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119-592: The Gladiators announced that they would not play the 2018 and 2019 seasons due to renovations on Quicken Loans Arena that required it to close during the NBA offseason and were granted a two-season hiatus. Before the team could return in 2020, the league filed for bankruptcy and ceased operations. The New Jersey Red Dogs entered the Arena Football League in 1997, along with the Nashville Kats and

238-540: A strike ). Efforts to reformat the league's business model were placed under the leadership of Columbus Destroyers owner Jim Renacci and interim commissioner Policy. High hopes for the AFL waned when interim commissioner Ed Policy announced his resignation, citing the obsolescence of his position in the reformatted league. Two weeks later, the Los Angeles Avengers announced that they were formally folding

357-464: A 13-week schedule during which each team played 12 games and had one bye week. Each of the six teams played each opponent at least once. At the end of the regular season, the top four teams participated in the ArenaBowl playoffs, in which the top seed faced the 4th seed while the 2nd seed faced the 3rd seed in a home and home series. The team in each series with the higher aggregate score advanced to

476-404: A Chapter 7 liquidation if the league did not do so voluntarily. This request was granted on August 7, though converted to a Chapter 11 reorganization on August 26. Following the suspension of the AFL's 2009 season, league officials and owners of af2 (which had played its season as scheduled) began discussing the future of arena football and the two leagues. With its 50.1 percent ownership of af2,

595-476: A Gladiator franchise record with six touchdown catches during the game. Unfortunately, the Gladiators were not able to post their best start in franchise history, losing the next two weeks. Injuries to Rocco during midseason led to third-string quarterback and Cleveland-area Case Western University alum Dan Whalen mounting second half comebacks. However, Rocco would eventually retake the starting position for

714-652: A familiar name to the league, an AFL mainstay, the Iowa Barnstormers, departed the league to join the Indoor Football League . The San Antonio Talons folded on October 13, 2014, after the league (which owned the team) failed to find a new owner. On November 16, 2014, despite a successful season record-wise, the Pittsburgh Power became the second team to cease operations after the 2014 season. This resulted from poor attendance. It

833-544: A form of indoor American football played on a 66-by-28 yard field (about a quarter of the surface area of an NFL field), with rules encouraging offensive performance, resulting in a typically faster-paced and higher-scoring game compared to NFL games. The sport was invented in the early 1980s and patented by Jim Foster , a former executive of the United States Football League (USFL) and the NFL. Each of

952-492: A franchise best 204 yards and four touchdowns, and Brandon Hefflin had two interceptions and recovered a key fumble late in the game to seal the victory. The following week, the Gladiators advanced to their first conference championship game in team history when they beat the Georgia Force in the divisional round 73–70. Raymond Philyaw had eight touchdown passes and Robert Redd and Otis Amey each caught three touchdowns in

1071-434: A high of 19 teams in 2007, the league contracted to a low of four teams in 2018, all in the northeastern United States. There were six teams playing in 2019 , the league's final season. On October 29, 2019, league commissioner Randall Boe confirmed reports that the league had discontinued operating teams in local markets for the 2020 season. Four weeks later on November 27, league commissioner Boe announced via Twitter that

1190-736: A key defensive stop, all in the final minute of a 1992 game against the Detroit Drive . He was a 7-time AFL Ironman of the Year award winner, 7 years in a row (1992–1997) He was traded to the New Jersey Red Dogs for Alvin Ashley on September 23, 1999, after requesting a trade. However, soon after the trade, the league and its players agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement that resulted in several veteran players — including Wagner — gaining free agency. Wagner then signed with

1309-556: A lack of capital and unresolved liabilities. On February 1, 2023, G6 Sports Group (based in Toronto, Ontario), a new ownership group that had acquired the league's trademarks and social media accounts, announced another revival of the league which began play in 2024. This league is not directly related to the previous league. The league lasted one season before all of its remaining teams left to form Arena Football One prior to 2025. The second iteration's final 2019 season consisted of

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1428-488: A new corporation comprising teams from both leagues, and the AFL returned in 2010. The league's average game attendance after returning in 2010 was approximately 9,500. The league historically had a nationwide footprint, and was recognized as the most prominent professional indoor football league in North America, offering higher payment, more widespread media exposure, and a longer history than competing leagues. From

1547-404: A new deal on a four-year CBA was reached, nearly doubling player compensation and granting expanded health insurance benefits. On March 27, 2018, the AFL announced that commissioner Scott Butera would be replaced by former AOL counsel Randall Boe prior to the 2018 season. The AFL also partnered with DraftKings to bring back AFL Fantasy Football. The league continued organizational changes for

1666-548: A player to go out of bounds presently is if he is tackled into or deliberately contacts the side boards. This was also the first year the ArenaBowl was played at a neutral site. In 2007, free substitution was allowed, ending the "iron man" era of one-platoon football ; also, games ending in ties were abolished. The next season, in 2008, the "jack" linebacker was allowed to go sideboard to sideboard without being penalized for "illegal defense". After 12 years as commissioner of

1785-478: A score of 103–3 — and two championships (Haege was later charged by the AFL with violating the af2 salary cap rules at Quad City, and was fined heavily by the league. Also, the Quad City team was banned from the af2 playoffs in 2002). The Gladiators' new quarterback for 2002 was Jay McDonagh, who had played under Haege. Former Red Dog Alvin Ashley was back with the club, seeing limited duty; however, this time around

1904-689: A thorough thrashing of the Iowa Barnstormers (runners-up in the previous year's ArenaBowl X ), and also one game in which they scored a then-record 91 points against the Texas Terror . (This record has since been surpassed by the New York Dragons , who scored 99 in a game against the Carolina Cobras in 2001 .) The Red Dogs were led by head coach John Hufnagel , who had been a quarterback and offensive coordinator for

2023-500: A touring model similar to the Premier Lacrosse League or basketball's BIG3 ) and that a decision on the league's future would most likely be announced near the end of 2019. Approximately a month after the announcement of the closure of teams, on November 27, 2019, commissioner Boe announced via the league's Twitter account that the league would be filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and fully cease operations, citing

2142-481: A two-year leave of absence while their arena, shared with its primary tenant the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers , was undergoing construction during the basketball offseason. The next month, the longest-tenured AFL team, with franchise roots to the inaugural AFL season, the Tampa Bay Storm , also suspended operations citing financial problems. In February 2018, the 2018 season schedule was finalized with only

2261-549: A winning record of 9–7. On June 21, the Gladiators clinched a playoff berth with a 47–35 win against the Columbus Destroyers as well as home field advantage for the first round. Cleveland won its first playoff game in 10 years with a 69–66 win over the Orlando Predators. Raymond Philyaw threw for 436 yards (the second-most yards in AFL postseason history) and eight touchdowns, receiver Robert Redd caught

2380-479: Is the AFL's all-time leader in rushing touchdowns with 127, until it was broken by Derrick Ross on June 6, 2014. As of the 2011 AFL season, he ranks third in league history in receptions, second in receiving yards behind Damian Harrell , fourth in receiving touchdowns. Wagner is tied for second in all-time tackles and fourth in interceptions. Wagner was originally signed by the New England Blitz of

2499-537: Is very populous in its own right, the Red Dogs had hoped to be the team for the entire New York metropolitan area . Despite this setback, the Red Dogs management built a good team, which opened its history in memorable fashion. The team won 8 of its first 9 games, including a victory in their inaugural game on a last-second game-winning field goal , a thrilling overtime victory against the Albany Firebirds ,

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2618-699: The 2003 season and played their home games at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas . This arena was also the home of a previous Arena team, the Las Vegas Sting , in 1994 and 1995. In 2007, in an effort to increase attendance, the Gladiators moved to the Orleans Arena . The move did not have the desired effect; the Gladiators averaged 5,383 fans in 2007, down from 10,115 in 2006. The Gladiators competed in

2737-822: The Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League . After his time with the Red Dogs, Hufnagel went on to be an offensive coach for several National Football League teams, including the New England Patriots and the New York Giants . He then became the head coach of the CFL's Stampeders for the 2008 season, and won the Grey Cup in his first season at the helm. Hufnagel brought in several players with CFL experience to

2856-652: The Iowa Barnstormers 86–49. On July 12, 2014, following their 50–47 overtime win over the San Antonio Talons , the Gladiators clinched the East Division Championship, and the #1 seed in the American Conference for the 2014 playoffs. On July 26, 2014, the Gladiators set an AFL record for wins in a single season by going 17–1 after defeating the Tampa Bay Storm , 56–49. This gave the Gladiators home field advantage throughout

2975-730: The Los Angeles Kiss , owned by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of the rock band Kiss , and the Portland Thunder . In 2014, the league announced the granting of a new franchise to Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil , previously part-owner of the Jacksonville Sharks. That franchise, the Las Vegas Outlaws , played their home games at the Thomas & Mack Center , previously home to the Las Vegas Sting and Las Vegas Gladiators . After 20 years as

3094-569: The Milwaukee Mustangs , the name of Milwaukee's original AFL team that had existed from 1994 to 2001. In 2012, the AFL celebrated its silver anniversary for its 25th season of operations. The season kicked off on March 9, 2012. The Tulsa Talons moved to San Antonio, Texas , and Jeffrey Vinik became owner of the Tampa Bay Storm. The Dallas Vigilantes were left off the schedule for the 2012 season with no announcement from

3213-631: The New York CityHawks . Their ownership group, which was led by New Jersey radio entrepreneur E. Burke Ross, also included several ex- NFL players, such as Joe Morris , Carl Banks , and Harry Carson . The name "Red Dogs" reflected the sponsorship of the Miller Brewing Company , the makers of Red Dog beer. The Red Dogs played at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey . The AFL's intention

3332-451: The Pittsburgh Power . This was the first ever game forfeited in AFL history, due to the Gladiators (representing the AFL players' union) going on strike to protest on-field safety concerns and contract disputes with AFL management. Though the Gladiators would end the streak with a Week 16 win against division rival Milwaukee, two more losses against Orlando and Utah officially eliminated the team from playoff contention. The Gladiators finished

3451-601: The San Jose SaberCats . Wagner played for the Sabercats from 2000 to 2006, and won the ArenaBowl with San Jose in 2002 and 2004. During the AFL's 20th season in 2006, the league named Wagner the league's second greatest player of all time behind Eddie Brown . On Wednesday, March 28, 2007, after being cut from the Tampa Bay Storm 's practice squad , he joined the Daytona Beach Thunder of

3570-639: The Spokane Shock officially left the AFL and joined the IFL under the new name Spokane Empire , becoming the fifth active AFL/af2 franchise to leave for the IFL since the 2009 AFL bankruptcy ( Iowa Barnstormers , Tri-Cities Fever , Green Bay Blizzard , and Arkansas Twisters left previously). On November 12, the league announced the defending champion San Jose SaberCats would be ceasing operations due to "reasons unrelated to league operations". A statement from

3689-475: The United States Patent and Trademark Office to patent his invented sport. The patent application covered the rules of the game, specifically detailing the goalposts and rebound netting and their impact on gameplay. Foster's application was granted on March 27, 1990. The patent expired on March 27, 2007. From its inception, the AFL operated in a state of semi-obscurity; many Americans had heard

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3808-932: The WIFL . However, after the Thunder ended their season at 4–10, he rejoined the Predators for the 2007 AFL playoffs . On June, Friday 13th, 2008 during halftime at the Week 16 game vs. New Orleans VooDoo, Barry Wagner officially retired from the AFL. Wagner finished his career with 991 receptions for 13,363 yards and 265 touchdowns. From 1993 to 1999, Wagner posted seven consecutive 1,000 yard receiving seasons. He had 855 rushing yards for 127 touchdowns. On special teams, Wagner posted 6,279 return yards and nine touchdowns, with four of them coming in 1999. Defensively, Wagner finished his career with 677 tackles, 28 forced fumbles, recovering 14, with 47 interceptions and five defensive scores. He

3927-553: The World Indoor Football League (WIFL) as a wide receiver / defensive back with the Daytona Beach Thunder . Wagner is the all-time AFL all-purpose yardage leader. He is considered the best Arena Football player of all time. During the 2012 Arena Football League season , Wagner was named the league's greatest player of all time. Wagner attended Greensboro Public School in Greensboro, Alabama where he

4046-533: The 1994 season, the AFL had a number of other teams which it considered "dynasties" between 1994 and 2016. The most successful of these were the Tampa Bay Storm and their arch-rival the Orlando Predators , as well as the San Jose SaberCats and their rivals, the Arizona Rattlers . Among those four teams, they won 14 of 22 ArenaBowls in that time span and appeared in all but two. In 1993,

4165-524: The 2012 season at 8–10, second place in the East Division. The Gladiators' 2012–2013 offseason saw the departure of veteran quarterback John Dutton, who had been with the team for the past three seasons. The team's fifth season in Cleveland was a struggle, as the Gladiators never were able to have any long sustained success over the course of the year, finishing at 4-14 (tied with Pittsburgh for

4284-597: The 2014 AFL playoffs. On August 2, 2014, the Gladiators defeated the Philadelphia Soul , 39–37, on a last second field goal by Aaron Pettrey in the first round of the AFL playoffs to advance to the American Conference finals. On August 10, 2014, the Gladiators defeated the Orlando Predators 56–46 to win the American Conference Championship, and advance to the ArenaBowl for the first time in franchise history. In ArenaBowl XXVII ,

4403-515: The 2015 AFL playoffs, drawing the East Division Champion Philadelphia Soul in the first round. The Gladiators' season ended on August 15 when they lost to Philadelphia 47–35 in the first round of the AFL playoffs. For the 2016 season, the AFL featured eight teams, due to a number of teams either folding or moving to other indoor football leagues. As part of the restructuring, the Gladiators were moved from

4522-511: The 2019 season with Philadelphia Soul owner Ron Jaworski taking over as chairman of the executive committee, moving the league's headquarters from Las Vegas to Philadelphia , and naming John Adams as president and chief operating officer. On December 27, 2018, the AFL introduced a new set of logos to be used beginning with the 2019 season. The league announced an expansion team in Atlantic City, New Jersey , on January 22, 2019, that

4641-671: The 2020 season. When the renovations were completed, the league suspended all city-based team operations for at least the 2020 season putting the Gladiators' plans on hold. The AFL filed for bankruptcy November 27, 2019, and ceased operations. Fullbacks Wide receivers Defensive linemen Defensive backs Kickers Other league exempt League suspension Inactive reserve Refuse to report Recallable reassignment Rookies in italics Roster updated August 14, 2017 23 Active, 18 Inactive Arena Football League The Arena Football League ( AFL )

4760-667: The AFL for an unintended reason, when the Pittsburgh Gladiators' head coach, Joe Haering, made football history by punching commissioner Jim Foster during a game with the Chicago Bruisers . The national media ran with the story, including a photo in USA Today . The game was played between the two teams in Sacramento's ARCO Arena , as part of the AFL's 'Barnstorming America' tour. Foster had walked onto

4879-521: The AFL for the IFL on October 17, leaving the AFL with four teams. They were the sixth AFL team to leave for the IFL since the 2010 relaunch. On November 14, the AFL announced that it had granted a second franchise to Washington Valor owner Ted Leonsis to be based out of Baltimore for the 2017 season, the Baltimore Brigade , bringing the league up to five teams. On August 23, 2017, the week of ArenaBowl XXX , multiple sources revealed that

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4998-569: The AFL planned to expand to Albany, New York , and Newark, New Jersey , for 2018. The Albany Empire was confirmed October 24, with the team owned by Hearst Communications executive George Randolph Hearst III and sharing non-football management with the Philadelphia Soul. There was never another mention of a Newark team in the offseason. On November 28, the Cleveland Gladiators announced that they would have to take

5117-498: The AFL semifinals to end their season. In September 2017, it was announced that Quicken Loans Arena would be undergoing significant renovations during the 2018 and 2019 basketball offseason so as not to conflict with its primary tenant, the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers . However, as the AFL season runs into the basketball offseason, the Gladiators had to take a two-year leave of absence beginning in November 2017 with hopes to return for

5236-417: The AFL was reduced from eight teams down to five, due to teams folding or transferring to other leagues. With only five teams, the AFL essentially played a round-robin style 14 game schedule, with the top four teams at the end of the season advancing to the playoffs. The Gladiators finished at 5–9, clinching third place and a playoff spot. Cleveland would go on to lose to the #2 seed Tampa Bay Storm 73–59 in

5355-425: The AFL's bankruptcy and dissolution prompted the dissolution of af2 as well. That league was formally considered disbanded on September 8, 2009, when no owner committed his or her team to the league's eleventh season by that deadline. For legal reasons, af2 league officials and owners agreed to form a new legal entity, Arena Football 1 (AF1), with former AFL teams the Arizona Rattlers and Orlando Predators joining

5474-545: The AFL, David Baker retired unexpectedly on July 25, 2008, just two days before ArenaBowl XXII ; deputy commissioner Ed Policy was named interim commissioner until Baker's replacement was found. Baker explained, "When I took over as commissioner, I thought it would be for one year. It turned into 12. But now it's time." In October 2008, Tom Benson announced that the New Orleans VooDoo were ceasing operations and folding "based on circumstances currently affecting

5593-578: The AFLPA for the AFL to suspend the entire 2009 season in order to create "a long-term plan to improve its economic model." In doing so, the AFL became the second sports league to cancel an entire season, after the National Hockey League cancelled the 2004–05 season because of a lockout . The AFL also became the third sports league to lose its postseason (the first being Major League Baseball , which lost its postseason in 1994 because of

5712-637: The American to the National Conference, so as to give each conference four teams. They finished the regular season at 7–9, third place in the National Conference. In the first round of the AFL playoffs, the Gladiators rallied and defeated the Los Angeles KISS 56–52 after trailing the bulk of the game. The Gladiators then lost to the Arizona Rattlers 82–41 in the National Conference championship game, ending their season. In 2017,

5831-601: The Arena Football League with four teams: the Pittsburgh Gladiators , Denver Dynamite , Washington Commandos , and Chicago Bruisers . Foster appointed legendary Darrel "Mouse" Davis , godfather of the "run and shoot" and modern pro offenses, as executive director of football operations. Davis hired the original coaches and was the architect of the league's original wide-open offensive playbooks. The first game in Arena Football League history

5950-418: The ArenaBowl. While the semifinals had two games for each pair of teams, the ArenaBowl was still one game. Barry Wagner Barry Wagner (born November 24, 1967) is a former American football player in the Arena Football League (AFL) for the Orlando Predators , with whom he won his first ArenaBowl Championship, and the San Jose SaberCats , with whom he won two championships. He also played in

6069-597: The Desperados' properties around those of the Dallas Cowboys , making the two inseparable. The auction occurred on November 25, 2009. The assets were awarded to Arena Football 1 on December 7, 2009, with a winning bid of $ 6.1 million. On February 17, 2010, AF1 announced it would use the "Arena Football League" name. The league announced plans for the upcoming season and details of its contract with NFL Network to broadcast AFL games in 2010. AF1 teams were given

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6188-678: The Drive regularly played before sold-out crowds at Joe Louis Arena , and went to the ArenaBowl every year of their existence (1988–1993). The AFL's first dynasty came to an end when their owner, Mike Ilitch (who also owned Little Caesars Pizza and the Detroit Red Wings ) bought the Detroit Tigers and sold the AFL team. Although the Drive moved to Massachusetts, becoming the Massachusetts Marauders for

6307-544: The Gladiators and continue to retain the team colors of red, silver, and black. On March 3, the Gladiators played their inaugural game in Quicken Loans Arena , a 61–49 win over the New York Dragons. Raymond Philyaw , the team's quarterback, was named the offensive player of the game after throwing for five touchdowns. The team's first season in Cleveland was a successful one, as they went on to have

6426-515: The Gladiators were defeated by the Arizona Rattlers , 72–32. The Gladiators opened the 2015 season by winning their first two games; however, on April 11 in an ArenaBowl XXVII rematch, the Gladiators lost to the Arizona Rattlers 49–41 in their home opener. Overall, the Gladiators were not able to replicate the success of 2014, finishing with a regular season record of 8–10, second in the East Division. This overall record did qualify for

6545-408: The Gladiators were sold to Cleveland Cavaliers and Lake Erie Monsters owner Dan Gilbert . With John Dutton back as the starting quarterback, the Gladiators began their 2012 campaign successfully, reaching a record of 6–3 at the midway point of the season. However, the team then went on a five-game losing streak, which included some controversy when on June 8, 2012, the Gladiators lost by forfeit to

6664-462: The New York Dragons did not return. The league added one expansion team, the Pittsburgh Power . Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Lynn Swann was one of the team's owners. It was the first time the AFL returned to Pittsburgh since the Pittsburgh Gladiators were an original franchise in 1987 before becoming the Tampa Bay Storm . The Brigade changed its name to the Command, becoming the Kansas City Command. Even though they were returning teams,

6783-400: The Red Dogs slumped in 1999 to their first losing season, going 6–8, despite winning 3 of their first 4. The Red Dogs made a significant trade following the 1999 season, a trade they never got to benefit from. New Jersey sent Alvin Ashley to the Orlando Predators for wide receiver/defensive back Barry Wagner , widely regarded as the greatest player in the league's history. However, soon after

6902-416: The Red Dogs, including QB Rickey Foggie and offensive specialist Larry Ray Willis . The team's other main receiver was Alvin Ashley , a player whose small size (150 lb.) made him unlikely to play in the NFL but suited the more compact Arena game. The Red Dogs slumped late in their first season, losing 4 of their final 5 games to finish 9–5, then losing to the Orlando Predators in the first round of

7021-407: The Spokane Shock, the defending ArenaBowl Champions, at their own arena. However, this victory was marred by an Achilles' heel injury to John Dutton in the final minutes, which would ultimately sideline him for the season. Fortunately, the team's backup quarterback Kurt Rocco performed well in his first Arena football start as the Gladiators 3–0. In their home opener, wide receiver Troy Bergeron set

7140-447: The Tampa Bay Storm; and it acquired Connell Maynor from Orlando to be the starting Quarterback. Maynor had led the Predators to victory in ArenaBowl XIV the previous season, and was named the game's MVP. An all-around threat, Maynor had played with the CityHawks under Kuharich in 1997, but took only one snap all season as the backup to Mike Perez . Instead, the CityHawks used Maynor as a wide receiver/linebacker, and one week he even won

7259-442: The VooDoo came during the Platinum Equity conference call, leading to speculation that he had folded because of the deal. Because of the sudden loss of the New Orleans franchise, the league announced in October that the beginning of the free agency period would be delayed in order to accommodate a dispersal draft . Dates were eventually announced as December 2 for the dispersal draft and December 4 for free agency, but shortly before

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7378-506: The Western Division of the AFL's American Conference. The team went 31–50 in five years in Las Vegas, making the playoffs once. On October 16, 2007, it was announced in a press conference that the Gladiators would be relocating to Cleveland, Ohio . This would be the second arena football team to play be in the Cleveland area; the Cleveland Thunderbolts played at the Richfield Coliseum in Richfield, Ohio , for three seasons from 1992 to 1994. Former Cleveland Browns Quarterback Bernie Kosar

7497-435: The award for the league's best "ironman" (player who plays both on offense and defense , as 6 of 8 players used to play both sides of the ball in Arena Football). The Gladiators reached the lowest ebb in franchise history during the 2001 season, winning only 2 out of 14 games. The club's top receivers attained roughly half the number of yards that Larry Ray Willis had achieved in each of the franchise's first two seasons, and

7616-412: The closure of all six of the league's teams. The closure came as the league re-evaluated its business model and worked to respond to a lawsuit filed against the league by its former worker's compensation insurance provider. Boe also stated that they had not made the decision to suspend operations for the entire league at that time (raising the possibility that if the league did return, it would do so under

7735-447: The draft the league issued a press release announcing the draft had been postponed one day to December 3. Shortly thereafter, another press release announced that the draft would be held on December 9 and free agency would commence on December 11. However, the draft still never took place, and instead another press release was issued stating that both the draft and free agency had been postponed indefinitely. Rumors began circulating that

7854-428: The field of play to mediate an altercation between the two teams when Haering, a former NFL assistant, punched him in the jaw. Haering was suspended without pay. One of the league's early success stories was the Detroit Drive . A primary team for some of the AFL's most highly regarded players, including George LaFrance and Gary and Alvin Rettig, as well as being a second career chance for quarterback Art Schlichter ,

7973-443: The first non-motorsports-related professional sports league in the United States to have a title sponsor, renaming it the NET10 Wireless Arena Football League. The redesigned website showed the new logo which incorporated the current AFL logo with the one from NET10 Wireless. The title sponsorship agreement ended in 2014 after a two-year partnership. In 2013, the league expanded with the addition of two new franchises to play in 2014,

8092-416: The first one in which the league's games would be televised weekly by NBC ), owner Ferraro moved the team to Las Vegas. The AFL schedules for the 2003 season had already been devised; so the Las Vegas Gladiators would play that season in the Eastern Division of the National Conference, before shifting in 2004 to the American Conference's Western Division. The Gladiators relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada, for

8211-479: The first-ever televised AFL game the next night, on June 20, 1987, at the Rosemont Horizon in suburban Chicago on ESPN with Bob Rathbun and Lee Corso calling the play-by-play. The broadcast showed a short clip of the Commandos-Gladiators game. Each team played six games, two against each other team. The top two teams, Denver and Pittsburgh, then competed in the first-ever AFL championship game, ArenaBowl I . On September 30, 1987, Foster filed an application with

8330-486: The former af2 Bossier–Shreveport Battle Wings moved to New Orleans as the Voodoo, the identity formerly owned by New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson. The former af2 Alabama Vipers moved to Duluth, Georgia , to become the new Georgia Force (the earlier franchise of that name having been a continuation of the first Nashville Kats franchise). On October 25, 2010, lt was announced that the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz would not return. The Milwaukee Iron also changed names to

8449-399: The former af2. All assets of the Arena Football League were put up for auction. On November 11, 2009, the new league announced its intention to purchase the entire assets of the former AFL; the assets included the team names and logos of all but one of the former AFL and af2 teams. The lone exception was that of the Dallas Desperados ; Desperados owner Jerry Jones had purposely designed

8568-462: The four remaining teams, matching the size of the league in the original "demonstration season" in 1987 . However, the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the AFL and Arena Football League Players' Union (AFLPU) had expired after the 2017 season. A new agreement had not been made despite several proposals and supposed ultimatums between the two parties leading to rumors that the season and league's existence were in jeopardy. On March 16, 2018,

8687-415: The franchise. One month later, the league missed the deadline to formally ratify the new collective bargaining agreement and announced that it was eliminating health insurance for the players. Progress on the return stalled, and no announcements were made regarding the future of the league. On July 20, 2009, Sports Business Journal reported that the AFL owed approximately $ 14 million to its creditors and

8806-407: The history of the league have enjoyed little success either on or off of the field of play. There were a number of franchises which existed in the form of a series of largely-unrelated teams with little to no continuity of either coaching staffs or players under numerous management groups until they folded. One example of several which could be cited is the New York CityHawks , whose owners transferred

8925-399: The host city's evident lack of interest in its team or the sport as a whole. The year 2000 brought heightened interest in the AFL. Then- St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner , who was MVP of Super Bowl XXXIV , was first noticed because he played quarterback for the AFL's Iowa Barnstormers . While many sports commentators and fans continued to ridicule the league, Warner's story gave

9044-414: The idea to a few friends at the NFL offices, where he received praise and encouragement for his concept. After solidifying the rules and a business plan, and supplemented with sketches by a professional artist, Foster presented his idea to various television networks. He reached an agreement with NBC for a "test game". Plans for arena football were put on hold in 1982 as the United States Football League

9163-574: The initial test game that Foster decided to put on a second, "showcase" game. The second game was held on February 27, 1987, at the Rosemont Horizon in Chicago with a budget of $ 20,000, quintuple the $ 4,000 for the test game. Foster also invited ESPN to send a film crew to the game; a highlights package aired on SportsCenter . Following the successes of his trial-run games, Foster moved ahead with his idea for arena football. He founded

9282-483: The league and the team". Shortly thereafter, an article in Sports Business Journal announced that the AFL had a tentative agreement to sell a $ 100 million stake in the league to Platinum Equity ; in exchange, Platinum Equity would create a centralized, single-entity business model that would streamline league and team operations and allow the league to be more profitable. Benson's move to shut down

9401-479: The league as a whole had filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, dissolving the league for the second time. Jim Foster , a promotions manager with the National Football League, conceived of indoor football while watching an indoor soccer match at Madison Square Garden in 1981. While at the game, he wrote his idea on a 9 x 12 envelope, with sketches of the field and notes on gameplay. He presented

9520-488: The league held a teleconference with the remaining team owners and issued a statement the next morning declaring that the league would continue in the long-term, although the league did not expressly commit to playing in 2017 at that time. On October 14, the AFL held a dispersal draft with the five teams selecting players from the Jacksonville, Los Angeles, Orlando, and Portland rosters. The Rattlers then officially left

9639-430: The league indicated that the AFL was working to secure new, long-term owners for the franchise. This left the AFL with eight teams for 2016 . On January 6, 2016, the league took over "ownership and operational control" of the Portland Thunder from its previous owners. The AFL stated this move was made after months of trying work out an arrangement "to provide financial and operational support." On February 3, 2016, it

9758-502: The league positive exposure, and it brought the league a new television deal with TNN , which, unlike ESPN, televised regular season games live. While it was not financially lucrative, it helped set the stage for what the league would become in the new millennium. The year also brought a spin-off league, the af2 , intended to be a developmental league , comparable to the National Football League 's NFL Europe . There

9877-403: The league reorganized as Arena Football 1 before purchasing the assets of the Arena Football League, therefore assuming the AFL's history, and the Gladiators were revived for the 2010 season, with owner Jim Ferraro and Bernie Kosar returning as team president and Quicken Loans Arena continuing to act as the team's home field. On December 23, 2009, former Grand Rapids Rampage coach Steve Thonn

9996-721: The league staged its first All-Star Game in Des Moines, Iowa , the future home of the long-running Iowa Barnstormers , as a fundraiser for flood victims in the area . The National Conference defeated the American Conference 64–40 in front of a crowd of 7,189. The second All-Star event was in October 2013, with two games, the first in Honolulu , Hawai'i , the second being in Beijing , China. While some teams have enjoyed considerable on-field and even financial success, many teams in

10115-498: The league was in trouble and on the verge of folding, but owners denied those claims. It was soon revealed the players' union had agreed to cut the salary cap for the 2009 season to prevent a total cessation of operations. However, the announced Platinum Equity investment never materialized. Although the af2 played its tenth season in 2009, a conference call in December 2008 resulted in enough votes from owners and cooperation from

10234-401: The league's 32 seasons culminated in the ArenaBowl , with the winner being crowned the league's champion for that season. From 2000 to 2009, the AFL had its own developmental league , the af2 . The AFL played 22 seasons from 1987 to 2008; internal issues caused the league to cancel its 2009 season, though the af2 did play. Later that year both the AFL and af2 were dissolved and reorganized as

10353-605: The league's website on December 10, 2015, showed an eight-team league playing a 16-game regular season over 18 weeks, with two bye weeks for each team, one on a rotational basis and the other a "universal bye" for all teams during the Independence Day weekend, the first weekend in July. All teams qualified for the postseason, meaning that the regular season served only to establish seeding . On February 10, 2016, The Washington Post and radio station WTOP-FM first broke

10472-821: The league, with Jacksonville establishing the National Arena League and the Predators , after a period of dormancy, being reclaimed by some of its former players and also joining the NAL in 2019. The next day, it was reported that the Arizona Rattlers were in the planning stages to also leave the AFL for the Indoor Football League for 2017. In the same report, it was stated the Los Angeles Kiss and Portland Steel had apparently folded after both teams failed to return calls or respond to inquiries into 2017 season ticket purchases. Later on October 13,

10591-606: The main New Jersey receiver was Mike Horacek , who had starred for the Iowa Barnstormers, and who later returned to that franchise to play for the Dragons. The Gladiators' fortunes turned around, and they had their first winning season since 1998, going 9–5 and hosting a playoff game for the first time (a loss to Orlando). A few weeks before the start of the 2003 season (the first one to begin in February instead of April, and

10710-425: The management, and the team was subsequently quietly folded with no formal announcement ever being released. The AFL postponed the free agency period to October 31 due to Hurricane Sandy , noting that the National Football League was simultaneously doing the same thing with regard to its trade deadline. It was announced on December 12, 2012, that the AFL had reached a partnership agreement with NET10 Wireless to be

10829-754: The option of restoring historical names to their teams. In addition to the historical teams, the league added two new expansion franchises, the Dallas Vigilantes and the Jacksonville Sharks . For the 2011 season, the Philadelphia Soul , Kansas City Brigade , San Jose SaberCats, New Orleans VooDoo, and the Georgia Force returned to the AFL after having last played in 2008. However, the Grand Rapids Rampage, Colorado Crush, Columbus Destroyers, Los Angeles Avengers, and

10948-746: The playoffs. The Red Dogs finished 8–6 in 1998 , their second season, and won their first playoff game in Albany against the Firebirds. Hufnagel left the Red Dogs after the 1998 season for a job with the NFL's Cleveland Browns , and he was replaced by Frank Mattiace , a former defensive lineman for the New Jersey Generals of the USFL . Star Larry Ray Willis was traded to the Milwaukee Mustangs Following those losses,

11067-495: The rest of the season. Through 2011, the Gladiators were very strong at home but often mediocre on the road. Though they finished with a 7–1 record at Quicken Loans Arena, they were only 3–6 in away games. But the season ultimately ended with success, as the team beat their newest rival, the Pittsburgh Power , to clinch the American Conference East Division and guarantee a spot in the playoffs. This

11186-484: The rushing leader was quarterback Maynor himself. In 2002 , the club had another new coach, Frank Haege , who had been a Red Dog assistant under John Hufnagel. After leaving the Red Dogs, Haege went on to coach the Quad City Steamwheelers of the AFL's minor-league circuit af2 . Haege's Quad City team had dominated the af2 for two seasons, winning 31 of 32 regular-season games — including one win by

11305-556: The same group which owned the NFL teams in their host cities, after NFL resolution to allow league owners to own the individual AFL clubs. Also, on February 8, 1999, the NFL purchased, but never exercised, an option to buy a major interest in the AFL (49.9%). Of all of these teams, only the Philadelphia Soul were still playing in the AFL in their last season before folding. In 2003, the season expanded to 16 games. There were also several rule changes in this period. In 2005, players were no longer allowed to run out of bounds. The only way for

11424-498: The season, the Gladiators were officially eliminated from playoff contention when their division rivals the Milwaukee Iron defeated the Orlando Predators. The Gladiators finished their 2010 campaign with a 7–9 record. The Gladiators returned in 2011 with Steve Thonn once again serving as head coach. John Dutton also returned as the team's starting quarterback. The Gladiators started their 2011 campaign successfully, upsetting

11543-564: The story that Monumental Sports & Entertainment ( Ted Leonsis , chairman), which also owns the NHL 's Washington Capitals , NBA 's Washington Wizards , and WNBA 's Washington Mystics , were "close to a deal" in bring a new expansion franchise to the Verizon Center . On March 10, 2016, AFL commissioner Scott Butera announced that the deal was finalized and that the new Washington, D.C., team would begin play in 2017. On July 14, 2016,

11662-573: The team from New York City to Hartford to become the New England Sea Wolves after two seasons, then after another two seasons were sold and became the Toronto Phantoms , which lasted another two seasons until folding. There are a number of reasons why these teams failed, including financially weak ownership groups, lack of deep financial support from some owners otherwise capable of providing it, lack of media exposure, and

11781-575: The team in mid-season and was replaced on an interim basis by Kevin Guy , a former defensive back/wide receiver who had played two full seasons with the Red Dogs. Before the 2001 season, the New Jersey team was sold to Jim Ferraro , a lawyer from Miami, Florida . Ferraro changed the team name to the New Jersey Gladiators . The new ownership appointed as head coach the ex-CityHawk boss Lary Kuharich , who had won ArenaBowl VII in 1993 with

11900-476: The team name was revealed as the Washington Valor . There was also talk for franchises to return to San Antonio and St. Louis as well as a potential new team for Sacramento. However, when the 2017 schedule was announced, there was no mention of any San Antonio, St. Louis, or Sacramento teams. On October 12, 2016, both the Orlando Predators and Jacksonville Sharks announced their departure from

12019-493: The term "arena football" but knew little to nothing about the league itself. From the 1987 season until the late 1990s, the most exposure the league would receive was on ESPN, which aired tape-delayed games, often well after midnight, and often edited to match the allotted time slot. The league received its first taste of wide exposure in 1998, when Arena Bowl XII was televised nationally as part of ABC 's old Wide World of Sports . On July 23, 1989, much of America learned of

12138-452: The trade, the league and its players agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement that resulted in several veteran players—including Wagner—gaining free agency. Wagner then signed with the San Jose SaberCats . In 2000 , the Red Dogs, without Wagner, Ashley, and offensive mainstay Chad Lindsey, fell to 4–10. Foggie lost his job as starting QB, replaced by Tommy Maddox , at the time a failed NFL quarterback. Head coach Frank Mattiace left

12257-741: The win. The 61 points scored by both teams in the second quarter was also an AFL record for combined points in a quarter. The Gladiators then traveled to Philadelphia to face the Soul in the National Conference Championship game. Unfortunately, their season ended one game short of the Arena Bowl with a tough 70–35 loss. The National Conference Championship would be the Gladiators' last game for almost two years. The Arena Football League canceled its 2009 season and it seemed that operations would be suspended indefinitely. However,

12376-490: The worst record in the entire Arena League). The Gladiators began the 2014 season winning their first nine games, more than doubling their entire win total from the previous season (four). They didn't lose a game until being defeated by the Pittsburgh Power 48–34 on May 31 – more than two months into the season. On Saturday June 7, 2014, the Gladiators set a team record for points scored in a game when they defeated

12495-562: Was a lot of expansion in the 2000s. Expansion teams included the Austin Wranglers , Carolina Cobras , Los Angeles Avengers , Chicago Rush , Detroit Fury , Dallas Desperados , Colorado Crush , New Orleans VooDoo , Philadelphia Soul , Nashville Kats , Kansas City Brigade , New York Dragons and Utah Blaze . Some of these teams, including the Crush, Desperados, Kats, and VooDoo, were owned for at least part of their existence by

12614-417: Was a member of the football team. Wagner served as a wide receiver and the backup quarterback . While attending Alabama A&M University , Wagner starred in football and broke many school records held by former Pittsburgh Steeler John Stallworth . As a senior, he caught 112 passes for 1,817 yards (16.22 yards per rec. avg.), won Associated Press and Football News Division II All-America honors,

12733-542: Was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season , making it the third longest-running professional football league in North America after the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the National Football League (NFL) until the AFL closed in 2019. The AFL played a formerly proprietary code known as arena football ,

12852-575: Was announced as the public face of the team, as well as the President of football operations and minority owner. The Gladiators would play their home games at Quicken Loans Arena , the home of the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers and the AHL's Lake Erie Monsters . The team also moved back to the Eastern Division of the National Conference for the first time since 2003. The team would still be known as

12971-626: Was announced that the franchise would start from scratch and no longer be called the "Thunder" as the name and trademarks belong to former franchise owner Terry Emmert (similar to the Jerry Jones move with the Desperados). AFL commissioner Scott Butera announced that a new identity would be announced at a later date. On February 24, 2016, the Thunder were rebranded as the Portland Steel . The league's 2016 schedule , announced on

13090-421: Was considering filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. In early August 2009, numerous media outlets began reporting that the AFL was folding permanently and would file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The league released a statement on August 4 to the effect that while the league was not folding, it was suspending league operations indefinitely. Despite this, several of the league's creditors filed papers to force

13209-611: Was later announced by the league that the Power would go dormant for 2015 and were looking for new ownership. No new ownership group ever materialized, however. Jerry Kurz also stepped down as commissioner of the AFL as he was promoted to be the AFL's first president. Former Foxwoods CEO Scott Butera was hired as his successor as commissioner. On August 9, 2015, ESPN reported that the New Orleans VooDoo and Las Vegas Outlaws had ceased operations. On September 1, 2015,

13328-584: Was launched. Foster left the NFL to accept a position in the USFL. He eventually became executive vice-president with the Chicago Blitz , where he returned to his concept of arena football. In 1983, he began organizing the test game in his spare time from his job with the Blitz. By 1985, the USFL had ceased football operations and he began devoting all his time to arena football, and on April 27, 1986, his concept

13447-507: Was named as new head coach of the Gladiators. Soon after, Arena Football 1 decided to re-adopt the Arena Football League name. During their first season in two years, the Gladiators hovered around .500 for the majority of the time. Highlights of the season included blowout victories over the Utah Blaze and the Iowa Barnstormers, but there were also some close losses attributed to poor special teams play. On July 17, during their 15th game of

13566-402: Was played on June 19, 1987, between the Gladiators and Commandos at Pittsburgh Civic Arena in front of 12,117 fans. The game was deliberately not televised so that it could be analyzed and any follies and failures would not be subject to national public scrutiny. Following the inaugural game, tweaks and adjustments were made, and the first season continued. The Dynamite and Bruisers played in

13685-606: Was realized when the test game was played. The test game was played in Rockford, Illinois , on April 27, 1986, at the Rockford MetroCentre . Sponsors were secured, and players and coaches from local colleges were recruited to volunteer to play for the teams, the Chicago Politicians and Rockford Metros , with the guarantee of a tryout should the league take off. Interest was high enough following

13804-603: Was the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year, and played in the 1989 Senior Bowl . In one game against Clark Atlanta University , he caught 23 passes, setting two school single game records with 370 receiving yards and 5 receiving touchdowns. During his initial tenure with the Orlando Predators, Wagner was a key component in the famous "Miracle Minute", in which he scored two touchdowns , two two-point conversions , recovered an onside kick , and made

13923-404: Was the second time in three seasons that Gladiators will enter the playoffs while in Cleveland, as well as the first time they have clinched the East Division. The team entered the playoffs with a 10–8 record to face the Georgia Force in the first round. Despite playing at home, the Gladiators played poorly in the second half and were eliminated from contention, losing 50–41. On January 17, 2012,

14042-603: Was to add only New Jersey and Nashville for 1997. However, well after the awarding of the Red Dogs and Kats franchises, the owners of Madison Square Garden in New York City requested a franchise of their own, and the league granted this request. And so the CityHawks also began play in 1997. This affected the Red Dogs, in that the league then prevented the Red Dogs from advertising in New York. While North Jersey itself

14161-556: Was to be operated by the same ownership group as the Albany Empire. On February 7, 2019, the league re-added the Columbus Destroyers as another expansion team to bring the league back to six teams. On May 3, 2019, the AFL and ESPN Inc. announced a new media rights agreement to broadcast all games on ESPN3 with ArenaBowl XXXII to be broadcast on ESPN2 . After the season, league commissioner Boe announced

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