CIFL Looks at Past, Towards Future
October 16, 2006 - Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) News Release
"We had a great 2006 season, but we have to keep improving for 2007 and beyond." That was the sentiment of the twelve owners that came together one final time under the Great Lakes Indoor Football League banner. Why?
The league's co-founders, Jeff Spitaleri, Eric Spitaleri, and Cory Trapp, as well as all twelve GLIFL owners, unanimously agreed to adopt the Continental Indoor Football League as its banner for the future. The new banner helps the league grow as it has doubled in size just from 2006 to 2007. "We really aren't just a Great Lakes league anymore," said CIFL co-founder Eric Spitaleri. "This allows us to show fans our commitment to bringing the best quality football throughout the entire league."
With four of the league's twelve teams well outside of the "Great Lakes" region, the GLIFL moniker no longer was sensible to use. "We have teams in Massachusetts, Maryland, and New Jersey," added CIFL co-founder Cory Trapp. "The GLIFL name just doesn't make sense in a lot of our markets. Everyone in the meeting agreed with that."
The CIFL name is the only change in the business structure league. The league's office, in the 4150 Professional Building in North Canton, Ohio, will not move. The ownership structure remains the same. The game remains the same, as the CIFL will utilize the unique 7-on-7 professional indoor football format that attracted over 75,000 fans to GLIFL arenas in 2006.
With the name change comes a new logo. The CIFL logo was adopted in a way to show that the league is committed to moving in a forward direction. The familiar colors and word mark also let fans know that the league is committed to its history. "Without GLIFL fans in 2006, there would be no CIFL," said CIFL co-founder Jeff Spitaleri. "We are thankful to each and every one of them that have allowed us to make this league work. And we are dedicated to continually improving this league, because it is the only fair thing to do for our great fans."
The CIFL can be found online at www.continentalindoorfootball.com. The GLIFL site link will be kept up for a period of time notifying visitors of the new league site.
The CIFL adopted various ownership and management committees to help the league and teams in 2007. The league adopted Rules and Expansion Committees to help organize various parts of the league. The Expansion Committee will be responsible for gathering information from prospective ownership groups and disseminating it to the entire league, where all team owners will vote on new membership acceptance. The Rules Committee's objective will be to work with CIFL Director of Officials Rick Radcliff. Together, they will clear up any discrepancies in the CIFL rulebook, such that players, coaches, and game officials are able to create a better game for everyone.
The first rule change adopted by the league is the addition of two roster spots to a team's active roster. In 2006, GLIFL teams played with 18 active players plus a 19th special teams-only player. In 2007, CIFL teams can have up to 20 active players plus a 21st special teams-only player. A team can have 25 total players on its roster, as opposed to 23 last year.
The CIFL also approved the Kalamazoo Xplosion for the 2007 season.
The Continental Indoor Football League begins its second season on March 24, 2007, with the Port Huron Pirates visiting the Rochester Raiders in a rematch of Great Lakes Bowl I. Other teams will also play on the league's opening weekend, which will be released with the rest of the CIFL 2007 schedule in the coming days. For more information on the CIFL or its member teams, please visit the league website at www.continentalindoorfootball.com, or contact CIFL Director of Communications Josh Stein at jstein@continentalindoorfootball.com.
Continental Indoor Football League Stories from October 16, 2006
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
