The Gillette Mustangs (formerly Wyoming Mustangs ) were a professional indoor football team based in Gillette, Wyoming , with home games at Wyoming Center at the CAM-PLEX . The team was a member of Champions Indoor Football .
45-598: The team was announced as a 2021 expansion team as a member of Champions Indoor Football (CIF). In 2022, Gillette lawyer Steven Titus purchased the team from Russ, as well as Russ' other team, the Billings Outlaws . The team had its first playoff berth in its second season eventually losing to the Outlaws. It was announced in late 2022 that Titus would rename the team to the Gillette Mustangs to shift
90-491: A reactivated Dodge City Law . On April 5, director of operations Todd Walkenhorst was named the new league commissioner, replacing founder Bertz who had been in the position since 2017. In August 2021, Walkenhorst was replaced as commissioner by Tommy Benizio, the former commissioner of the Indoor Football League . The league announced expansion teams in the Billings Outlaws , Rapid City Marshals , and
135-605: A rushing touchdown for eventual Champions Bowl MVP Andrew Prohaska of the Sioux City Bandits led to a final score of 76–61. The Mesquite Marshals , Salina Liberty , and Bloomington Edge announced their entrance into the league, bringing the total number of teams to 12. The league meetings were on August 19 in Dodge City, Kansas . Many league changes were announced, including Darlene Jones resigning as commissioner, citing personal health-related reasons. Ricky Bertz
180-633: A sports team in Wyoming is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This American football team article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Champions Indoor Football Champions Indoor Football ( CIF ) was a professional indoor American football minor league created in 2014 out of the merger between the Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL) and Lone Star Football League (LSFL), plus one team from
225-463: The 2010 season , the Extreme started with a 3–5 record and fired head coach Kenton Carr. The team then finished the rest of the season undefeated under former coach Ted Schmitz before losing to Wichita again in the first round of the playoffs. In October 2010, team owner Ed Brady announced that Mike Murray was hired as the team's new head coach for the 2011 Bloomington Extreme season . Murray had been
270-685: The COVID-19 pandemic without playing a game. For the 2021 season, the league added the Wyoming Mustangs in Gillette, Wyoming , as an expansion team. In August 2020, the CIF announced a schedule, keeping a four-team playoff format but with a 10-game regular season starting March 12, 2021, and that all games in 2021 would be streamed live on YouTube , officially ending the league's four-year relationship with Pluto TV . However, by February 2021,
315-509: The Indoor Football League and two expansion teams. The league maximum player salary as of 2022 was $ 200 per game, along with housing, medical and meal expenses. In the past the league used salary cap system which was divided amongst team players, with a minimum per game salary of $ 75 and a maximum of $ 300 with no other benefits. The CIF merged with the Arena Football League on October 5, 2023. The merger which formed
360-805: The Lone Star Football League (LSFL) to create Champions Indoor Football (CIF), where Bloomington did not follow and joined X-League Indoor Football (X-League). Following the 2015 season the Edge joined the CIF. The Edge then announced it had rejoined the IFL for the 2018 season, but a court ruling prevented the team from joining the league until 2019, however, they were not included in that season's schedule. The Bloomington Extreme began as an expansion team in United Indoor Football in 2006 led by head coach Ted Schmitz. They missed
405-595: The National Arena League (NAL) to create a new league for the 2020 season under a new identity with two conferences: the CIF and NAL. However, it was announced on October 10 that the deal had been postponed, with both leagues playing their own individual schedules in 2020. The league added the West Texas Warbirds in Odessa, Texas , as an expansion team. The 2020 season was cancelled due to
450-593: The New Mexico Stars announced that the team would not enter the league as planned after head coach Dominic Bramante resigned two weeks before the scheduled start of training camp. On March 3, the Albuquerque -based Duke City Gladiators announced they were joining the CIF for the 2015 season and would play an abbreviated 11-game schedule as a partial replacement for the New Mexico Stars. At
495-690: The Sioux Falls Storm . The UIF merged with the Intense Football League in the 2008 offseason to create new Indoor Football League (IFL) in 2009. The Extreme were added to the United Conference following the merger. The Extreme signed former Florida State and NFL wide receiver Peter Warrick signed a one-year contract. The team went 10–4 and lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Wichita Wild . In
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#1732794269778540-890: The Topeka Tropics . The league also announced a team in Denver, but it did not make the schedule announced on September 30, 2021, along with the Amarillo Venom, Oklahoma Flying Aces, and West Texas Warbirds. On October 1, the Dodge City Law, which had been a temporary replacement for the Oklahoma Flying Aces, was replaced by an expansion team in Dodge City called the Southwest Kansas Storm . Amarillo and West Texas officially left
585-614: The 2017 season by adding the River City Raiders and West Michigan Ironmen from the recently defunct American Indoor Football and two expansion teams in Kansas City Phantoms and Bismarck Bucks . The CIF announced the league would realign from two to four divisions, with two teams each division making the playoffs. In November 2016, the Chicago Eagles announced that they had suspended operations for
630-598: The 2017 season. Following the Eagles' departure, the River City Raiders left the league, citing the adverse effects on their schedule due to losing a regional opponent, although there had been claims that the Raiders were actually asked to leave due to non-payment of league fees. With the departure of the two teams, the league realigned back into two conferences of seven teams, with four teams per conference making
675-457: The 2020 season and were still in negotiations with Grossinger Motors Arena for a lease. However, the arena instead agreed to a lease with the semiprofessional indoor football team, Midway Marauders , as the Marauders had been in negotiations with the arena before Wells had initiated any conversations, thereby halting the sale of the franchise. From the team's inception until 2011, the team
720-414: The CIF then attempted to sue the IFL and the Edge for leaving the CIF after the Edge had already signed league affiliation agreements with the CIF for 2018. While the CIF did drop the lawsuit against the IFL due to legal retaliation, it filed for an injunction against the Edge from participating in the IFL for breaking the terms of their signed affiliation agreement. A temporary injunction from participation
765-593: The CIF was announced on August 22, 2014, after it had been rumored that the CPIFL and LSFL had been in discussions of a possible merger since July 31, 2014. The Gary Dawgs, originally announced as a charter member of the CIF, rebranded as the Illiana Eagles (later the Chicago Eagles ) after a change in ownership and delayed their entry into the league until 2016. On February 21, 2015, the new owners of
810-625: The Extreme offensive coordinator in 2006. The Extreme went 9–5 and lost to the Omaha Beef in the first round of the playoffs. In November 2011, the team was purchased by Jim Morris, who had been a minority owner of the team. The team agreed with change the name of the franchise to the Bloomington Edge as a tie-in to the Ford Edge . Morris hired Kenton Carr as the head coach for the 2012 Bloomington Edge season . The Edge finished
855-597: The IFL also joined on September 12. On the same day the Nighthawks joined, the Bloomington Edge and West Michigan Ironmen left the CIF for the IFL. The CIF apparently then attempted to sue the IFL, Edge, and Ironmen for leaving the CIF after the two teams had already signed league affiliation agreements with the CIF for 2018. The IFL then threatened to sue the CIF, Storm, and Nighthawks in return despite neither former IFL team signing an affiliation agreement with
900-462: The IFL for 2018. To avoid disputes, the CIF stated they would not schedule either team. The Storm immediately announced that they would return to the IFL and the Nighthawks had to suspend operations. While the CIF did drop the lawsuit against the IFL, it filed for an injunction against the Edge and Ironmen teams from participating in the IFL for breaking the terms of their signed affiliation agreements. A temporary injunction from participation against
945-611: The IFL. When the 2019 schedule was released, both the West Michigan Ironmen and the Kansas City Phantoms had been removed as members. On May 9, the Texas Revolution folded during the season. At the end of the season, the Duke City Gladiators won their second consecutive championship and then withdrew from the league, eventually joining the IFL. The league announced it had partnered with
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#1732794269778990-640: The Mustangs website posted that due to the CIF teams joining the relaunched Arena Football League , and that the CAM-PLEX is incapable of the rebound nets used in that league, that the team would be unable to return to Gillette in 2024. Titus indicated that the Mustangs' AFL rights would be transferred to a new team in Kansas, what eventually became the Wichita Regulators . This article about
1035-495: The Outlaws hinting at seeking to oust Hutton from the commissioner's post. Hutton was successfully ousted May 14, with Jeff Fisher named his successor. When the CPIFL started in 2013, the championship game was known as the "Champions Bowl", so the CIF used the same name for their title game. Bloomington Edge The Bloomington Edge was a professional indoor football team based in Bloomington, Illinois . While it
1080-619: The additional rebound nets necessary to compete in that league, nor would the league allow any franchise owner to control multiple teams. The three remaining CIF teams held a press conference on October 5, in which they confirmed they would be joining the AFL. McCoy was named the AFL Deputy Commissioner on October 26. Several of the former CIF teams who joined the AFL indicated that commissioner Lee Hutton had made promises to cover increased travel and salary expenses for playing in
1125-503: The championship after beating Salina Liberty 50–30 in the Champions Bowl. After the season ended, founding CIF members Beef and Sioux City Bandits , as well as the Topeka Tropics (who ultimately folded instead after ownership abandoned the team ), all announced they were leaving the CIF for a new league, later revealed to be the National Arena League . The CIF then named Mike McCoy as league commissioner. On August 28, 2023,
1170-466: The effects of the pandemic caused the Amarillo Venom and West Texas Warbirds to back out of the season due to a conflicting schedule at their home arena and play an independent regional schedule instead. On April 1, one week prior to their first game of the season, the Oklahoma Flying Aces withdrew from the season citing drastically increased workers' compensation insurance and were replaced by
1215-581: The end of the regular season, the four teams (ordered by seeding) that made the postseason were the Sioux City Bandits , Texas Revolution , Wichita Force , and Amarillo Venom . On Thursday, June 11, Texas defeated Wichita 39–27. Two days later, Sioux City beat Amarillo 83–52 leading to Texas facing Sioux City in Champions Bowl I on June 20 in Iowa. At halftime the score was tied 35–35, but
1260-474: The focus of the team's name from the state of Wyoming to the City of Gillette. Following the 2023 season, Titus announced that his Outlaws team would join the relaunched Arena Football League for the 2024 season, and that the Mustangs' head coach Cedric Walker would be the Outlaws' head coach. Titus initially attempted to put the Mustangs up for sale, believing that CIF would continue operating. On September 25,
1305-546: The league added the ICT Regulators based out of Park City, Kansas , in the Wichita area. On August 29, 2023, the Billings Outlaws left the league and was announced as the first official member of the relaunched Arena Football League . On September 25, 2023, the Gillette Mustangs suspended operations, stating that the remaining CIF members were being absorbed into the AFL and that their arena could not accommodate
1350-612: The league and turned their Lone Star Series from the previous season into the Arena Football Association (AFA) in November 2021. By the end of 2021, J. R. Bond, the new owner of the Sioux City Bandits and Topeka Tropics, had been named the commissioner of the league. The Wichita Force were removed from the league in January 2022. The same eight teams returned for the 2023 season, with the Omaha Beef winning
1395-530: The new league, but failed to deliver on them. The Iowa Rampage , a team that had originally planned to join CIF before it merged into the AFL for the 2024 season, folded after one game when the promised compensation never arrived; the Rapid City Marshals , Salina Liberty and Billings Outlaws confirmed that the Rampage's complaints were legitimate but were committed to playing out the season, with
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1440-718: The playoffs and the team with the best record in each division received a bye in the first round. The division leader would then play the winners of the 2 vs. 3 seeds playoff game. At the end of the 2016 season, the Mesquite Marshals changed their name to the Dallas Marshals . Later, the San Angelo Bandits folded but were immediately replaced by an expansion team called the CenTex Cavalry out of Belton, Texas . The CIF continued to expand for
1485-616: The playoffs in their first season, but improved to an 8–7 record in 2007 before losing to the Lexington Horsemen in the Eastern Conference championship. Schmitz was then named an assistant general manager and Kenton Carr was hired as head coach for 2008. The Extreme went 7–7, but were first place in a weak Eastern Conference. They won their first conference title and went on to the United Bowl where they lost to
1530-611: The playoffs. During the league winter meetings, Bertz returned to his former position of interim league commissioner. Sonny Clark of the Texas Revolution was named as director of operations. On August 16, 2017, the CIF announced the Quad City Steamwheelers as an expansion team for 2018. On August 30, the league announced the addition of the Sioux Falls Storm from the IFL . The Wichita Falls Nighthawks of
1575-573: The playoffs. The Edge announced they were joining X-League Indoor Football in October 2014. The Edge were acquired by Omar Khokhar at the end of the 2015 season. The team's season was abruptly ended and the league's X Bowl II championship game advanced to June 6 after the Cape Fear Heroes were suspended by the league. On August 19, 2015, the Edge announced that they were moving to Champions Indoor Football (CIF). The Edge returned to
1620-612: The postseason for the first time in four seasons, going 7–5. The Edge won their first round playoff game against the Sioux City Bandits 65–45, but lost in the North Division Championship 51–52 to the Wichita Force . On September 9, 2016, it was announced that head coach John Johnson and the Edge had mutually agreed to part ways. On September 13, 2016, the Edge announced that former Extreme linebacker and Spokane Empire defensive coordinator , Ameer Ismail
1665-476: The regular season 10–4, earning the third seed in the United Conference playoffs. The Edge then ended with another first round loss in the playoffs the Green Bay Blizzard , 30–51. For the 2013 Bloomington Edge season , the team was owned by Bloomington Blaze owner Sandra Hunnewell and played in the Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL). The new ownership retained coach Carr and
1710-564: The spring of 2018 as long as the CIF season length, forcing the Edge to only schedule exhibition games during the summer. After their summer season, Edge owner Omar Khokhar announced the franchise was for sale and could relocate. In 2019, the Wells Sports Group signed a letter of intent to purchase the Edge franchise. On October 22, 2019, they announced their intentions to join the American Arena League (AAL) for
1755-419: The team missed the playoffs for the first time since their inaugural season. Just 12 days after the conclusion of the 2013 season, Edge owner and team president, David Holt and head coach Kenton Carr mutually agreed to part ways. Holt replaced Carr with John Johnson, who had been the team's offensive coordinator under Carr. Under Johnson for the 2014 Bloomington Edge season , the team went 5–7 and still missed
1800-701: The two teams was granted on January 31, 2018. During the 2018 season, it was announced that after a change in ownership, the West Michigan Ironmen would return to the CIF after playing a season in the semi-professional Midwest Professional Indoor Football. The league also added an expansion team called the Oklahoma Flying Aces in Enid, Oklahoma . During the offseason, the CIF lost the Bismarck Bucks and Quad City Steamwheelers to
1845-433: Was granted on January 31, 2018, with the court ruling determining that the Edge had been in violation of their CIF league affiliation agreement. On February 6, the Edge announced that it would continue to operate independently of a league for the season. In the same press release, the Edge also announced that John Johnson would return as head coach. However, the court ruling prevented the Edge from playing any games during
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1890-526: Was in operation, the team hosted home games at Grossinger Motors Arena . Originally named the Bloomington Extreme , the team was a member of United Indoor Football (UIF), and joined the Indoor Football League (IFL) in 2009 during the UIF and Intense Football League merger. They left the IFL for the Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL) in 2013, and in 2015 the CPIFL merged with
1935-493: Was known as the Bloomington Extreme , with the having been derived from a naming rights deal with local auto dealer Extreme Motors. In the 2011–12 offseason, the team was sold to Jim Morris (owner of a local Sonic Drive-In franchise and of the Premier Basketball League 's Central Illinois Drive ), with a naming rights deal with another auto dealer; this time Heller Ford would acquire said rights, giving
1980-500: Was named the team's new head coach. Ismail lead the Edge to another 7–5 season, clinching another playoff berth. The Edge lost 30–43 to the Omaha Beef . Twelve days later, Ismail and the Edge agreed to part ways citing "different visions." On August 23, 2017, Nick Ruud was named the next Edge head coach. On September 12, 2017, the Edge announced that they were moving back to the Indoor Football League. However,
2025-552: Was then appointed interim commissioner, with the help of Indoor Football League Hall-of-Famer, Tommy Benizio (who was the IFL's commissioner). Stephanie Tucker also joined Bertz and Benizio. Also announced at that time was the Northern/Southern divisional alignment. Later, on January 11, 2016, Bertz stepped down to focus on his team's sales, and Randy Sanders was named the interim commissioner. The updated alignment had each division with six teams. The top three teams reaching
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