, this time as a solo league. Its members were listed as the Heroes, the South Carolina Ravens (a travel team affiliated with AIF in 2016), the Cap City Bulls of Austin, Texas , and the Coastal Outlaws of Savannah, Georgia . However, the Outlaws claimed to be part of a different league called United States Indoor Football and were eventually removed from

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336-629: The Cape Fear Heroes announced that they have joined the X-League Indoor Football (X-League). After falling to 4–4, it was announced that the X-League had suspended the Heroes for the remainder of the season for not being in good standing with the leagues rules. Just days later, the Heroes announced that they would be leaving the X-League entirely and operating independently the rest of the season. On August 23, 2015, it

364-467: The Explosion, Knights, a team known as the "Maryland Big Red," Buffalo Lightning and Atlanta Sharks , the last two of which also jumped from AIF. The Lightning confirmed their participation in the Alliance on December 15. On January 18, 2016, the Explosion announced they would not participate in a 2016 season reducing alliance participants to three (Buffalo Lightning, Cape Fear Heroes, and Kentucky Knights). On January 30, 2016, Supreme Indoor Football held

392-652: The Georgia Arena Football League and then Elite Indoor Football before joining the SIF. The Dragons were announced as being a travel-only team for 2017. The league's schedule was announced as starting play on April 1, 2017. Prior to this, the Cap City Bulls played a non-league exhibition games February 11 against the Wichita Falls Nighthawks , losing 89–12, and March 9 against the Monterrey Steel , losing 47–24. While

420-495: The Heroes also announced they would be joining the new league. During their second season in the AAL, owner Barbara Spigner had health issues and had to step down from team operations. The team then suspended operations before the 2020 season. All team websites have since gone defunct. Note: Statistics are correct through the end of the 2019 American Arena League season. 2016 American Indoor Football season#Failed expansion teams The 2016 American Indoor Football season

448-651: The Steam nor the Cowboys have been declared a full member of the league. In early March, the Georgia M.O.B. were also removed from the schedules. The Heroes played the first official game of the season against the Savannah Steam (now going by Southern Steam) with a 58–0 win on April 1. The first season for the SIF had each of the four participating teams playing a six-game season within the league. The Torch would end

476-637: The Upstate Dragons signed an arena deal in Anderson, South Carolina, and also announced they would be joining the AAL. The next week, the Cap City Bulls also announced they would be joining the AAL and changed their name to the Austin Wild. However, the AAL never confirmed their membership and they became an affiliate team looking to become full members. By August 23, the Heroes were again the only confirmed SIF member for 2018 and subsequently joined

504-617: The X-League entirely and operating independently the rest of the season while searching for a new league in 2016. In the wake of such recent events, the Marion Blue Racers would follow suit in announcing their departure from the X-League. On August 23, 2015, the Indoor Football Alliance of the new Supreme Indoor Football league (owned by Heroes owner Barbara Spigner) and the revived Continental Indoor Football League (owned by Saginaw Sting owner Jim O'Brien)

532-552: The league as well. The league launched on its second attempt in April 2017. It played one season before its members joined the newly formed American Arena League . Commissioner Barbara Springer then announced she wanted to turn the SIF into a developmental summer league. The league's history began with two of its future teams having problems with the X-League . On May 31, 2015, the Cape Fear Heroes announced that they would be leaving

560-761: The league partnered with the new regional league, Elite Indoor Football, to play a cross-league schedule for 2017. The EIF was founded by the Savannah Steam after the demise of the AIF and includes four other teams: the Atlanta Furious, the Carolina Cowboys, the Florida Tribe, and the Roanoke Militia. In January 2017, the SIF added two more teams in the Georgia M.O.B. and Greenville (later changed to Upstate) Dragons. The Georgia M.O.B. (Men of Business) were previously announced as members of

588-525: The season undefeated with a record of 6–0, the Heroes going 4–2, the Bulls going 1–5 and the Dragons with a 0–6 record. On June 17, 2017, the Heroes defeated the Bulls 63–14 in the semifinal game. The Heroes then defeated the Torch in the championship game on June 24, 30–24. At the end of the season, the Torch left the league and then joined the newly formed American Arena League (AAL) on July 21. On August 7,

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616-722: The website in September. Replacing the Outlaws in September, the SIF website added the Triangle Torch (formerly of the AIF) as one of its members, but there has yet to be a statement made by the SIF or the Torch on their new membership. On October 5, a team called the Louisiana Cottonmouths announced on their own Facebook that they have joined the SIF; the Cottonmouths were originally a 2016 expansion team in

644-552: Was also the director of the league, also operated the Heroes as president and general manager, while Charles Gunnings was named the head coach. The Heroes went 7–0 during their inaugural regular season and defeated the California Eagles 79–27 in the AIF Championship Game. In the 2013 season, Spigner became the sole owner of the team and the Heroes went 7–1 in the five-team league. The Heroes returned to

672-418: Was announced that the Heroes would be leaving the AIF, and joining the X-League Indoor Football (X-League). In June 2015, the team's season was abruptly ended when they were suspended by the league. They have won one conference title, in their only season playing in a conference, while finishing with the best regular season record in the AIF for three consecutive seasons. The Heroes played their home games at

700-731: Was announced that the Heroes would be the charter member of Supreme Indoor Football (SIF), one of the two leagues (along with the Continental Indoor Football League ) which comprises the Indoor Football Alliance . However, after the CIFL effectively disbanded in January 2016 when the Erie Explosion (the last remaining CIFL team) announced they would take the season off and only one of the SIF's teams (the Buffalo Lightning ) were ready to play

728-630: Was announced. The Heroes were the SIF's first team, while the Blue Racers, Sting and the Erie Explosion all announced their intentions on returning to the CIFL. On November 4, 2015, the Saginaw Sting returned to American Indoor Football (AIF), leaving the IFA; the Blue Racers followed shortly after. With the departures of the Sting and Blue Racers, the Explosion were the lone CIFL representative in

756-578: Was still listed as being against the Explosion) and the IFA website added several previously unannounced teams (Cincinnati Bulldogs, Cleveland Saints , River City Raptors, and the Steel City Patriots). However, on March 3, 2016, league commissioner Barbara Spigner announced that the Cape Fear Heroes would sit out the 2016 season due to a number of factors, among them being financial support. The Lightning and Bulldogs each played some games independently in 2016, including one against each other with

784-525: Was the eleventh and final season of American Indoor Football (AIF). The regular season began February 27, 2016, and ended on May 23, 2016. Each team played a game schedule of varying lengths. During the offseason there were several membership changes in the league that saw only four of the nine teams return from the previous season. However, the league would end up starting the season with 18 full member teams, two travel only teams, and one affiliated provisional team. * — When initially announced,

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