Indoor Professional Football League
Encyclopedia
The Indoor Professional Football League (IPFL) was the new incarnation of the Professional Indoor Football League
(PIFL), which started in 1998. Two of its teams (the Madison Mad Dogs
and the Green Bay Bombers
) left the league and their owner, Kerry Ecklund, founded the Indoor Football League
in 1999. The IPFL led a troubled three year existence, and died after its 2001 season, with its most successful teams joining up with the National Indoor Football League
.
The IPFL was unique among indoor football leagues in that it sanctioned the use of a white football, manufactured by Rawlings
, which was easier to see in the artificial lighting conditions. The league's slogan was "Great Football, No Gimmicks".
In 1999, IPFL was headed by a new commissioner, Mike Storen
, and the league offices were moved to Atlanta
.
, Omaha and Mobile. The Indoor Professional Football League approved the relocation of the Baton Rouge-based Louisiana Bayou Beast to Alexandria, Louisiana and announced the team would be known as the Louisiana Rangers. The Bayou Beast's relocation to Alexandria left the league with no club still remaining in its city that it started operations in.
The Fort Wayne Safari
was announced as an expansion team for the 2002 season, but the team never joined.
Professional Indoor Football League
The Professional Indoor Football League was the second league to successfully play indoor football as a paid pro-league sport, after the Arena Football League. Since the AFL had a patent given in 1990 on the gameplay of "Arena Football" , the PIFL played with mostly the same rules, but without the...
(PIFL), which started in 1998. Two of its teams (the Madison Mad Dogs
Madison Mad Dogs
The Madison Mad Dogs was an indoor football team that played in the Professional Indoor Football League in 1998, and in the Indoor Football League in 1999 & 2000. The Mad Dogs franchise was owned by Keary Ecklund. The team office was based in Madison, Wisconsin, and played their games at the Dane...
and the Green Bay Bombers
Green Bay Bombers
The Green Bay Bombers was an indoor football team that played in the Professional Indoor Football League in 1998, and in the Indoor Football League in 1999 & 2000. The Bombers franchise was owned by Keary Ecklund. The team office was based in Neenah, Wisconsin, and played their games at the Brown...
) left the league and their owner, Kerry Ecklund, founded the Indoor Football League
Indoor Football League
The Indoor Football League began in 1999 as an offshoot of the troubled Professional Indoor Football League. Keary Ecklund, 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...
in 1999. The IPFL led a troubled three year existence, and died after its 2001 season, with its most successful teams joining up with the National Indoor Football League
National Indoor Football League
National Indoor Football League 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...
.
The IPFL was unique among indoor football leagues in that it sanctioned the use of a white football, manufactured by Rawlings
Rawlings (company)
Rawlings is a sports equipment manufacturing company in the United States. It was founded in 1887. The parent company is Jarden, Inc. Rawlings specializes in baseball equipment, but also manufactures softball, basketball, training equipment and American footballs...
, which was easier to see in the artificial lighting conditions. The league's slogan was "Great Football, No Gimmicks".
In 1999, IPFL was headed by a new commissioner, Mike Storen
Mike Storen
Mike Storen is an American sports executive, perhaps best known for his tenure as commissioner of the American Basketball Association.Storen started in professional sports management in 1963, after serving in the United States Marine Corps, as promotions director for the Baltimore Bullets of the...
, and the league offices were moved to Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
.
IPFL 1999 teams
Before the Pro Indoor Football League folded, the league was looking into replacing the two folded franchises of Minnesota and Texas and expanding the league back to 8 teams or even beyond to 10 or 12 teams for what was supposed to be its second season. However, the league took a major hit when Madison and Green Bay left the league to form a new league called the Indoor Football League. This left the league with only four teams: Honolulu, Utah, Colorado and Louisiana. The Utah Catzz soon folded as well, leading to the demise of the Pro Indoor Football League. The Pro Indoor Football League was reformed as the Indoor Professional Football League and the three remaining clubs from the old league; the Hawaii Hammerheads (formerly Honolulu Hurricanes), the Rocky Mountain (Colorado Springs) Thunder (formerly Colorado (Denver) Wildcats) and the Louisiana Bayou Beast were joined by three new franchises in Boise, Idaho, Biloxi, Mississippi and Austin, Texas. The league was going to have 8 clubs but the Arizona (Tucson) Mirage and the Syracuse Blitz folded.- Hawaii HammerheadsHawaii HammerheadsThe Hawaii Hammerheads was an indoor football team in the Indoor Professional Football League during the 1999 season. The Hammerheads were owned by George Heatherington and played their home games at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. The team's official colors were: Aqua, Silver...
- based in Honululu - Idaho StallionsBoise StallionsThe Boise Stallions are a now-defunct indoor football team from Boise, Idaho. They were a charter member of the Indoor Professional Football League. They originally began as the Idaho Stallions. Throughout their three seasons, the Stallions had very little success. When the league folded, the...
- based in BoiseBoise, IdahoBoise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
/NampaNampa, IdahoNampa is the largest and the fastest growing city in Canyon County, Idaho, USA. The population of Nampa was 81,557 at the 2010 census. Nampa is located about west of Boise along Interstate 84, and six miles west of Meridian. Nampa is part of the Boise metropolitan area... - Louisiana Bayou BeastLouisiana Bayou BeastThe Louisiana Bayou Beast was a team in the Professional Indoor Football League in 1998, in the Indoor Professional Football League in 1999, and reincarated in 2001 in the National Indoor Football League . The Bayou Beast franchise was owned by James and Carolyn Shiver, who currently own and...
- based in Baton RougeBaton Rouge, LouisianaBaton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South... - Mississippi Fire DogsMississippi Fire DogsThe Mississippi Fire Dogs are a now-defunct indoor football team from Biloxi, Mississippi. They played their home games at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. They were a charter member of the Indoor Professional Football League. They Played from in the 1999-2000 IPFL seasons before joining the...
- based in BiloxiBiloxi, MississippiBiloxi is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, in the United States. The 2010 census recorded the population as 44,054. Along with Gulfport, Biloxi is a county seat of Harrison County.... - Rocky Mountain ThunderRocky Mountain ThunderThe Rocky Mountain Thunder was an indoor football team in the Indoor Professional Football League during the 1999 season. The Thunder was owned by Scott D. Riddell and played their home games at the World Arena in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team's official colors were: Royal Blue, Silver and...
- based in Colorado SpringsColorado Springs, ColoradoColorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado... - Texas TerminatorsTexas TerminatorsThis team is not to be confused with the softball team in Texas.The Texas Terminators was an indoor football team that played in the Indoor Professional Football League in 1999. The Terminators franchise was owned by Jeff Parnell. The team office was based in Austin, and played their games in the...
- based in AustinAustin, TexasAustin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
IPFL 2000 teams
During the off season, the Indoor Professional Football League saw major changes with the loss of three of its charter franchises: Rocky Mountain, Hawaii and Texas. However, the league saw the addition of four new franchises with the fourth new addition expanding the league beyond six franchises. The new clubs were Shreveport-Bossier City, Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Omaha and Mobile. The Indoor Professional Football League approved the relocation of the Baton Rouge-based Louisiana Bayou Beast to Alexandria, Louisiana and announced the team would be known as the Louisiana Rangers. The Bayou Beast's relocation to Alexandria left the league with no club still remaining in its city that it started operations in.
- Idaho StallionsBoise StallionsThe Boise Stallions are a now-defunct indoor football team from Boise, Idaho. They were a charter member of the Indoor Professional Football League. They originally began as the Idaho Stallions. Throughout their three seasons, the Stallions had very little success. When the league folded, the...
- Louisiana RangersBeaumont DrillersThe Beaumont Drillers were a professional indoor football team. They played their home games at Ford Arena in Beaumont, TX. They originally began playing as the Louisiana Rangers in the Indoor Professional Football League in 2000 when they replaced the Louisiana Bayou Beast...
- Mississippi Fire DogsMississippi Fire DogsThe Mississippi Fire Dogs are a now-defunct indoor football team from Biloxi, Mississippi. They played their home games at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. They were a charter member of the Indoor Professional Football League. They Played from in the 1999-2000 IPFL seasons before joining the...
- Mobile SeagullsMobile SeagullsThe Mobile Seagulls were a professional indoor football team. They were initially a member of the Indoor Professional Football League for the 2000 season before joining the National Indoor Football League for the 2001 season, their final. They played their home games at Mobile Civic Center Arena...
- Omaha BeefOmaha BeefThe Omaha Beef are a professional indoor football team. They are a member of the Indoor Football League . They play their home games at Omaha Civic Auditorium, which was also once the home of the AHL's Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights and is now the home of the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey...
- Portland ProwlersPortland ProwlersThe Portland Prowlers were a professional indoor football team based in Portland, Oregon. Playing as a member of the Indoor Professional Football League for the 2000-2001 seasons, they played their home games at the Memorial Coliseum for both years of their existence. This was the second indoor...
- Shreveport-Bossier BombersShreveport-Bossier BombersThe Shreveport-Bossier Bombers were an indoor football team of the Indoor Professional Football League in 2000. The Bombers, based out of Shreveport, LA/Bossier City, LA, were one of four IPFL expansion teams for that season. They played their games in the Hirsch Memorial Coliseum in Shreveport...
The Fort Wayne Safari
Fort Wayne Safari
The Fort Wayne Safari was officially announced in 2000 as an expansion team in the Indoor Professional Football League and based out of Fort Wayne, Indiana. They were to join the league in 2002, and to play their home games at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. Official team colors were going...
was announced as an expansion team for the 2002 season, but the team never joined.
IPFL 2001 teams
- Boise StallionsBoise StallionsThe Boise Stallions are a now-defunct indoor football team from Boise, Idaho. They were a charter member of the Indoor Professional Football League. They originally began as the Idaho Stallions. Throughout their three seasons, the Stallions had very little success. When the league folded, the...
- Omaha BeefOmaha BeefThe Omaha Beef are a professional indoor football team. They are a member of the Indoor Football League . They play their home games at Omaha Civic Auditorium, which was also once the home of the AHL's Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights and is now the home of the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey...
- Portland ProwlersPortland ProwlersThe Portland Prowlers were a professional indoor football team based in Portland, Oregon. Playing as a member of the Indoor Professional Football League for the 2000-2001 seasons, they played their home games at the Memorial Coliseum for both years of their existence. This was the second indoor...
- St. Louis RenegadesRiver City RageThe RiverCity Rage were a professional indoor football team in the Indoor Football League. They played home games at the Family Arena in Saint Charles, Missouri, part of the metropolitan area of St. Louis, Missouri, in past seasons, played in the Scottrade Center in downtown St...
- Trenton LightningTrenton LightningThe Trenton Lightning were an indoor professional football team founded in 2000 by owner/general manager, Phillip J. Subhan and local businessman, Kenneth Samu...
- Tennessee ThunderCatsJohnstown RiverhawksThe Johnstown Riverhawks was a professional indoor football team based out of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. They were a charter member of the American Indoor Football Association. They played their home games at Cambria County War Memorial Arena....