Indoor and Arena Football History

arenafootball2 (af2)
arenafootball2 (af2)
Active: 2000-2009


As the originator of football indoors, the Arena Football League quickly noticed the growth of the game in midsized markets and countered the burgeoning indoor leagues with its own minor league, arenafootball2. Not only would af2 give Arena Football a presence in more markets, it would also provide the AFL with a training ground for its players.

With the growing AFL behind it, af2 bought out the upstart Southeast-based Xtreme Football League (no relation to the WWE outdoor league) and launched in 2000 with 16 teams. Like its parent league, af2 used the endzone rebound nets, a patented feature of Arena Football play, along with the complete Arena Football rule set.

The league continued its aggressive growth when Orlando Predators Entertainment bought out the midwestern Indoor Football League in 2001. In the process, af2 absorbed three IFL markets (Peoria, Lincoln and Wichita) and eliminated a competitor.

In 2005, arenafootball2 brought in the Amarillo Dusters from the Intense Football League, forcing the remaining teams in that league to join the National Indoor Football League for a year. The following season, the league added the NIFL's Everett Hawks, one of that league's strongest teams.


Alabama Steeldogs
Albany Firebirds
Albuquerque
Augusta Stallions
Austin Wranglers
Bakersfield Blitz
Baton Rouge Blaze
Bismarck Bandits
Boise Burn
Buffalo
Carolina Rhinos
Central Valley Coyotes
Charleston Swamp Foxes
Cincinnati Jungle Kats
Cincinnati Swarm
Columbus Wardogs
Corpus Christi Sharks
Daytona Beach ThunderBirds
Everett Hawks
Florida Firecats
Fort Wayne Fusion
Greensboro Prowlers
Hawaiian Islanders
Jacksonville Tomcats
Lafayette Roughnecks
Laredo Law
Laredo Lobos
Lincoln Lightning
Louisville Fire
Lubbock Renegades
Macon Knights
Mahoning Valley Thunder
Manchester Wolves
Memphis Xplorers
Mississippi Headhunters
Mobile Wizards
Mohegan Wolves
New Haven Ninjas
Norfolk Nighthawks
Pensacola Barracudas
Peoria Pirates
Quad City Steamwheelers
Richmond Speed
Rio Grande Valley Dorados
Roanoke Steam
Rochester Brigade
San Diego Riptide
South Georgia Wildcats
Stockton Lightning
Tallahassee Thunder
Texas Copperheads
Toledo Bullfrogs
Wichita Stealth
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers
Worcester
Yakima