AFL Playoff Schedule Released
April 15, 2002 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release
CHICAGO (April 15, 2002) -- The Arena Football League today released its 2002 Playoff Schedule, which includes all eleven (11) contests broadcast live on TNN, ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC.
The New TNN, which will also televise seven regular season AFL contests beginning in June, kicks off the 2002 Playoffs with back-to-back first-round games on Saturday, July 27. ESPN2 and ESPN will culminate the first round with a Saturday evening game and Sunday, July 28 match-up, respectively.
In the quarterfinals, TNN will broadcast a pair of games on Saturday, August 3 and Sunday, August 4. ESPN2 and ESPN will also carry two quarterfinal games on Saturday and Sunday afternoon, respectively.
For a second straight season, ABC Sports will broadcast a semifinal game on Saturday, August 10. ESPN2 will carry the opposite semifinal game on Sunday, August 11, setting the stage for ArenaBowl XVI on Sunday, August 18. The championship game will be shown live on ABC for a fifth straight season from the venue of the remaining team with the best regular season record. Last year, the host Grand Rapids Rampage defeated the Nashville Kats before a network audience of more than 2.6 million.
Below is the 2002 AFL Playoff Schedule:
FIRST ROUND
Saturday, July 27, 2:00 p.m. ET/PT -- TNN
Saturday, July 27, 4:30 p.m. ET/PT -- TNN
Saturday, July 27, 7:30 p.m. ET -- ESPN2
Sunday, July 28, 3:30 p.m. ET -- ESPN
QUARTERFINALS
Saturday, August 3, 12:30 p.m. ET/PT -- TNN
Saturday, August 3, 3:00 p.m. ET -- ESPN2
Sunday, August 4, 12:30 p.m. ET -- ESPN
Sunday, August 4, 3:00 p.m. ET/PT -- TNN
SEMIFINALS
Saturday, August 10, 3:00 p.m. ET -- ABC Sports
Sunday, August 11, 3:30 p.m. ET -- ESPN2
ARENABOWL XVI
Sunday, August 18, 3:00 P.M. ET -- ABC Sports
The Arena Football League consists of 23 teams including eight in the 10 largest U.S. media markets. Sixteen teams will kickoff the AFL's 16th season on April 19, 2002 including new teams in Atlanta (Georgia Force) and Dallas (Desperados). An additional seven expansion teams have already been approved to begin to play over the next three years.
Teams competing in the 2002 AFL season are: Arizona Rattlers, Buffalo Destroyers, Carolina Cobras, Chicago Rush, Dallas Desperados, Detroit Fury, Georgia Force, Grand Rapids Rampage, Indiana Firebirds, Los Angeles Avengers, New Jersey Gladiators, New York Dragons, Orlando Predators, San Jose SaberCats, Tampa Bay Storm and Toronto Phantoms.
The AFL's current national broadcasting agreements with TNN, ESPN and ABC expire at the end of the 2002 season. Early last month, NBC Sports and the AFL reached a broadcast agreement to begin in 2003.
• Discuss this story on the Arena Football League (1987-2008) message board...
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from April 15, 2002
- Detroit Fury Game Notes - Detroit Fury
- AFL Playoff Schedule Released - AFL I
- 62 Northern Leaguers In Affiliated Baseball - Portland Forest Dragons
- Georgia Force vs. Orlando Predators - Georgia Force
- Rampage Release 2002 Home Television Schedule - Grand Rapids Rampage
- L.A. Avengers make final roster cuts - Los Angeles Avengers
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.
