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AFL I Arena Football League (1987-2008)

2007 season begins March 1

November 29, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release


NEW YORK - The Arena Football League's 21st season begins on Thursday, March 1 at 8:00 p.m. ET when the Columbus Destroyers visit the Nashville Kats. The 19 AFL teams will play a 16-game schedule over 17 weeks with each team receiving one bye week. The playoffs begin on June 29 with Wild Card Weekend. The season will conclude with ArenaBowl XXI on Sunday, July 29.

WEEK 1 MATCHUPS
(All times ET and subject to change)

Thursday, March 1 Columbus at Nashville 8:00 p.m.
Friday, March 2 Orlando at Tampa Bay 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 3 Georgia at Arizona 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 3 New Orleans at Utah 9:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 4 Chicago at Kansas City 12:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 4 Dallas at New York 12:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 4 Grand Rapids at Colorado 3:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 4 Las Vegas at Austin 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 4 San Jose at Los Angeles 10:00 p.m.
Bye: Philadelphia

The Chicago Rush begins its title defense on Sunday, March 4 at Kansas City. The Rush captured the franchise's first ArenaBowl title last year with a 69-61 win over the Orlando Predators in ArenaBowl XX held June 11, 2006 in Las Vegas. Returning for Chicago are ArenaBowl XX MVP QB MATT D'ORAZIO and WR BOBBY SIPPIO, a late-season acquisition last year. The Brigade counters with QB CHRIS SANDERS and DS KENNY MCENTYRE, the 2006 Al Lucas Hero Award winner, who was acquired via trade with Orlando this offseason.

The New Orleans VooDoo, forced to take a one-year hiatus due to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, returns to action on Saturday, March 3 at Utah. The VooDoo last played a game on May 22, 2005, a 51-40 loss to Orlando. QB ANDY KELLY, who spent 2005 with New Orleans before splitting time between Kansas City and Utah last year, returns to the VooDoo and begins the season as the AFL's all-time leader with 768 touchdown passes. New Orleans' first home game at New Orleans Arena is on Friday, March 9 against the Philadelphia Soul.

The Tampa Bay Storm and Orlando Predators renew the "War on I-4" with two more meetings including a Week 1 matchup in Tampa on March 2 and an April 14 contest in Orlando. The Predators swept the season series last year, including a 52-13 home win on April 22, to take a 20-19 lead in the all-time series. QB SHANE STAFFORD switches sides in the heated Sunshine State rivalry this year after leaving Tampa for Orlando via free agency this offseason. Stafford set new Storm franchise records with 1,357 pass completions, 289 passing touchdowns and 15,669 passing yards in his Tampa Bay career. He passed his new boss, Orlando head coach, former Storm quarterback and AFL Hall of Famer JAY GRUDEN, in all three categories.

Other Week 1 highlights include:

- The return of Georgia Force Head Coach DOUG PLANK to Arizona, where he served as the Rattlers Defensive Coordinator for three seasons (2002-04) and helped guide them to two ArenaBowl appearances.

- The Dallas Desperados, who led the AFL with 13 wins last season, travel to the Big Apple for an early-season showdown with Eastern Division rival New York. Dallas swept the season series last year en route to a 13-3 record, which tied an AFL high for regular season wins.

- The debut of two new head coaches - Austin's BRIAN PARTLOW and Las Vegas' DANTON BARTO - who will go head-to-head in Austin on Sunday, March 4.

The playoff system will be the same as 2006 with 12 teams advancing to the postseason. In each conference, the top two seeds will receive byes the first weekend.

Following is the playoff schedule (all times TBD):

PLAYOFF ROUND DATE
Wild Card Round June 29-July 1
Divisional Round July 6-8
Conference Championship Games July 14-15
ArenaBowl XXI July 29

Other 2007 schedule highlights include:

- The Arizona Rattlers and San Jose SaberCats add two more chapters to their rivalry when they meet on May 5 in Phoenix and June 17 in San Jose. The SaberCats hold a slim 15-14 lead in the all-time series, including the playoffs. The Rattlers lost all three contests against the SaberCats last season including a 62-48 decision in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. San Jose rookie WR/LB BEN NELSON, who tied an AFL postseason single-game record with six touchdowns against the Rattlers last year, added fuel to the rivalry's fire at the ArenaBall Awards show last summer when he commented on Arizona's inability to cover him in that game. Arizona WR/DB RANDY GATEWOOD answered Nelson's comments with some of his own to set up what should be two bitter battles this season.

- The last two ArenaBowl champions will meet twice this season as both reside in the Central Division. The Chicago Rush, winners of ArenaBowl XX, will host the ArenaBowl XIX Champion Colorado Crush on May 7. The Rush will travel to Denver for a rematch on June 18. The games continue a recent vicious rivalry and also pit two Pro Football Hall of Famers against each other in the owner's box in Crush Co-Owner JOHN ELWAY and Rush Co-Owner MIKE DITKA. The teams have split the previous eight meetings 4-4. The Crush swept the two-game regular season series in 2006 but the Rush ended Colorado's season with a 63-46 win in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

- The battle for the AFL touchdown passing record rages on this year with the top two TD slingers in AFL history meeting in a Week 15 showdown when CLINT DOLEZEL and the Dallas Desperados host ANDY KELLY and the New Orleans VooDoo on Friday, June 8. Kelly enters the season with 768 career touchdown passes, which places him three ahead of Dolezel for the all-time lead.

- The San Jose SaberCats will travel to Chicago for a Friday, March 9 rematch of last season's American Conference Championship Game won by Chicago, 59-56. Dallas will travel to Orlando for a March 26 rematch of last year's National Conference Championship Game won by the Predators, 45-28.

- Tampa Bay Storm QB JOHN KALEO, who spent last season with Columbus, will face his former teammates on Sunday, April 30 in Tampa. Kaleo previously spent four seasons with Tampa Bay (2000-03) and led the Storm to a win in ArenaBowl XVII.

- Storm WR TERRILL SHAW, who left Dallas for Tampa Bay via free agency this offseason, returns to American Airlines Arena to face his former teammates on Saturday, March 10. Shaw led the Desperados last season with 111 receptions, 1,498 receiving yards and 37 touchdowns.

- Utah Blaze Head Coach DANNY WHITE, who guided Arizona from 1992-2004 and won ArenaBowl titles in 1994 and 1997, returns to the desert on Saturday, March 10 to take on the Rattlers. Last season, the Blaze was swept in the two-game series by Arizona.

- Kicker CLAY RUSH, who booted the game-winning 20-yard field goal for Colorado as time expired in ArenaBowl XIX, will return to Denver as a member of the Kansas City Brigade on March 10.

With the return of New Orleans and the realignment of Kansas City from the Southern to the Central, the 2007 divisional alignment is as follows:

AMERICAN CONFERENCE NATIONAL CONFERENCE
WESTERN CENTRAL EASTERN SOUTHERN
Arizona Rattlers Chicago Rush Columbus Destroyers Austin Wranglers
Las Vegas Gladiators Colorado Crush Dallas Desperados Georgia Force
Los Angeles Avengers Grand Rapids Rampage New York Dragons New Orleans VooDoo
San Jose SaberCats Kansas City Brigade Philadelphia Soul Orlando Predators
Utah Blaze Nashville Kats Tampa Bay Storm

***

Optimal Planning Solutions Inc. (www.optimalplanning.com) assisted the AFL in producing the 2007 schedule. OPS is the leading provider of scheduling services and software to professional sports leagues, including the National Football League, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, and the Australian Football League.



2007 AFL WEEK-BY-WEEK SCHEDULE
(All times are Eastern; Subject to change.)

DATE WEEK 1 TIME
Thursday, March 1 Columbus at Nashville 8:00 p.m.
Friday, March 2 Orlando at Tampa Bay 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 3 Georgia at Arizona 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 3 New Orleans at Utah 9:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 4 Chicago at Kansas City 12:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 4 Dallas at New York 12:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 4 Grand Rapids at Colorado 3:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 4 Las Vegas at Austin 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 4 San Jose at Los Angeles 10:00 p.m.
Bye: Philadelphia

DATE WEEK 2 TIME
Thursday, March 8 Las Vegas at Grand Rapids 7:00 p.m.
Friday, March 9 Columbus at New Orleans 8:00 p.m.
Friday, March 9 Philadelphia at Nashville 8:00 p.m.
Friday, March 9 San Jose at Chicago 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 10 Tampa Bay at Dallas 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 10 Kansas City at Colorado 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 10 Utah at Arizona 9:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 11 Austin at Georgia 3:30 p.m.
Monday, March 12 Los Angeles at Orlando 7:00 p.m.
Bye: New York

DATE WEEK 3 TIME
Thursday, March 15 Philadelphia at Grand Rapids 7:00 p.m.
Friday, March 16 Austin at Orlando 7:30 p.m.
Friday, March 16 Dallas at Kansas City 8:00 p.m.
Friday, March 16 Arizona at Colorado 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 17 Georgia at Tampa Bay 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 18 New York at Chicago 3:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 18 Utah at Nashville 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 18 New Orleans at Las Vegas 6:00 p.m.
Bye: Columbus, Los Angeles, San Jose

DATE WEEK 4 TIME
Thursday, March 22 Colorado at Philadelphia 7:00 p.m.
Friday, March 23 New York at Tampa Bay 7:30 p.m.
Friday, March 23 Grand Rapids at Utah 9:00 p.m.
Friday, March 23 Las Vegas at Arizona 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 24 Chicago at Columbus 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 24 San Jose at Georgia 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 24 Los Angeles at New Orleans 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 24 Nashville at Austin 8:30 p.m.
Monday, March 26 Dallas at Orlando 7:00 p.m.
Bye: Kansas City

--more--

DATE WEEK 5 TIME
Friday, March 30 Georgia at Columbus 7:00 p.m.
Friday, March 30 Arizona at Kansas City 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 31 Orlando at New Orleans 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 31 Austin at Dallas 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 31 Tampa Bay at San Jose 10:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 1 Philadelphia at New York 1:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 1 Los Angeles at Chicago 1:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 1 Nashville at Colorado 3:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 1 Utah at Las Vegas 6:00 p.m.
Bye: Grand Rapids

DATE WEEK 6 TIME
Thursday, April 5 Columbus at Dallas 8:30 p.m.
Friday, April 6 Utah at Austin 8:30 p.m.
Friday, April 6 Arizona at Los Angeles 10:30 p.m.
Friday, April 6 Colorado at San Jose 10:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 7 New York at Grand Rapids 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 7 New Orleans at Tampa Bay 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 7 Chicago at Nashville 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 7 Kansas City at Las Vegas 9:00 p.m.
Monday, April 9 Georgia at Philadelphia 7:30 p.m.
Bye: Orlando

DATE WEEK 7 TIME
Friday, April 13 San Jose at New Orleans 8:00 p.m.
Friday, April 13 Los Angeles at Utah 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 14 Austin at Columbus 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 14 Tampa Bay at Orlando 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 14 Grand Rapids at Kansas City 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 14 Nashville at Arizona 10:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 15 Colorado at New York 1:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 15 Las Vegas at Georgia 3:30 p.m.
Monday, April 16 Philadelphia at Dallas TBD
Bye: Chicago

DATE WEEK 8 TIME
Friday, April 20 New York at Orlando 7:30 p.m.
Friday, April 20 Kansas City at Nashville 8:00 p.m.
Friday, April 20 Arizona at Utah 9:00 p.m.
Friday, April 20 Las Vegas at Colorado 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 21 Chicago at Grand Rapids 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 21 Dallas at Georgia 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 21 New Orleans at Austin 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 21 Los Angeles at San Jose 10:30 p.m.
Monday, April 23 Philadelphia at Columbus 7:30 p.m.
Bye: Tampa Bay

DATE WEEK 9 TIME
Friday, April 27 Georgia at New Orleans 7:00 p.m.
Friday, April 27 Colorado at Kansas City 8:00 p.m.
Friday, April 27 Nashville at Dallas 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 28 Arizona at New York 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 28 Grand Rapids at Los Angeles 10:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 28 Utah at San Jose 10:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 29 Columbus at Tampa Bay 3:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 29 Orlando at Las Vegas 6:00 p.m.
Monday, April 30 Philadelphia at Chicago 8:00 p.m.
Bye: Austin

DATE WEEK 10 TIME
Friday, May 4 New York at Columbus 7:00 p.m.
Friday, May 4 Orlando at Georgia 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 5 Kansas City at Philadelphia 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 5 Nashville at Grand Rapids 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 5 Dallas at Utah 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 5 San Jose at Arizona 10:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 6 Tampa Bay at Austin 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 6 Los Angeles at Las Vegas 6:00 p.m.
Monday, May 7 Colorado at Chicago 8:00 p.m.
Bye: New Orleans

DATE WEEK 11 TIME
Friday, May 11 Grand Rapids at Columbus 7:00 p.m.
Friday, May 11 Chicago at Dallas 7:30 p.m.
Friday, May 11 New Orleans at Orlando 7:30 p.m.
Friday, May 11 Colorado at Nashville 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 12 Utah at Kansas City 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 12 Austin at Arizona 10:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 12 Las Vegas at San Jose 10:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 12 Tampa Bay at Los Angeles 10:30 p.m.
Monday, May 14 New York at Philadelphia 7:30 p.m.
Bye: Georgia

DATE WEEK 12 TIME
Friday, May 18 Arizona at Tampa Bay 7:30 p.m.
Friday, May 18 Columbus at Colorado 9:00 p.m.
Friday, May 18 Las Vegas at Utah 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 19 Nashville at Chicago 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 19 Georgia at Los Angeles 10:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 19 Grand Rapids at San Jose 10:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 20 Kansas City at New York 1:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 20 Orlando at Austin 4:00 p.m.
Monday, May 21 New Orleans at Philadelphia 7:30 p.m.
Bye: Dallas

DATE WEEK 13 TIME
Friday, May 25 Utah at Orlando 7:30 p.m.
Friday, May 25 San Jose at Nashville 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 26 Los Angeles at Kansas City 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 26 Colorado at Grand Rapids 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 26 Dallas at Columbus 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 26 Tampa Bay at Georgia 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 26 Chicago at Arizona 10:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 27 Philadelphia at Austin 4:00 p.m.
Monday, May 28 New York at New Orleans 8:00 p.m.
Bye: Las Vegas

DATE WEEK 14 TIME
Friday, June 1 Dallas at Philadelphia 7:30 p.m.
Friday, June 1 Orlando at San Jose 10:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 2 Austin at New York 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 2 Columbus at Georgia 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 2 Kansas City at Grand Rapids 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 2 Tampa Bay at New Orleans 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 2 Chicago at Los Angeles 10:30 p.m.
Sunday, June 3 Arizona at Las Vegas 6:00 p.m.
Monday, June 4 Colorado at Utah 10:30 p.m.
Bye: Nashville

DATE WEEK 15 TIME
Friday, June 8 Kansas City at Columbus 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 9 Orlando at New York 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 9 Philadelphia at Tampa Bay 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 9 Grand Rapids at Chicago 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 9 Georgia at Austin 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 9 New Orleans at Dallas 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 9 San Jose at Utah 9:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 10 Nashville at Las Vegas 6:00 p.m.
Monday, June 11 Los Angeles at Arizona 10:00 p.m.
Bye: Colorado

DATE WEEK 16 TIME
Friday, June 15 Georgia at Orlando 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 16 Columbus at Philadelphia 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 16 Tampa Bay at Grand Rapids 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 16 Nashville at Kansas City 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 16 New York at Dallas 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 16 Arizona at San Jose 10:30 p.m.
Sunday, June 17 Austin at New Orleans 6:30 p.m.
Sunday, June 17 Las Vegas at Los Angeles 6:30 p.m.
Monday, June 18 Chicago at Colorado 10:00 p.m.
Bye: Utah

DATE WEEK 17 TIME
Thursday, June 21 Orlando at Philadelphia 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 23 Columbus at New York 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 23 Austin at Tampa Bay 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 23 Grand Rapids at Nashville 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 23 Kansas City at Chicago 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 23 Utah at Los Angeles 10:30 p.m.
Sunday, June 24 New Orleans at Georgia 3:30 p.m.
Sunday, June 24 San Jose at Las Vegas 6:00 p.m.
Monday, June 25 Dallas at Colorado 10:00 p.m.
Bye: Arizona

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