Arena Football 1 is an
arena football league founded in 2009 to
replace the indefinitely suspended
Arena Football League. The league was
formed with 16 teams: existing teams from the AFL and
arenafootball2, an existing team from the
American Indoor Football
Association, and several new teams or markets. Despite the
crossover from the AFL and af2, the league is an entirely new
entity and not a merger of the AFL and af2. The league's first
season will be in 2010, running spring through summer like the AFL
and
af2.
The league will play by the same rules the AFL and af2 played by in
their respective final seasons.
Arena Football 1 league offices are
headquartered in Tulsa,
Oklahoma
.
History
Following the suspension of the AFL's 2009 season, af2 league
officials and owners began discussing the future of arena football
and the two leagues. With 50.1 percent ownership of af2, the AFL's
bankruptcy and dissolution of the league technically included the
dissolution of the af2. Questions also arose regarding payment of
franchise fees and league dues to an entity which had entered
bankruptcy. Uncertainty surrounded the league immediately following
the
2009 season with no formal plan
in place to continue. Several teams folded while others suspended
operations pending a definitive plan. The league was formally
considered disbanded on September 8, 2009, when no owner committed
his or her team to the league's eleventh season by that
deadline.
af2 Board of Directors meetings continued throughout and after the
season to work on plans for a new league independent of Arena
Football, LLC. Final meetings were held on September 28, 2009,
concluding with a press conference in Tulsa announcing the league's
formation.
On November 11, 2009, the new league announced its intention to
purchase the entire assets of the former AFL.
League structure
Finances
Arena Football 1 draws the bulk of its structure from the financial
success of arenafootball2. The league runs a single-entity model
with the league owning the rights to the teams, players, and
coaches. Players will be paid more than the $200 per game salary of
af2 but less than the union-mandated $1,800 per game AFL salary;
more specific details will be released in the forthcoming weeks as
preparation begins for the inaugural season. The cost of running a
team is expected to be increased compared to af2. A pool of money
will be alotted to teams to aid in travel costs for the airplane
traveling that will be more prevalent in AF1 compared to af2.
Teams
As of September 28, 2009, 16 charter franchises have been announced
for Arena Football 1, with eleven more teams either submitting
membership applications or considering doing so. Additional teams
were slated to be announced by the league by October 9, 2009,
though this was postponed to give teams additional time. Dan
Newman, owner of the
Bossier-Shreveport Battle
Wings, and Jeff Lamberti, owner of the
Iowa Barnstormers, both said the league is
currently negotiating with at least four additional former AFL
teams, the
Kansas City Brigade,
Cleveland Gladiators,
Tampa Bay Storm and the
San Jose SaberCats. Among other teams who
are seeking to join the league are the af2's
Albany Firebirds and
Toledo Bullfrogs, both of which are eyeing
a 2011 entry date.
On Tuesday, October 27, the Kentucky Horsemen folded because of
financial situations.
On November 19, the Tri-Cities Fever left the league to join the Indoor Football League. These moves dropped the league to 14 teams. Though true, the league has since announced an additional franchise in Dallas, home of the former AFL Dallas Desperados, but will have no affiliation.
Divisional alignment will be announced in the future. The league
and owners are considering the possibility of a two-tier system
with the top tier featuring the more popular, larger-market and
larger-budget teams while the lower tier would contain the smaller
market teams with more limited budgets.
These are the 14 current teams:
| Team |
City |
Arena |
Founded |
First AF1 season |
| Arizona
Rattlers |
Phoenix, Arizona |
US Airways Center |
1991 |
2010 |
| Bossier-Shreveport Battle
Wings |
Bossier City, Louisiana |
CenturyTel Center |
2000 |
2010 |
| Central Valley
Coyotes |
Fresno, California |
Selland Arena |
2001 |
2010 |
| Chicago |
Chicago,
Illinois |
Allstate Arena |
2009 |
2010 |
| Dallas |
Frisco, Texas |
Dr Pepper Arena |
2009 |
2010 |
| Iowa
Barnstormers |
Des Moines, Iowa |
Wells Fargo Arena |
1995 |
2010 |
| Jacksonville
Sharks |
Jacksonville, Florida |
Jacksonville
Veterans Memorial Arena |
2009 |
2010 |
| Milwaukee
Iron |
Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
Bradley Center |
2008 |
2010 |
| Oklahoma City Yard
Dawgz |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
Cox Convention Center |
2003 |
2010 |
| Orlando
Predators |
Orlando, Florida |
Amway Arena |
1990 |
2010 |
| Spokane
Shock |
Spokane, Washington |
Spokane Veterans Memorial
Arena |
2005 |
2010 |
| Tennessee Valley
Vipers |
Huntsville, Alabama |
Von Braun Center |
1999 |
2010 |
| Tulsa Talons |
Tulsa, Oklahoma |
BOK
Center |
1999 |
2010 |
| Utah Thunder |
West Valley City, Utah |
E
Center |
2008 |
2010 |
Teams which left the AF1 for another league
Defunct teams
References
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