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Draft:List of Indoor Football League seasons

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The Indoor Football League (IFL) is a professional indoor American football league in the United States and the longest active professional level indoor football league in North America. It was formed in 2008 out of a merger between the Intense Football League (IFL) and United Indoor Football (UIF). Initially, the IFL adopted the two leagues' names and divided teams between the Intense Conference and the United Conference with the top teams from both conferences playing in a playoff format for a chance to qualify for the United Bowl, which's name was also adopted from the UIF's championship game. In 2018, the IFL removed the conferences so the league's top teams would qualify for the playoffs. In 2022, the IFL changed the name of the United Bowl to the IFL National Championship and divided teams between the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference.

Since its creation, the IFL has had a different number of teams after multiple efforts to expand the league with some teams either leaving or folding in the process. Each IFL season since 2024 has started with an 18-week regular season which runs from March to July, with each team playing 16 games and having three bye weeks. Following the conclusion of the regular season, four teams from each conference advance to the playoffs, a single-elimination tournament that culminates in the IFL National Championship, which is contested in August and is played between the Eastern and Western conference champions.

United Bowl era (2009–2021)

[edit]
Season No. of
teams
Regular season Playoffs United Bowl Ref.
No. of
games
Intense Conference
top seed
United Conference
top seed
Postseason Intense Conference
champion
United Conference
champion
Game Champion
2009 19 14 Billings Outlaws[a] Omaha Beef 2009 Billings Outlaws RiverCity Rage 2009 Billings Outlaws
2010 25 14 Billings Outlaws Richmond Revolution 2010 Billings Outlaws Sious Falls Storm 2010 Billings Outlaws
2011 22 14 Colorado Ice Sioux Falls Storm 2011 Tri-Cities Fever Sioux Falls Storm 2011 Sioux Falls Storm
2012 16 14 Tri-Cities Fever Sioux Falls Storm 2012 Tri-Cities Fever Sioux Falls Storm 2012 Sioux Falls Storm
2013 9 14 Nebraska Danger Sioux Falls Storm 2013 Nebraska Danger Sioux Falls Storm 2013 Sioux Falls Storm
2014 9 14 Colorado Ice[b] Sioux Falls Storm 2014 Nebraska Danger Sioux Falls Storm 2014 Sioux Falls Storm
2015 10 14 Nebraska Danger Sioux Falls Storm 2015 Nebraska Danger Sioux Falls Storm 2015 Sioux Falls Storm
2016 10 16 Spokane Empire Sioux Falls Storm 2016 Spokane Empire Sioux Falls Storm 2016 Sioux Falls Storm
2017 10 16 Arizona Rattlers Sioux Falls Storm 2017 Arizona Rattlers Sioux Falls Storm 2017 Arizona Rattlers
2018 6 14 [c] [c] 2018 [d] [d] 2018 Iowa Barnstormers
2019 10 14 [c] [c] 2019 [e] [e] 2019 Sioux Falls Storm
2020 13 1[f] [c] [c] 2020 [f] [f] 2020 [f]
2021 12 14 [c] [c] 2021 [e] [e] 2021 Massachusetts Pirates
  1. ^ Despite having the same record as the El Paso Generals, the Billings Outlaws clinched the 2009 Intense Conference top seed.
  2. ^ Despite having the same record as the Nebraska Danger, the Colorado Ice clinched the 2014 Intense Conference top seed by virtue of having a better head-to-head regular season record.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h After 2017, teams were not separated into conferences. Instead, the top teams qualified for the playoffs.
  4. ^ a b In 2018, the top four teams made the playoffs.
  5. ^ a b c d In 2019 and 2021, the top eight teams made the playoffs.
  6. ^ a b c d Due to the social distancing measures closing venues during the COVID-19 pandemic the 2020 season was cancelled. Two games were played before the cancellation.

IFL National Championship era (2022–present)

[edit]
Season No. of
teams
Regular season Playoffs IFL National Championship Ref.
No. of
games
Eastern Conference
top seed
Western Conference
top seed
Postseason Eastern Conference
champion
Western Conference
champion
Game Champion
2022 14 16 Frisco Fighters Arizona Rattlers 2022 Quad City Steamwheelers NAZ Wranglers 2022 NAZ Wranglers [1]
2023 14 15 Frisco Fighters Arizona Rattlers 2023 Sioux Falls Storm Bay Area Panthers 2023 Bay Area Panthers [2][3]
2024 16 16 Green Bay Blizzard[a] Bay Area Panthers 2024 Massachusetts Pirates Arizona Rattlers 2024 Arizona Rattlers [4][5]
  1. ^ Despite having the same record as the Frisco Fighters, the Green Bay Blizzard clinched the 2024 Eastern Conference top seed by virtue of having a better in-conference record.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "NORTHERN ARIZONA WRANGLERS WIN 2022 IFL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP". goifl.com. 15 August 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
  2. ^ Howe, Tyler (21 July 2023). "IFL ROUND ONE PLAYOFFS PREVIEW". goifl.com. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
  3. ^ "BAY AREA DEFEATS SIOUX FALLS TO WIN IFL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP". goifl.com. 6 August 2023. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
  4. ^ Zientek, Dakota (21 July 2024). "2024 IFL PLAYOFFS". goifl.com. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
  5. ^ Zientek, Dakota; Van Beek, Eric (19 August 2024). "2024 IFL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RECAP". goifl.com. Retrieved 31 October 2024.