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19-691: The Freedom were the second indoor football team to call Myrtle Beach home, following the Myrtle Beach Stingrays of the National Indoor Football League , which only played part of the 2003 season in Myrtle Beach before moving to Florence, South Carolina , the following season. The Freedom had originally joined X-League Indoor Football (X-League), but the Freedom were forced to choose a new league after

38-671: The Billings Outlaws . In August 2006, it was reported that the Guard were moving to the World Indoor Football League . However, the Guard denied these rumors by announcing that they were staying in the NIFL in a press conference two months later. During the 2007 season, the Guard and Wyoming Cavalry organized with owners of other independently owned NIFL teams to ensure they had a complete season, but without

57-867: The Carolina Havoc of the American Arena League , is announced to begin play at the Florence Center for the 2019 season. The building was the home of the South Carolina Fire Ants of Major League Roller Hockey in 1998, two ice hockey teams : the Pee Dee/Florence Pride (1997–2005) and the Pee Dee Cyclones (2005–2007), two indoor football teams: Carolina Stingrays (2004) and Florence Phantoms (2006–2009), two basketball teams :

76-711: The Columbus Lions . Two of the Lions' players, Christopher Donnell Smith and David Toussaint, claim the turf came loose from the floor, which then caught their feet causing permanent damage to their knees and ending their careers. Running backs Wide receivers Defensive linemen Defensive backs Kickers Exempt list Head coach Assistant coaches Myrtle Beach Freedom Key :    Win    Tie    Loss     Bye All start times were local to home team All start times were local to home team When

95-687: The Florence Civic Center . The relocated team finished with a 3–6 record in Florence and a final 5–7 record in their second season. The following year, the team was purchased again and moved to Fayetteville to replace af2 's Cape Fear Wildcats , who had moved to Albany, Georgia , as the South Georgia Wildcats . The new team had originally been called the Fayetteville Heat, but later changed their name to

114-579: The 2011 season. The new team, not affiliated with the Guard or its owners, were called the Fayetteville Force. After a 3–0 start to the 2011 SIFL season , the team collapsed. The AIFA entered into an asset purchase agreement of selected assets of the Fayetteville Force from Fanteractive, LLC, the Force's parent company, but the AIFA did not purchase the corporation that was operating the Force. Under

133-476: The AIFA had to assemble a team of available players from a group of former indoor players and rookies. The AIFA selected as head coach Matt Steeple, a veteran indoor coach from the Indoor Football League for the balance of the 2011 season. The new Fayetteville Force never won a game and has the dubious distinction of setting a record for the largest single-game losing margin and points allowed in

152-742: The Fayetteville Guard. The team started their season 0–5, but went 7–2 in their final nine regular season games, earning a 7–7 record and a playoff berth. The team defeated the Dayton Warbirds in the first round, but lost to the Cincinnati Marshals in the divisional round. The Guard did better in 2006, posting a 13–1 record in the regular season, then defeating the Lakeland Thunderbolts and River City Rage en route to Indoor Bowl VI, where they lost to

171-600: The X-League ceased operations. The Freedom joined American Indoor Football (AIF) in October, 2015. On April 19, 2016, the Freedom replaced coach Ryan David with Terry Foster. Coach David, along with two assistant coaches, resigned from the team in protest of what they considered dangerous conditions for their players. Coach Foster came from the recently defunct travelling team, the Steel City Menace . Following

190-549: The agreement the AIFA retained the Force name, logo, likeness, playing equipment, and the artificial turf. The AIFA guaranteed that it would play the remaining four Force games with the Southern Indoor Football League. Due to contractual issues between the previous owner and his players and coaches at the time, the AIFA was unable to take over those contracts. On two-day notice before the Erie away game,

209-623: The approval of the rapidly falling apart NIFL management, which led to a midseason schedule split between the league-owned teams and the independent teams. Both the Guard and Cavalry were subsequently expelled from the NIFL before the post season. They played against each other in the Budweiser Indoor Football Championship Bowl, where the Guard won 48–34. Both teams joined the American Indoor Football Association (AIFA)

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228-610: The conclusion of the 2016 season, the AIF announced that it was ceasing operations, thus leaving the Freedom without a league. The Freedom's assets ended up in the hands of the Myrtle Beach Sharks, who wore the Freedom's uniforms throughout their brief existence in Arena Pro Football . In March 2017, the Freedom and the AIF were sued for providing unsafe field conditions during their May 23, 2016, home game against

247-617: The following 2008 season. Following the 2010 AIFA season , the league split into two leagues: the AIFA West and East. The AIFA East, of which Fayetteville was a member, then merged into the Southern Indoor Football League (SIFL) for the 2011 season . However, a new Fayetteville-based sports marketing group claimed the rights to field a SIFL team in the Fayetteville market and the Guard did not return for

266-697: The history of indoor football – in any league – following a 0–138 loss to the Erie Explosion on May 21, 2011. The AIFA reorganized as American Indoor Football (AIF) after the SIFL folded following its lone 2011 season. The Force did not return in 2012 and were replaced the Cape Fear Heroes expansion team in the AIF. Florence Civic Center The Florence Center is a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Florence, South Carolina . The arena

285-697: The playoff schedule was initially announced, the Freedom were set to play the Southern Division's second-seeded Florida Tarpons . On May 30, the Freedom replaced the Northern Division's fourth-seeded Central Penn Capitals against the West Michigan Ironmen . The Freedom's former position was replaced by the Southern Division's fourth-seed, the Savannah Steam . Myrtle Beach Stingrays The Fayetteville Guard

304-567: The team due to the team owners, April Coble and Jack Bowman, failing to pay the players and other obligations. However, local investors including then head coach Terry Smith, saved the team in time to schedule a third game at the Staten Island Xtreme the last weekend of April. On April 29, the team was moved to Florence, South Carolina , for the remainder of the season as the Carolina Stingrays with seven home games at

323-571: Was a professional indoor football team in the National Indoor Football League (NIFL) and American Indoor Football Association (AIFA). They played home games at the Cumberland County Crown Coliseum from 2005 to 2010. The Guard were replaced by the Fayetteville Force in the Southern Indoor Football League (SIFL) for the 2011 season. After a 3–0 start to the 2011 SIFL season , the Force collapsed and

342-494: Was eventually sold to the AIFA. The Force did not return in 2012 and were replaced the Cape Fear Heroes expansion team as part of American Indoor Football . The teams began play in 2003 as the Myrtle Beach Stingrays of the National Indoor Football League in the Myrtle Beach Convention Center , compiling a 6–8 record in their inaugural season. After two games in the 2004 season, the NIFL shut down

361-671: Was known as the Florence Civic Center until it rebranded in November 2017. It hosted the infamous eighth WWE In Your House pay-per-view in 1996, during which a storm knocked out the power and thus the broadcast signal during the event. The card was re-telecast two nights later from North Charleston, South Carolina , at the North Charleston Coliseum . Since 2005 it is home to the annual Darlington Car Hauler Parade that kicks off Goodyear 400 race week at Darlington Raceway . In 2019, an indoor football team called

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