The Sioux City Bandits are a professional indoor football team based in Sioux City, Iowa , and compete as a member of National Arena League (NAL). The team was founded in 1999 as the Sioux City Attack . In 2001, the team assumed their current name of the Bandits. The Bandits play their home games at the Tyson Events Center .
13-937: In 2000, the Sioux City Attack joined the original Indoor Football League (IFL). After this season concluded, the Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League bought out all but two of the league's teams. Once they were founded, the Sioux City Bandits assumed identity of the Attack. The organization has played in eight different leagues including the original IFL (as the Attack), the National Indoor Football League (NIFL), United Indoor Football (UIF),
26-566: A mostly complete schedule, with few cancellations. Before the 2005 season, nine teams left the league to form United Indoor Football . That same year, the Intense Football League ceased operations and four teams from there joined the league. Those teams however, left the league before the 2006 season started. For the 2005 season, the NIFL had an agreement with NFL to handle referee assignment and training. The 2006 season,
39-1730: A part of their developmental ("farm") league, the AF2 . The Wichita Warlords were rebranded the Wichita Stealth. Other teams resurfaced with new names in the Indoor Professional Football League (which consisted of the remnants of the PIFL that Ecklund left in 1999) and the National Indoor Football League . North Division 1. y- Peoria Pirates , 11-1 2. x- Green Bay Bombers , 9-3 3. Madison Mad Dogs , 6-6 4. Duluth-Superior Lumberjacks , 1-11 South Division 1. y- Lincoln Lightning , 7-5 2. x- Dayton Skyhawks , 6-6 3. Topeka Knights , 6-6 4. Steel Valley Smash , 2-10 Northern Division 1. z- Peoria Pirates (14-0) 2. x- Green Bay Bombers (10-4) 3. x- Madison Mad Dogs (8-6) 4. Minnesota Purple Rage (5-9) 5. Duluth-Superior Lumberjacks (2-12) 6. La Crosse River Rats (2-12) Southern Division 1. y- Steel Valley Smash (9-5) 2. x- Erie Invaders (6-8) 3. x- Dayton Skyhawks (6-8) 4. Johnstown Jackals (3-11) 5. Flint Flames (2-12) Northern Division 1. z- Bismarck Blaze (11-3) 2. x- Black Hills Machine (10-4) 3. x- Casper Cavalry (9-5) 4. Billings Thunderbolts (8-6) 5. Fargo Freeze (1-13) Southern Division 1. y- Topeka Knights/Kings (10-4) 2. x- Lincoln Lightning (10-4) 3. x- Sioux City Attack (9-5) 4. Sioux Falls Cobras (8-6) 5. Wichita Warlords (4-10) National Indoor Football League The National Indoor Football League ( NIFL )
52-467: A single season with more than 1,700. That year the Bandits hosted the championship game facing their rival Sioux Falls Storm . Sioux City had beaten Sioux Falls three times during the regular season but lost the championship game, 40–38. After owning the team for 20 years, owner Bob Scott sold the Bandits to Missouri businessman J. R. Bond on 20 January 2021. After the 2021 season, Don Belson came on as
65-698: The new Indoor Football League (IFL), American Professional Football League (APFL), the Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL), and then Champions Indoor Football (CIF). Notable early team accomplishments include former Sioux City running back Fred Jackson being signed by the Buffalo Bills of the NFL . Jackson, out of Coe College , was the 2005 United Indoor Football's league leading rusher in which he set an indoor football record for most yards in
78-407: The 2024 season. Running backs Wide receivers Defensive linemen Defensive backs Special teams Front office Head coaches Offensive coaches Indoor Football League (1999%E2%80%932000) The Indoor Football League ( IFL ) began in 1999 as an offshoot of the troubled Professional Indoor Football League . Keary Ecklund ,
91-471: The NIFL. The league folded in 2008. The NIFL, based in Lafayette, Louisiana , was founded by Carolyn Shiver. The league started operations in 2001, with many teams coming from Indoor Football League being bought the previous year and folding operations. In 2002, the league added in the teams from the Indoor Professional Football League . 2003 was the most successful year for the league as 24 teams played
104-671: The minority co-owner of the team. Belson had been associated with the team for nearly 20 years working in game day operations. In July 2023, the Bandits announced they were leaving the CIF for a new league along with the Omaha Beef and the Topeka Tropics , the last of which would ultimately fold before the 2024 season. On August 8, 2023, the team announced they had joined the National Arena League (NAL) beginning with
117-525: The owner of the Green Bay Bombers and Madison Mad Dogs , left the PIFL after its first, financially troubled, season to start his own league. Unlike the PIFL, the IFL was an "entity league"; teams were owned by the league and franchised out to management groups. NFL Hall-of-Famer Kellen Winslow was brought in as commissioner. The league was successful enough for a major expansion in 2000. Expansion
130-416: The returning teams. However, the teams were all poorly funded and had problems fielding competitive squads. The San Diego Shockwave were declared the official league champion. The league then officially folded prior to the 2008 season. In 2016, a new website announced that the league operations were relaunched by Carolyn Shiver with announced goal of bringing 34 teams into the former AFL markets starting in
143-660: Was a professional indoor football league in the United States. For their first six years, the league had teams in markets not covered by either the Arena Football League or its developmental league, AF2 , however, that changed briefly with their expansion into AFL markets such as Atlanta , Denver , and Los Angeles, and AF2 markets such as Fort Myers and Houston . Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur , Buffalo Bills running back Fred Jackson , New Orleans Saints quarterback John Fourcade and Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl running back Bam Morris , all played in
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#1732786635239156-754: Was done regionally to cut down on travel expenses. Hence, the majority of the teams were in the Midwest . Their championship game was known as the Gold Cup. Midway through the 2000 season, the Topeka Knights changed management and nicknames and became the Kings. After the season, the entire league was purchased by the Arena Football League 's Orlando Predators . Two teams, the Lincoln Lightning and Peoria Pirates , as well as many players, became
169-522: Was the most chaotic for the league to that point. Ten expansion teams were added to the league, but nine of them had problems that reflected badly on the league. The most notable situation was the owner of the Montgomery Maulers firing the entire team. None of the ten expansion teams returned to the league for the next season. The 2007 season started with the addition of several league-owned expansion teams, primarily to supplement games with
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