2018 Indoor Football League season

The 2018 Indoor Football League season was the tenth season of the Indoor Football League (IFL). The league played with six teams, after the suspension of operations of three teams, the departure of another two teams, and the addition and subsequent suspension of two teams.

2018 IFL season
LeagueIndoor Football League
SportIndoor football
DurationFebruary 23, 2018 – June 16, 2018
Finals championsIowa Barnstormers
  Runners-upSioux Falls Storm

The top four teams made the IFL playoffs with the semifinals consisting of the top seed hosting the fourth seed and the second hosting the third before the winners met in the 2018 United Bowl.

Offseason

Project Fanchise, the ownership of the Salt Lake Screaming Eagles that joined the IFL in 2017 and also bought the Colorado Crush during the season, announced that they would leave the IFL after one season.[1] For the 2018 season, the Arizona Rattlers, Cedar Rapids Titans, Green Bay Blizzard, Iowa Barnstormers, and Nebraska Danger had all committed to play.[2] However, the Spokane Empire had ceased operations at the close of the 2017 season.[3] The Sioux Falls Storm left the league for Champions Indoor Football on August 30, 2017,[4] with the Wichita Falls Nighthawks to follow soon after. On September 12, 2017, it was announced that the Bloomington Edge and West Michigan Ironmen had joined the IFL for the 2018 season.[5]

The CIF then attempted to sue the IFL, Edge, and Ironmen for leaving the CIF after the two teams had already signed league affiliation agreements with the CIF for 2018. The IFL then threatened to sue the CIF, Storm, and Nighthawks in return despite neither former IFL team signing an affiliation agreement with the IFL for 2018.[6] The CIF then retracted their lawsuit with the IFL but also removed the Storm and Nighthawks from their 2018 schedule.[7] After the IFL meetings in October 2017, the Storm returned to the IFL[8] but the Nighthawks had to suspend operations.[9] While the CIF did drop the lawsuit against the IFL, it filed for an injunction against the Edge and Ironmen teams from participating in the IFL for breaking the terms of their signed affiliation agreements. A temporary injunction from participation was granted on January 31, 2018, with the court ruling determining that both teams had been offered bribes from the owner of the Arizona Rattlers to break their contracts with the CIF.[10][11] The schedule was revised in February for the six participating teams stating the Edge and Ironmen were to return in 2019.[12]

Teams
Team Location Arena Capacity Founded Joined Head coach
Arizona Rattlers Phoenix, Arizona Talking Stick Resort Arena 15,505 1992 2017 Kevin Guy
Cedar Rapids Titans Cedar Rapids, Iowa U.S. Cellular Center 6,900 2012 2012 Marvin Jones
Green Bay Blizzard Green Bay, Wisconsin Resch Center 8,600 2003 2010 Chris Williams (until March 29)
Corey Roberson (interim)
Iowa Barnstormers Des Moines, Iowa Wells Fargo Arena 15,181 1995 2015 Dixie Wooten
Nebraska Danger Grand Island, Nebraska Eihusen Arena 6,000 2011 2011 Mark Stoute (until May 20)
Adam Shackleford/Pig Brown (interim co-coaches)
Sioux Falls Storm Sioux Falls, South Dakota Denny Sanford Premier Center 10,678 2000 2009 Kurtiss Riggs

Standings
2018 Indoor Football League
W L PCT PF PA GB STK
y-Iowa Barnstormers 113.786648493—W1
x-Arizona Rattlers 113.786746567—W1
x-Sioux Falls Storm 113.786724577—W5
x-Nebraska Danger 410.2865255927L9
Cedar Rapids Titans 311.2145437338L1
Green Bay Blizzard 212.1434216459L4

y - clinched regular season title

x - clinched playoff spot

Playoffs
Semifinal 2018 United Bowl
      
1 Iowa 48
4 Nebraska 17
1 Iowa 42
3 Sioux Falls 38
2 Arizona 68
3 Sioux Falls 69 (OT)

Season awards
AwardWinnerPositionTeam
Most Valuable Player[13]Drew PowellQuarterbackIowa Barnstormers
Offensive Player of the Year[14]Darrell MonroeRunning backArizona Rattlers
Defensive Player of the Year[14]Bryce EnyardDefensive backIowa Barnstormers
Special Teams Player of the Year[14]B.J. HillKick returnerGreen Bay Blizzard
Offensive Rookie of the Year[15]Jeff ZiembaQuarterbackArizona Rattlers
Defensive Rookie of the Year[15]Ricarlo BellDefensive linemanCedar Rapids Titans
Coach of the Year[13]Dixie WootenHead coachIowa Barnstormers

References
  1. "Weekly Sports League & Franchise Report". OurSports Central. Retrieved 2017-08-13.
  2. "IFL Plans for 2018 Season - Indoor Football League". goifl.com. Retrieved 2017-08-13.
  3. Brad Hegland (2017-07-12). "Spokane Empire to cease operations and will not play football in - Spokane, North Idaho News & Weather KHQ.com". khq.com. Retrieved 2017-08-13.
  4. "Storm Announce Move to CIF". Champions Indoor Football. August 30, 2017. Archived from the original on August 30, 2017. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
  5. "IFL Announces Addition of Bloomington & West Michigan". goifl.com. September 12, 2017. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
  6. "Tryon addresses legal aspect of switching leagues". KWSN. October 5, 2017.
  7. "CIF Commissioner Issues State of the League Address". Salina Scoop. October 4, 2017. Archived from the original on October 5, 2017. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
  8. "LETTER FROM TODD TRYON". Sioux Falls Storm. October 4, 2017. Archived from the original on October 5, 2017. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
  9. "Nighthawks suspend operations for 2018". KAUZ-TV. October 16, 2017.
  10. "TEMPORARY INJUNCTION BARS RENEGADE TEAMS FROM LEAVING C.P.I.F.L." KSCJ. January 31, 2018.
  11. "Ironmen will be independent in 2018, due to ruling that leaves them without a league". Local Sports Journal. February 6, 2018.
  12. "IFL Revises 2018 Regular Season Schedule". IFL. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
  13. "2018 IFL MVP and Coach of the Year Announced". 5 July 2018.
  14. "2018 Players of the Year Announced". 3 July 2018.
  15. "2018 IFL Rookies of the Year Announced". 3 July 2018.


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