Minnesota Vixen
Encyclopedia
The Minnesota Vixen are a professional women's football
team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota
. The team has been known as the Minnesota Vixens and Minneapolis Vixens prior to being known as the Vixen (note lack of "s").
A member of the Independent Women's Football League
, the Vixen currently play their home games at Burnsville High School
in Burnsville, Minnesota
. Established in 1999, the Vixen are the longest continuously playing women's American football team in the world.
In 2011, Adam Griffith was promoted from interim head coach to full time head coach. His staff includes offensive coordinator Brandon Pelinka, Emilie Sundberg, Carrie Farwell, Dan Kobylinski, and Eric Thomsen.
in Minneapolis (known worldwide as home to the National Football League
's Minnesota Vikings
). While the Vixens lost the game by a score of 30-27, the success inspired the two teams to trek outward on the "No Limits" Barnstorming Tour, where they would play each other again in six cities.
; although the Minx would not join the Vixen in the WPFL's first full season, the Austin Rage, Colorado Valkyries, Daytona Beach Barracudas, Houston Energy, Miami Fury
, New England Storm
, New York Galaxy, New York Sharks
, Oklahoma City Wildcats, and Tampa Tempest would join the Vixen to form the WPFL's inaugural roster of teams. The Vixen would finish the regular season unbeaten at 5-0, clinch the Central Division title, and ensure home-field advantage throughout the American Conference playoffs. However, that playoff run would only last one game, as the Vixen lost the American Conference Championship Game to the eventual WPFL Champion Houston Energy by a score of 35-14.
in the National Conference Semifinal, the Vixen lost to the New York Dazzles in the National Conference Championship game.
.
. After the season ended, the Vixen switched leagues again, this time to the Independent Women's Football League
.
| colspan="6" align="center" | Minnesota Vixen (WPFL)
|-
|1999 || colspan="6" rowspan="1" align="center" | "No Limits" Barnstorming Tour (Lake Michigan): Results Unknown/Not Counted
|-
|2000 || 5 || 0 || 0 || 1st American Central || Lost American Conference Championship (Houston)
|-
|2001 || 1 || 2 || 0 || Exhibition Team || --
|-
|2002 || 2 || 3 || 0 || 4th National || --
|-
|2003 || 2 || 7 || 0 || 4th American North || --
|-
|2004 || 6 || 4 || 0 || 2nd National North || Lost National Conference Semifinal (Delaware)
|-
|2005 || 6 || 4 || 0 || 2nd National North || Won National Conference Qualifier (Indiana
)
Lost National Conference Championship (New York)
|-
|2006 || 2 || 6 || 0 || 3rd National East || --
|-
|2007 || 2 || 5 || 0 || 3rd North Central || --
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" | Minnesota Vixen (NWFA)
|-
|2008 || 6 || 2 || 0 || 2nd North North || Lost Northern Conference Quarterfinal (West Michigan
)
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" | Minnesota Vixen (IWFL)
|-
|2009 || 2 || 6 || 0 || 3rd Tier I West Midwest || --
|-
|2010 || 0 || 8 || 0 || 8th Tier II West Midwest || --
|-
|2011 || 0 || 8 || 0 || 4th West-Mid West Division || --
|-
!Totals || 35 || 55 || 0
|colspan="2"| (including playoffs)
* = Current Standing
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
. The team has been known as the Minnesota Vixens and Minneapolis Vixens prior to being known as the Vixen (note lack of "s").
A member of the Independent Women's Football League
Independent Women's Football League
The Independent Women's Football League was founded in 2000, and began play in 2001.IWFL founders began with the goal to establish a quality women's football league that would be respected as the top level of women's tackle football in the world....
, the Vixen currently play their home games at Burnsville High School
Burnsville High School
Burnsville High School is a three-year public high school located in Burnsville, Minnesota. The school is part of Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District 191, which covers most of Burnsville, as well as parts of the surrounding cities Savage and Eagan, and small parts of Shakopee and Apple Valley...
in Burnsville, Minnesota
Burnsville, Minnesota
Burnsville is a city south of downtown Minneapolis in Dakota County in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies on the south bank of the Minnesota River, upstream from the confluence with the Mississippi River...
. Established in 1999, the Vixen are the longest continuously playing women's American football team in the world.
In 2011, Adam Griffith was promoted from interim head coach to full time head coach. His staff includes offensive coordinator Brandon Pelinka, Emilie Sundberg, Carrie Farwell, Dan Kobylinski, and Eric Thomsen.
1999 Barnstorming Tour
The Vixen's history dates as far back as women's football itself; in 1999, businessmen Carter Turner and Terry Sullivan decided to explore the feasibility of a professional women's football league by gathering together top female athletes from across the United States and gather them into two teams for an exhibition game. The two teams were called the Minnesota Vixen and the Lake Michigan Minx, and the exhibition game was played at the Hubert H. Humphrey MetrodomeHubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University...
in Minneapolis (known worldwide as home to the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
). While the Vixens lost the game by a score of 30-27, the success inspired the two teams to trek outward on the "No Limits" Barnstorming Tour, where they would play each other again in six cities.
2000: WPFL kicks off
The success of the tour led Turner and Sullivan to form the Women's Professional Football LeagueWomen's Professional Football League
The Women's Professional Football League is the original and longest operating women's professional American football league in the United States. Now with teams across the United States, the WPFL had its first game in 1999 with just two original teams: the Lake Michigan Minx and the Minnesota...
; although the Minx would not join the Vixen in the WPFL's first full season, the Austin Rage, Colorado Valkyries, Daytona Beach Barracudas, Houston Energy, Miami Fury
Miami Fury
The Miami Fury is a football team in the Women's Football Alliance. Based in Miami, Florida, the Fury plays its home games at North Miami Athletic Stadium.-2000:...
, New England Storm
New England Storm
The New England Storm was a women’s professional football team.The New England Storm originated when in 2000, Melissa "Missi" Korpacz, contacted the Women's Professional Football League to ask about bringing a team to the New England area...
, New York Galaxy, New York Sharks
New York Sharks
The New York Sharks are a women's American football team playing out of New York City. They are a member of the Women's Football Alliance...
, Oklahoma City Wildcats, and Tampa Tempest would join the Vixen to form the WPFL's inaugural roster of teams. The Vixen would finish the regular season unbeaten at 5-0, clinch the Central Division title, and ensure home-field advantage throughout the American Conference playoffs. However, that playoff run would only last one game, as the Vixen lost the American Conference Championship Game to the eventual WPFL Champion Houston Energy by a score of 35-14.
2001
The Vixen played a three-game season, going 1-2 against the Arizona Caliente and the Indianapolis Vipers.2004
The Vixen finished 6-4 and second place in the National Conference, North Division, qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in four years. However, they would lose the National Conference Semifinal game to the Delaware Griffins.2005
Once again, the Vixen finished 6-4, second place in the North Division, and qualified for a playoff spot. Although they defeated the Indiana SpeedIndiana Speed
The Indiana Speed is a football team in the Women's Spring Football League. They play on the near north side of Indianapolis, Indiana at Park Tudor School's football field....
in the National Conference Semifinal, the Vixen lost to the New York Dazzles in the National Conference Championship game.
2007
In their final year in the WPFL, the Vixen finished 2-5 and third place in the National Conference, North Division. Soon afterwards, the Vixen left the WPFL to join the National Women's Football AssociationNational Women's Football Association
The National Women's Football Association was a full-contact American football league for women headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. The league was founded by Catherine Masters in 2000, as the two benchmark teams, the Alabama Renegades and the Nashville Dream played each other six times in...
.
2008
In their first and only year in the NWFA, the Vixen qualified for the playoffs for the first time in three years, finishing 6-2 and second place in the Northern Conference, North Division. However, that playoff run would only last one game, as the Vixen lost by a score of 31-7 to the North Division Champions and eventual NWFA runners-up West Michigan MayhemWest Michigan Mayhem
The West Michigan Mayhem is a women's professional American football team based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. They play in the Women's Football Alliance. The Mayhem played in the National Women's Football Association from their inception in 2002 until 2008...
. After the season ended, the Vixen switched leagues again, this time to the Independent Women's Football League
Independent Women's Football League
The Independent Women's Football League was founded in 2000, and began play in 2001.IWFL founders began with the goal to establish a quality women's football league that would be respected as the top level of women's tackle football in the world....
.
Season by season
|-| colspan="6" align="center" | Minnesota Vixen (WPFL)
|-
|1999 || colspan="6" rowspan="1" align="center" | "No Limits" Barnstorming Tour (Lake Michigan): Results Unknown/Not Counted
|-
|2000 || 5 || 0 || 0 || 1st American Central || Lost American Conference Championship (Houston)
|-
|2001 || 1 || 2 || 0 || Exhibition Team || --
|-
|2002 || 2 || 3 || 0 || 4th National || --
|-
|2003 || 2 || 7 || 0 || 4th American North || --
|-
|2004 || 6 || 4 || 0 || 2nd National North || Lost National Conference Semifinal (Delaware)
|-
|2005 || 6 || 4 || 0 || 2nd National North || Won National Conference Qualifier (Indiana
Indiana Speed
The Indiana Speed is a football team in the Women's Spring Football League. They play on the near north side of Indianapolis, Indiana at Park Tudor School's football field....
)
Lost National Conference Championship (New York)
|-
|2006 || 2 || 6 || 0 || 3rd National East || --
|-
|2007 || 2 || 5 || 0 || 3rd North Central || --
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" | Minnesota Vixen (NWFA)
|-
|2008 || 6 || 2 || 0 || 2nd North North || Lost Northern Conference Quarterfinal (West Michigan
West Michigan Mayhem
The West Michigan Mayhem is a women's professional American football team based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. They play in the Women's Football Alliance. The Mayhem played in the National Women's Football Association from their inception in 2002 until 2008...
)
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" | Minnesota Vixen (IWFL)
|-
|2009 || 2 || 6 || 0 || 3rd Tier I West Midwest || --
|-
|2010 || 0 || 8 || 0 || 8th Tier II West Midwest || --
|-
|2011 || 0 || 8 || 0 || 4th West-Mid West Division || --
|-
!Totals || 35 || 55 || 0
|colspan="2"| (including playoffs)
2009
| Date | Opponent | Home Home team In team sports, the term home advantage describes the advantage–usually a psychological advantage–that the home team is said to have over the visiting team as a result of playing in familiar facilities and in front of supportive fans... /Away Home team In team sports, the term home advantage describes the advantage–usually a psychological advantage–that the home team is said to have over the visiting team as a result of playing in familiar facilities and in front of supportive fans... |
Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 11 | Kansas City Tribe Kansas City Tribe The Kansas City Tribe is a football team in the Women's Football Alliance based in Kansas City, Missouri. Home games are played at Center High School.-2008:... |
Away | Lost 8-45 |
| April 25 | Chicago Force Chicago Force The Chicago Force is a women's football team that is now in the Women's Football Alliance. Founded in 2003, the team has previously played at De La Salle HS & St... |
Home | Lost 0-55 |
| May 2 | Wisconsin Warriors Wisconsin Warriors The Wisconsin Warriors are a football team in the Independent Women's Football League. Based in Kenosha, the Warriors play their home games on the campus of Indian Trail Academy... |
Home | Lost 16-54 |
| May 16 | Iowa Crush Iowa Crush The Iowa Crush founded women's tackle football in the State of Iowa. They play in the Independent Women's Football League which comprises 34 teams in North America and made up of over 1,800 female athletes... |
Home | Won 38-20 |
| May 23 | Chicago Force | Away | Lost 0-53 |
| May 30 | Wisconsin Warriors | Away | Lost 8-38 |
| June 6 | Iowa Crush | Away | Won 14-9 |
| June 13 | Kansas City Tribe | Home | Lost 0-65 |
2010
| Date | Opponent | Home Home team In team sports, the term home advantage describes the advantage–usually a psychological advantage–that the home team is said to have over the visiting team as a result of playing in familiar facilities and in front of supportive fans... /Away Home team In team sports, the term home advantage describes the advantage–usually a psychological advantage–that the home team is said to have over the visiting team as a result of playing in familiar facilities and in front of supportive fans... |
Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 3 | Wisconsin Wolves Wisconsin Wolves The Wisconsin Wolves are an Women's Football Alliance team based in Wausau, Wisconsin. The team was founded in 2006 and play their home games at Lussier Stadium on the campus of Madison LaFollette High School. The Wolves were the third Wisconsin WPFL franchise founded in the state but have... |
Away | Lost 30-73 |
| April 10 | Iowa Crush Iowa Crush The Iowa Crush founded women's tackle football in the State of Iowa. They play in the Independent Women's Football League which comprises 34 teams in North America and made up of over 1,800 female athletes... |
Home | Lost 14-35 |
| April 24 | Dallas Diamonds Dallas Diamonds The Dallas Diamonds are a women's professional American football team in the Women's Football Alliance . It is made up of 46 players and has a coaching staff of 10... |
Away | Lost 0-79 |
| April 27 | Iowa Crush Iowa Crush The Iowa Crush founded women's tackle football in the State of Iowa. They play in the Independent Women's Football League which comprises 34 teams in North America and made up of over 1,800 female athletes... |
Away | Lost 0-37 |
| May 8 | Chicago Force Chicago Force The Chicago Force is a women's football team that is now in the Women's Football Alliance. Founded in 2003, the team has previously played at De La Salle HS & St... |
Home | Lost 0-56 |
| May 15 | Kansas City Tribe Kansas City Tribe The Kansas City Tribe is a football team in the Women's Football Alliance based in Kansas City, Missouri. Home games are played at Center High School.-2008:... |
Home | Lost 0-80 |
| May 22 | Wisconsin Warriors Wisconsin Warriors The Wisconsin Warriors are a football team in the Independent Women's Football League. Based in Kenosha, the Warriors play their home games on the campus of Indian Trail Academy... |
Away | Lost 0-55 |
| June 5 | Wisconsin Wolves | Home | Lost 18-20 |
2011
| Date | Opponent | Home Home team In team sports, the term home advantage describes the advantage–usually a psychological advantage–that the home team is said to have over the visiting team as a result of playing in familiar facilities and in front of supportive fans... /Away Home team In team sports, the term home advantage describes the advantage–usually a psychological advantage–that the home team is said to have over the visiting team as a result of playing in familiar facilities and in front of supportive fans... |
Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 9 | Iowa Crush Iowa Crush The Iowa Crush founded women's tackle football in the State of Iowa. They play in the Independent Women's Football League which comprises 34 teams in North America and made up of over 1,800 female athletes... |
Home | Lost 20-6 |
| April 23 | Madison Cougars | Away | Lost 0-16 |
| April 30 | Wisconsin Warriors Wisconsin Warriors The Wisconsin Warriors are a football team in the Independent Women's Football League. Based in Kenosha, the Warriors play their home games on the campus of Indian Trail Academy... |
Home | Lost 46-14 |
| May 7 | Iowa Crush Iowa Crush The Iowa Crush founded women's tackle football in the State of Iowa. They play in the Independent Women's Football League which comprises 34 teams in North America and made up of over 1,800 female athletes... |
Away | Lost 14-26 |
| May 21 | Wisconsin Warriors Wisconsin Warriors The Wisconsin Warriors are a football team in the Independent Women's Football League. Based in Kenosha, the Warriors play their home games on the campus of Indian Trail Academy... |
Away | Lost 6-60 |
| May 28 | Madison Cougars | Home | Lost 7-6 |
| June 4 | Iowa Crush Iowa Crush The Iowa Crush founded women's tackle football in the State of Iowa. They play in the Independent Women's Football League which comprises 34 teams in North America and made up of over 1,800 female athletes... |
Away | Lost 38-12 |
| June 11 | Madison Cougars | Home | Lost 26-14 |