AFL Ready for Playoffs
July 22, 2002 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release
CHICAGO (July 22, 2002) â While the Arena Football League's sixteenth season was arguably the most competitive in history, the "second" season officially kicks off this Friday, July 26 as the first of 11 playoff games features the Buffalo Destroyers at the two-time ArenaBowl champion Orlando Predators at 7:30 PM ET (tape delayed for broadcast on The New TNN on Saturday, July 27 at 2:00 PM ET/PT).
Twelve of 16 teams qualified for postseason play and all 11 playoff games will be televised nationally on The New TNN, ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC. Following are the first-round matchups and TV schedule (numbers in parenthesis represent that team's playoff seeding):
FIRST-ROUND MATCHUPS
Friday, July 26
(10) Buffalo at (7) Orlando, 7:30 PM ET, tape delayed on The New TNN (Sat. at 2:00 PM ET/PT)
Saturday, July 27
(9) Indiana at (8) Dallas, 4:30 PM ET/PT, live on The New TNN
(12) Tampa Bay at (5) Los Angeles, 7:30 PM ET/PT, live on ESPN2
Sunday, July 28
(11) Carolina at (6) Grand Rapids, 1:30 PM ET/PT, live on ESPN
The top four seeds, as determined by overall record and tie-breaking procedures, received first-round byes. San Jose is the top seed followed by Arizona, Chicago, and New Jersey. The quarterfinal round takes place the weekend of August 4-5. Following is the quarterfinal-round schedule:
QUARTERFINAL-ROUND MATCHUPS
Saturday, August 3
Fourth lowest-remaining seed at (4) New Jersey, 12:30 PM ET/PT, The New TNN
Lowest-remaining seed at (1) San Jose, 3:00 PM ET, ESPN
Sunday, August 4
Second lowest-remaining seed at (2) Arizona, 3:00 PM ET, The New TNN
Monday, August 5
Third lowest-remaining seed at (3) Chicago, 8:30 PM ET, ESPN2 (tape delayed to Sunday at 11:00 PM ET)
The New TNN, which televised seven regular season AFL games this year, will broadcast four games in the first two rounds combined. ESPN and ESPN2 will televise five playoff games in total, with ESPN2 and ABC each carrying a semifinal contest. For a fifth straight season, ABC will also televise live the AFL's championship game, ArenaBowl XVI, on Sunday, August 18 (3:00 PM ET).
SEMIFINAL MATCHUPS
Saturday, August 10, 3:00 PM ET, ABC
Sunday, August 11, 3:30 PM ET, ESPN2
ARENABOWL XVI
Sunday, August 18, 3:00 PM ET, ABC, Lowest-remaining seed at highest-remaining seed
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Following are the seeds for the 2002 playoffs (* Denotes Division Winner):
1. San Jose SaberCats *(13-1)
2. Arizona Rattlers (11-3)
3. Chicago Rush * (9-5)
4. New Jersey Gladiators * (9-5)
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5. Los Angeles Avengers (8-6)
6. Grand Rapids Rampage (8-6)
7. Orlando Predators * (7-7)
8. Dallas Desperados (7-7)
9. Indiana Firebirds (7-7)
10. Buffalo Destroyers (6-8)
11. Carolina Cobras (6-8)
12. Tampa Bay Storm (6-8)
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