Did you miss the Intensity?
September 21, 2005 - Intense Football League (Intense)
Corpus Christi Hammerheads News Release
Corpus Christi, TX: Six professional indoor football teams have rallied to announce the re-launching of the Intense Football League (IFL). The league was formed in 2003 for play in 2004. One successful season saw league wide average crowds of over 3,000 fans per game including 11 sellouts, four players progress to the Arena Football League, and one player to NFL. After a one year hiatus in 2005, a year that saw four IFL franchises compete in another league, the IFL will once again opens it's doors.
"We were very proud of all that we had accomplished in our first season. Our eagerness to grow lead us into a league with a larger geographical footprint but we now realize that this is where we want to compete.", stated league President Chad Dittman. Both the desire for regional rivalries and the cost savings that accompany it were cited as the sparks for this new venture. League meetings are set for late October in Corpus Christi, at which time a freeze on expansion will occur, however, the 2006 IFL schedule has an original six teams committed with hopes of four more being added in the states of Texas, New Mexico, and Louisiana. The season will begin in mid April and conclude with a playoff run in early August. This is consistent with that of the 2004 IFL season. League Vice President Tommy Benizio explained that this will happen for three excellent reasons, "It will allow our teams more time to prepare, assist in our relationships with our sister hockey teams in each market as it minimizes the overlap of schedules, and seems to accommodate our fans as the later months of the season saw better attended games in 2004."
There will potentially be an increased schedule of 16 games and the league will likely field a higher level of talent as it has increasing player salaries and fine tuned rules to create more passing. Both of these attributes were part of the original IFL and appeal to coaches and players alike. "This style of game will make this league even more appealing to scouts at the next level. While other leagues games are exciting, this is what we believe AFL scouts want to see and we know from experience that the fans will enjoy it more." explained Odessa Roughnecks Head Coach and IFL acting Director of Football Operations Chris Williams.
The current IFL franchises play in Odessa, San Angelo, Corpus Christi, Wichita Falls (pending lease negotiations this week), Belton, and Lake Charles. Negotiations are well underway in two other Louisiana cities and five in Texas including a near final agreement with ownership in Laredo. Additional announcements can be expected over the coming days and weeks. Media from all IFL markets are welcome and encouraged to contact the league office with any additional questions or visit the league's web site at www.IntenseFootballLeague.com.
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Intense Football League Stories from September 21, 2005
- Six Teams Form to Re-Launch Intense Football League - Intense
- Roughnecks will Play in Intense Football League - West Texas Roughnecks
- Did you miss the Intensity? - Corpus Christi Hammerheads
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