 Intense Football League logo | |
| Sport | Indoor football |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2003 |
| Ceased | 2008 |
| Commissioner | Chad Dittman |
| No. of teams | 9 |
| Country | USA |
| Last champion(s) | Louisiana Swashbucklers |
The Intense Football League (IFL) was a professional indoor football minor league that began operations in 2004. Its focus was in Texas, but it was notable for being the first professional football league to place a franchise in Alaska.
During its first season, the El Paso Rumble folded and the league oversaw operations of the team until the end of the season. In 2005, the Amarillo Dusters left for the AF2, while the other teams joined the National Indoor Football League and the league suspended operations. In 2006, the Intense Football League restarted. Three of the original teams (Odessa, San Angelo and Corpus Christi) returned to the IFL, joined by new teams from Belton, Lake Charles, and Laredo.
Following the 2006 season, the Laredo Lobos left for AF2, but the league expanded with three new teams for 2007 in the Frisco Thunder, Katy Ruff Riders, and Alaska Wild (notable for being the first ever professional football team in the state of Alaska). For 2008 another Alaskan team was added with the Fairbanks Grizzlies. The league planned to add a team in El Paso for 2009. [1]
On July 22, 2008, it was announced that the IFL would be merging with United Indoor Football for the upcoming 2009 season, following the National Indoor Bowl Championship between both leagues' champions on August 2. On August 1 it was announced the new league would be called Indoor Football League. [2]
The AF2 was the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like its parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup championship in August. The AF2 continued to operate while the AFL suspended operations for its 2009 season. The league was effectively disbanded in September 2009 when no team committed to playing in 2010, but several of the stronger franchises transferred into the reconstituted AFL.
The Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz were an arena football team. The team began play as a 2004 expansion team of the Arena Football League's minor league af2 before becoming a member of the AFL in 2010. Formerly a tenant of the Ford Center from 2004 until 2008, the Yard Dawgz were forced out when the National Basketball Association's Oklahoma City Thunder moved into town; starting in 2009, the Yard Dawgz played across the street at the Cox Convention Center. On October 25, 2010 Yard Dawgz owner Phil Miller announced that he decided not to play in the Arena Football League for the 2011 season.
The Amarillo Venom are a professional indoor football team based in Amarillo, Texas. They play their home games at the Amarillo Civic Center and are members of American Indoor Football as of August 2024. The Venom began play in 2004 as the Amarillo Dusters, a charter member of the Intense Football League, a small indoor football league based in Texas. They won the championship in their first and only season with the Intense Football League.
The Lubbock Gunslingers were a professional indoor football team. They played their home games in Lubbock, Texas, at Lubbock Municipal Coliseum.
The West Texas Roughnecks were a professional indoor football team based in Odessa, Texas that plays in the Lone Star Football League. The team's nickname was a tribute to the oil industry, which has been the source of Odessa's wealth over the past century.
The Spokane Shock were a professional indoor American football team based in Spokane, Washington, that played their home games at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. The team was initially a member of arenafootball2 (af2), the Shock won division titles in all four seasons and ArenaCups in 2006 and 2009 before they joined the Arena Football League (AFL) in its 2010 relaunch. The team advanced to the playoffs three times after joining the AFL, winning ArenaBowl XXIII in their first season, making them the only arena football franchise to win both the ArenaCup and the ArenaBowl.
The Laredo Lobos were a professional arena football team based out of Laredo, Texas. They were a member of the af2 league. They played their home games at the Laredo Entertainment Center. The team was originally a 2006 expansion member of the Intense Football League.
The Alaska Wild were a professional indoor football team based in Anchorage, Alaska. The team was a member of the Pacific North Division of the Intense Conference of the Indoor Football League (IFL), after originally being an expansion member of the Intense Football League in 2007. The Alaska Wild played their home games in the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage. The team suspended operations after nine games of the 2010 season.
The Frisco Thunder was an indoor football team in Frisco, Texas. They were members of the Intense Football League and played their home games at the Dr Pepper Arena.
John Charles Fourcade, Jr. is a former professional American football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the New Orleans Saints and recent head coach of the New Mexico Stars of American Indoor Football (AIF). Fourcade was the most valuable player of the 1982 Senior Bowl after passing for 115 yards and running for 33 yards and two touchdowns. He had gained 6,713 yards at Ole Miss from 1978 to 1981, breaking the career record of Archie Manning.
The Fairbanks Grizzlies were a professional indoor football team based in Fairbanks, Alaska. The team was a member of the Pacific Division of the Intense Conference in the Indoor Football League (IFL). The Grizzlies began play in 2008 as a member of the Intense Football League and joined the IFL in 2008 as part of the Intense Football League and United Indoor Football (UIF) merger. The team played their home games at the Carlson Center in Fairbanks.
The Indoor Football League (IFL) is a professional indoor American football league created in 2008 out of the merger between the Intense Football League and United Indoor Football. It has one of the largest number of currently active teams among indoor football leagues. As of the 2023 season, the league consists of 14 teams in two conferences with each team playing 16 games over 19 weeks.
The Laredo Rattlesnakes were a professional indoor football team in the Lone Star Football League that began play in the 2012 season. Based in Laredo, Texas, the Rattlesnakes played their home games at the Laredo Energy Arena.
The Lone Star Football League (LSFL) was a regional professional indoor football minor league that played three seasons from 2012 to 2014. All of the LSFL's charter teams were based in the state of Texas, with five teams coming from the Southern Indoor Football League, three from the Indoor Football League, plus one expansion team. The LSFL played three seasons to completion before merging with the Champions Professional Indoor Football League in August 2014 to form Champions Indoor Football.
The 2011 Allen Wranglers season was the team's twelfth season as a professional indoor football franchise, second in the Indoor Football League (IFL), and the first as the "Allen Wranglers". The team played their home games at the Allen Event Center in the Dallas suburb of Allen, Texas.
The 2010 Arkansas Diamonds season was the franchise's eleventh season as a football franchise, first in the Indoor Football League, and only season as the "Arkansas Diamonds". The team, led by head coach Danton Barto, played their home games at the Verizon Arena in North Little Rock, Arkansas. The Diamonds finished the regular season with an 11–3 record and first place in the 2010 Lonestar East Division. The team's playoff run ended with a loss to the Billings Outlaws in the Intense Conference Finals. For the 2011 season, the team relocated to Texas as the Allen Wranglers.
The 2011 Fairbanks Grizzlies season was the team's fourth season as a professional indoor football franchise and third in the Indoor Football League (IFL). One of twenty-two teams that competed in the IFL for the 2011 season, the Fairbanks, Alaska-based Fairbanks Grizzlies finished first in the Pacific Division of the Intense Conference.
The 2010 Amarillo Venom season was the team's seventh season as a professional indoor football franchise and first in the Indoor Football League (IFL). One of twenty-five teams competing in the IFL for the 2010 season, the Amarillo, Texas-based West Texas Roughnecks were members of the Lonestar West Division of the Intense Conference.
The 2010 Fairbanks Grizzlies season was the team's third season as a professional indoor football franchise and second in the Indoor Football League (IFL). One of twenty-five teams that competed in the IFL for the 2010 season, the Fairbanks, Alaska-based Fairbanks Grizzlies were members of the Pacific North Division of the Intense Conference.