Teams
!["Blue River Bowl III": Danube Dragons vs. Vikings at Rattenfangerstadion [de] in Korneuburg, 2010 2010-06-12 dra-vik snap.jpg](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/2010-06-12_dra-vik_snap.jpg/300px-2010-06-12_dra-vik_snap.jpg)
In 2024, the AFL will consist of:
| Sport | American football |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1982 |
| First season | 1982 |
| No. of teams | 8 in top league AFL |
| Country | Austria Czech Republic |
| Most recent champion(s) | Danube Dragons |
| Most titles | Vienna Vikings (15) |
| Qualification | Pyramid Tier |
| TV partner(s) | ORF Sport |
| Official website | https://football.at/afl/ AFL |
The Austrian Football League (AFL) is the highest level of American football in Austria founded in 1982. The Austrian Football League (AFL) has always been considered among the best and strongest leagues in Europe. The league plays by rules based on those of the NCAA.
The Austrian Football League is the highest tier level and below that is a tier pyramid system consisting of teams playing in divisions I through division IV. Winners of each division move up to the next level of play. The Tyrol Raiders and Vienna Vikings which had dominated the league for much of the preceding decade announced their intention to leave for the European League of Football for the upcoming 2022 season. However, unlike teams in other countries that have made this move, the reserve team of both will remain a participant in the Austrian Football League.
The AFL was founded in 1982 by the teams such as the Salzburg Lions, Graz Giants, Vienna Ducks and Vienna Ramblocks.
The AFL is commonly considered as one of the best American football leagues in Europe. This was especially so in the period from 2004 to 2011, when the European Football League final game the Eurobowl, was won seven out of eight times by an Austrian league AFL team. [1]
In 2010, the Prague Panthers from the Czech Republic joined the league as the first team from outside of Austria. The Panthers were a member of the AFL until the 2016 season. In 2016, the Ljubljana Silverhawks from Slovenia joined, and in 2018, the Bratislava Monarchs from Slovakia entered the league.
The regular season currently consists of ten games and starts in mid-March; the playoffs continue through July. The final game, the Austrian Bowl, was held for the first time in 1984 in Salzburg, Austria. Because homegrown players are one of the main focus points of the league, there are rule limitations for the numbers of foreigners. The rule has changed several times over the years and currently each roster can have a maximum of 6 American, Canadian, Mexican or Japanese professional import players, with two allowed on the field at the same time.
In 2024, the AFL will consist of:
| Bowl | Date | Champions | Runners-up | Score | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | October 20, 1984 | Salzburg Lions | Graz Giants | 27–10 | Salzburg |
| II | June 28, 1986 | Graz Giants | Vienna Vikings | 31–12 | Salzburg |
| III | July 5, 1987 | Graz Giants | Salzburg Lions | 20–0 | ASKÖ Schmelz, Vienna |
| IV | July 3, 1988 | Graz Giants | Vienna Vikings | 33–15 | ASKÖ Schmelz, Vienna |
| V | July 1, 1989 | Salzburg Lions | Graz Giants | 34–0 | Salzburg |
| VI | July 1, 1990 | Graz Giants | Klosterneuburg Mercenaries | 59–7 | Linzer Stadion, Linz |
| VII | July 7, 1991 | Graz Giants | Vienna Vikings | 38–7 | ASKÖ Stadium Eggenberg, Graz |
| VIII | July 5, 1992 | Graz Giants | AFC Rangers Schwarzenau | 28–13 | ASKÖ Schmelz, Vienna |
| IX | July 4, 1993 | Feldkirch Oscar Dinos | Salzburg Bulls | 45–10 | BSZ Südstadt, Maria Enzersdorf |
| X | July 4, 1994 | Vienna Vikings | Levi's Graz Giants | 45–23 | Rudolf-Tonn-Stadion, Schwechat |
| XI | July 15, 1995 | Levi's Graz Giants | Vienna Vikings | 26–20 | Rudolf-Tonn-Stadion |
| XII | July 13, 1996 | Vienna Vikings | Levi's Graz Giants | 41–35 | Rudolf-Tonn-Stadion |
| XIII | July 12, 1997 | Levi's Graz Giants | Klosterneuburg Mercenaries | 35–14 | Rudolf-Tonn-Stadion |
| XIV | July 18, 1998 | Levi's Graz Giants | Vienna Vikings | 43–3 | BSZ Südstadt, Maria Enzersdorf |
| XV | July 20, 1999 | Chrysler Vikings | Levi's Graz Giants | 37–35 | Rudolf-Tonn-Stadion |
| XVI | July 22, 2000 | Chrysler Vikings | Papa Joe's Tyrolean Raiders | 34–28 | Hohe Warte Stadium, Vienna |
| XVII | July 21, 2001 | Chrysler Vikings | Papa Joe's Tyrolean Raiders | 24–14 | Lindenstadion, Eisenstadt |
| XVIII | July 20, 2002 | Chrysler Vikings | Öko-Box Graz Giants | 52–21 | Hohe Warte Stadium, Vienna |
| XIX | July 12, 2003 | Chrysler Vikings | Öko-Box Graz Giants | 56–42 | Hohe Warte Stadium, Vienna |
| XX | July 17, 2004 | Papa Joe's Tyrolean Raiders | Chrysler Vikings | 28–20 | EM-Stadion Wals-Siezenheim, Salzburg |
| XXI | July 16, 2005 | Chrysler Vikings | Papa Joe's Tyrolean Raiders | 43–14 | Südstadt, Maria Enzersdorf |
| XXII | July 14, 2006 | Swarco Raiders Tirol | Dodge Vikings | 43–19 | Hohe Warte, Vienna |
| XXIII | July 14, 2007 | Dodge Vikings | Turek Graz Giants | 42–14 | Hohe Warte, Vienna |
| XXIV | June 27, 2008 | Turek Graz Giants | Swarco Raiders Tirol | 31–21 | Lavanttal-Arena, Wolfsberg |
| XXV | July 18, 2009 | Raiffeisen Vikings | Turek Graz Giants | 22–19 | Asko Stadium Eggenberg, Graz |
| XXVI | July 9, 2010 | Danube Dragons | Swarco Raiders Tirol | 28–21 | Tivoli-Neu, Innsbruck |
| XXVII | June 23, 2011 | Swarco Raiders Tirol | Raiffeisen Vikings | 23–13 | Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna |
| XXVIII | July 28, 2012 | Raiffeisen Vikings | Swarco Raiders Tirol | 48–34 | Hohe Warte, Vienna |
| XXIX | July 27, 2013 | Raiffeisen Vikings | Swarco Raiders Tirol | 48–31 | NV Arena, Sankt Pölten |
| XXX | July 26, 2014 | Raiffeisen Vikings | Swarco Raiders Tirol | 24–17 | NV Arena, Sankt Pölten |
| XXXI | July 11, 2015 | Swarco Raiders Tirol | Vienna Vikings | 38–0 | Wörthersee Stadion, Klagenfurt |
| XXXII | July 23, 2016 | Swarco Raiders Tirol | Graz Giants | 51–7 | Wörthersee Stadion, Klagenfurt |
| XXXIII | July 29, 2017 | Dacia Vienna Vikings | Swarco Raiders Tirol | 45–26 | Wörthersee Stadion, Klagenfurt |
| XXXIV | July 21, 2018 | Swarco Raiders Tirol | Dacia Vienna Vikings | 51–48 | NV Arena, Sankt Pölten |
| XXXV | July 27, 2019 | Swarco Raiders Tirol | Dacia Vienna Vikings | 42–34 | NV Arena, Sankt Pölten |
| – | September, 2020 | Dacia Vienna Vikings | Graz Giants | 3–0 [lower-alpha 1] | ASKÖ Eggenberg, Graz Footballzentrum Ravelin, Wien |
| XXXVI | July 31, 2021 | Swarco Raiders Tirol | Dacia Vienna Vikings | 35–14 | Tivoli Stadion Tirol, Innsbruck |
| XXXVII | July 30, 2022 | Danube Dragons | Vienna Vikings | 51–29 | NV Arena, Sankt Pölten |
| XXXVIII | July 29, 2023 | Danube Dragons | Vienna Vikings | 14–13 | NV Arena, Sankt Pölten |
| Rank | Teams | Champions | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vienna Vikings | 15 | 14 |
| 2 | Graz Giants | 10 | 11 |
| 3 | Tirol Raiders | 8 | 9 |
| 4 | Danube Dragons [1] | 3 | 2 |
| 5 | Salzburg Bulls | 2 | 2 |
| 6 | Feldkirch Oscar Dinos | 1 | 0 |
| 7 | AFC Rangers | 0 | 1 |
^ 1: Formerly known as Klosterneuburg Mercenaries
Despite the relatively small size of Austria, both the Austrian national American Football team and individual club teams of the AFL have enjoyed remarkable success in European competitions. The Austrian national team, whose players mostly play in the AFL (with a few also playing in the German Football League), won the final 28-0 over team Finland 2023 European Championship of American football to win the championship title. The National team also has placed third at the 1995 European Championship of American football (hosted in Austria) and third at the 2010 European Championship, second at the 2014 European Championship (hosted in Austria), losing the final in double overtime to Germany in front of 27000 spectators at Vienna's Ernst-Happel-Stadion [2] and placed second again in 2018.
The Vienna Vikings have won the Eurobowl five times and reached the final ten times overall while the Tyrol Raiders have won it three times in five appearances in the final. Furthermore the Central European Football League has been won five times by Austrian teams both before and after it became a premier European competition.
The AFL Graz Giants own the first known European victory against a US college team in 1991. The Giants won the exhibition game 32–23 against Albany State University. The game was played in the United States on August 31, 1991.
The Hamburg Blue Devils are an American football team in Hamburg, Germany. It was founded in 1992. The Blue Devils are one of the most successful American football clubs in Germany, having won four German Bowls as well as three Eurobowls. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, the clubs rivalry with the Braunschweig Lions dominated the game in the German Football League, with the two sides meeting in six German Bowls between 1998 and 2005 as well as the 1999 Eurobowl.
The Coventry Jets were an American football team based in Coventry, England.The club ceased to exist in 2018 and dropped out of the BAFA National Leagues with all club assets and teams being moved over to the Etone Jaguars based in Nuneaton, Warwickshire.
The Amsterdam Crusaders are an American Football club from Amsterdam, Netherlands founded in 1984. Together with the Rotterdam Trojans and Alphen Eagles, the Amsterdam Crusaders are the oldest surviving Dutch American Football club.
The Parma Panthers are an American football team based in Parma, Italy that competes in the Italian Football League. The team was founded in 1981 by Vic Dasaro, an American veterinary student attending university in Parma.
The Central European Football League (CEFL) is a European organization of American football which hosts two international competitions, CEFL Championship and CEFL Cup. The final game of the CEFL Championship playoffs is dubbed CEFL Bowl.
The Mount Union Purple Raiders football program represents the University of Mount Union in college football at the NCAA Division III level as members of the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC). Mount Union have played their home games at Mount Union Stadium in Alliance, Ohio since 1913, which makes it the oldest college football stadium in Ohio. The Purple Raiders have claimed 13 NCAA Division III Football Championship and 34 OAC titles and have 12 undefeated seasons.
The Sam Houston Bearkats football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Sam Houston State University located in the U.S. state of Texas. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of the Conference USA. Sam Houston's first football team was fielded in 1912. The team plays its home games at the 12,593-seat Bowers Stadium in Huntsville, Texas. On January 23, 2014, K. C. Keeler was named the 15th head coach in Sam Houston program history.
SBB Vukovi Beograd are an American football team from Belgrade, Serbia. After establishing in 2003, in just few years SBB Vukovi have become one of the best-organized and most successful American football teams in Eastern Europe. Today SBB Vukovi are competing in SAAF Serbian Superleague and Central European Football League.
The Raiders Tirol are an American football team based in Innsbruck, Austria. Founded in 1992, the Raiders since have become one of Austria's and Europe's most dominant American football teams, winning the Eurobowl title three times and the CEFL also three times (2017–2019). Competing in the Austrian Football League (AFL), the team has won the league championship eight times, most recently in 2021. In 2022, the Raiders joined the European League of Football (ELF).
The 2011 Green Bay Packers season was the franchise's 93rd season overall and their 91st in the National Football League (NFL), and the sixth under head coach Mike McCarthy. The team not only improved on their 10–6 record from a season earlier, they became just the sixth team in NFL history to win 15 games during the regular season. As of 2023, the 15–1 record stands as the best in team history, as well as the best record for a defending Super Bowl champion. The Packers won their first 13 games of the season to extend their winning streak from the previous season to 19, the second-longest in NFL history behind the 21-game winning streak of the New England Patriots in 2003 and 2004, and also tied the record for the best start to a season in NFC history that the New Orleans Saints had set in 2009. The only loss for the Packers during the regular season was a Week 15 defeat in Arrowhead Stadium against the Kansas City Chiefs. They also became the first NFC North team to go undefeated in the division since the 1987 Chicago Bears.
The Vienna Vikings is a professional American football club based in Vienna, Austria. Founded in 1983, the Vikings are known as one of Europe's most dominant clubs, having won the Eurobowl title five times, as well being the runner-up five times. In the national championship the Vikings are holding the record of 15 Austrian Bowl victories. Since the 2022 season they are member of the European League of Football and under the name Dacia Vienna Vikings they are also still part of the Austrian Football League (AFL).
The Calanda Broncos are an American football team from Landquart, Switzerland. The club, formed in 1991 as the Landquart Broncos, changed its name in late 2008 after the Calanda mountain to show the club's desire to represent a larger region of Graubünden rather than just the community of Landquart. With the move to the stadium in nearby Chur the club was also able to draw larger crowds for its home matches. The club is the best-supported American football club in Switzerland.
Jason Johnson is a former professional American football quarterback who played three seasons with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (CFL), winning the 93rd Grey Cup. He also spent two seasons in Europe, playing for the Catania Elephants of the Italian Football League (IFL) and the Swarco Raiders of the Austrian Football League (AFL).
The BIG6 European Football League (BIG6) was a European Cup style tournament for European American football teams. Originally organized by the EFAF, the tournament had been run by the German Football League International since 2015. The final game of the BIG6 was called the EFL Bowl from 2014-2018. Previously the final game of the European Football League was called the Eurobowl and had been held annually since 1986 to 2014.
Kevin Burke is an American college football coach and former quarterback. He played college football for Mount Union where he was a two-time winner of the Gagliardi Trophy and won the NCAA Division 3 championship.
The Danube Dragons founded in 1985 are a 3-time AFL-champion American football club based in Vienna, Austria.
The Graz Giants are an American football team in Graz, Austria founded in 1981. The Giants play in the Austrian Football League and are ten time Austrian Bowl champions. The Giants home games are at ASKÖ Stadium in the Eggenberg district of Graz.
The 2021 NFL season was the 102nd season of the National Football League (NFL). The season was the first to feature a 17-game regular season schedule as the league expanded the season from 16 games. The regular season started on September 9, 2021, with defending Super Bowl LV champion Tampa Bay defeating Dallas in the NFL Kickoff Game. The regular season ended on January 9, 2022. The playoffs started on January 15 and concluded with Super Bowl LVI, the league's championship game, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on February 13, with the Los Angeles Rams defeating Cincinnati.
The 2022 ELF season was the second season of the European League of Football, a semi professional American football league based in Europe. Twelve teams from five countries participated. The 2022 season started on June 4, 2022, and concluded with
Sandro Platzgummer is an Austrian professional American football running back who is currently playing for the Frankfurt Galaxy in the European League of Football. He previously played for the New York Giants in the NFL. In Europe he originally played for the AFL team of the Swarco Raiders Tirol and the Austria national American football team.
