Indoor Football League (1999–2000)

Indoor Football League
Sport indoor football
Founded 1999
Founder Keary Ecklund
Inaugural season 1999
Ceased 2000
CEO Kellen Winslow
Motto Wall to Wall War
No. of teams 13
Country United States
Last
champion(s)		 Green Bay Bombers (1999)
Peoria Pirates (2000)[1]

The Indoor Football League (IFL) 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 "entity league"; teams were owned by the league and franchised out to management groups. NFL Hall-of-Famer Kellen Winslow was brought in as commissioner. The league was successful enough for a major expansion in 2000. Expansion was done regionally to cut down on travel expenses. Hence, the majority of the teams were in the Midwest. Their championship game was known as the Gold Cup.

Midway through the 2000 season, the Topeka Knights changed management and nicknames and became the Kings. After the season, the entire league was purchased by the Arena Football League's Orlando Predators. Two teams, the Lincoln Lightning and Peoria Pirates, as well as many players, became a part of their developmental ("farm") league, the AF2.[2] The Wichita Warlords were rebranded the Wichita Stealth. Other teams resurfaced with new names in the Indoor Professional Football League (which consisted of the remnants of the PIFL that Ecklund left in 1999) and the National Indoor Football League.

1999 teams

North Division

1. y-Peoria Pirates, 11-1

2. x-Green Bay Bombers, 9-3

3. Madison Mad Dogs, 6-6

4. Duluth-Superior Lumberjacks, 1-11

South Division

1. y-Lincoln Lightning, 7-5

2. x-Dayton Skyhawks, 6-6

3. Topeka Knights, 6-6

4. Steel Valley Smash, 2-10

  • y – clinched division
  • x – clinched wild card

1999 Playoffs

Semifinals 1999 Gold Cup
      
3 Lincoln 34
2 Green Bay 44
2 Green Bay 63
1 Peoria Pirates 60
4 Dayton 40
1 Peoria 41

2000 teams

Eastern Conference

Northern Division

1. z-Peoria Pirates (14-0)

2. x-Green Bay Bombers (10-4)

3. x-Madison Mad Dogs (8-6)

4. Minnesota Purple Rage (5-9)

5. Duluth-Superior Lumberjacks (2-12)

6. La Crosse River Rats (2-12)

Southern Division

1. y-Steel Valley Smash (9-5)

2. x-Erie Invaders (6-8)

3. x-Dayton Skyhawks (6-8)

4. Johnstown Jackals (3-11)

5. Flint Flames (2-12)

Western Conference

Northern Division

1. z-Bismarck Blaze (11-3)

2. x-Black Hills Machine (10-4)

3. x-Casper Cavalry (9-5)

4. Billings Thunderbolts (8-6)

5. Fargo Freeze (1-13)

Southern Division

1. y-Topeka Knights/Kings (10-4)

2. x-Lincoln Lightning (10-4)

3. x-Sioux City Attack (9-5)

4. Sioux Falls Cobras (8-6)

5. Wichita Warlords (4-10)

  • z – clinched conference
  • y – clinched division
  • x – clinched wild card

2000 Playoffs

                                   
Rapid City, South Dakota   Topeka, Kansas          
 6  Casper  32
 3  Black Hills  21
 3  Black Hills  75     Bismarck, North Dakota
 2  Topeka  26  
Western Conference
Lincoln, Nebraska  2  Topeka  29
Bismarck, North Dakota
   1  Bismarck  38  
 5  Sioux City  52 Western Conference Championship
 5  Sioux City  14
 4  Lincoln  38   Peoria, Illinois
 1  Bismarck  30  
Wild card playoffs  
Divisional playoffs
Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin  W1  Bismarck  42
Wheeling, West Virginia
   E1  Peoria  69
 6  Dayton  23 2000 Gold Cup
 3  Green Bay  10
 3  Green Bay  64     Peoria, Illinois
 2  Steel Valley  21  
Eastern Conference
Madison, Wisconsin  2  Steel Valley  55
Peoria, Illinois
   1  Peoria  75  
 5  Erie  22 Eastern Conference Championship
 4  Madison  13
 4  Madison  34  
  1  Peoria   25  

Failed Franchises/Expansion

  • Iowa Voltage - announced as member of, but never actually played, in the league. [3] [4]

References

  1. ↑ "Various Football League Champions". World of Football. Retrieved 2008-09-22.
  2. ↑ Paul Reeths (October 20, 2000). "arenafootball2 acquires IFL". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  3. ↑ Iowa Voltage logo, LogoShak.com
  4. ↑ Iowa Voltage Minor League Football, Our Sports Central
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