League's 10th Anniversary Season To Open Friday, March 20
November 10, 2008 - arenafootball2 (af2) News Release
CHICAGO - arenafootball2 (af2) begins its 10th anniversary season with a special kickoff weekend that features a pair of intriguing divisional games. The League's opening weekend gets started on Friday, March 20, with a West Division battle as the Tri-Cities Fever travel to Fresno, Calif. to take on the Central Valley Coyotes. On Saturday, March 21, the Florida Firecats host the South Georgia Wildcats in a South Division showdown.
Twenty of the remaining 21 teams in the af2, with the exception of Spokane, get their seasons started in Week 1 (March 27-29). The 2008 ArenaCup runner-up Shock begin their fourth af2 campaign on Friday, April 3 when they host Stockton.
A number of strong matchups highlight Week 1's 12-game slate, including the return of Arena Football to Milwaukee, Wisc. The expansion Iron, led by Head Coach GARY COMPTON, open their first season in af2 by hosting the Iowa Barnstormers at the Bradley Center on Friday, March 27. Compton enjoyed a stellar playing career in the Arena Football League which spanned 13 seasons, seven of which were spent in Milwaukee as a member of the Milwaukee Mustangs (1995-2001). Another heavyweight battle that could turn into the main event of the weekend will take place on Saturday, March 28, when the defending Midwest Division Champion Green Bay Blizzard host the reigning ArenaCup Champion Tennessee Valley Vipers at the Resch Center.
"This schedule encompasses the best af2 has to offer in terms of competition, rivalry and balance," says af2 President Jerry Kurz. "We're excited by the addition of Milwaukee to our league family and feel that this, our 10th season, will be our most competitive and most entertaining ever."
A few other notable matchups on the 2009 schedule include:
- The defending Central Division Champion Tulsa Talons host the Lexington Horsemen on Saturday, March 28 at 8:00 ET in the brand-new, state-of-the-art BOK Center. This will be the Talons first contest at their new home after playing their previous nine seasons at the Tulsa Convention Center.
- The Milwaukee Iron host the Green Bay Blizzard in Week 6 on Friday, May 1 at 8:05 p.m. ET at the Bradley Center. This will be the first of three meetings between the two teams in 2009. This matchup should quickly develop into quite a yearly rivalry as the new in-state and Midwest Division opponents are just over 100 miles apart.
- The defending East Division Champion Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers host their long-time division rivals, the Manchester Wolves, in Week 1 on Friday, March 27 at Wachovia Arena. This will be the first of four meetings between the two clubs in 2009. Manchester and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton have squared off 21 times over the past seven years. The Pioneers currently hold an 11-10 advantage in the all-time series. Despite losing the season series 2-1 last year, Manchester was one of only three teams to defeat Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2008.
Each team will play a total of 16 games (eight home/eight away). The alignment consists of the American and National Conference with three divisions per conference. The East, Midwest and South Divisions fall into the American Conference, while the Central, Southwest and West compose the National Conference. Thirteen (13) teams make up the American Conference and twelve (12) make up the National Conference.
Optimal Planning Solutions Inc. (www.optimalplanning.com) assisted the af2 in producing the 2008 schedule. OPS is the leading provider of optimization-based professional sports-league scheduling.
The league's 18-week, 200-game regular season schedule concludes on July 25.
2009 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
ALL TIMES EASTERN
Kickoff Weekend
Friday, March 20, 2009
Tri-Cities at Central Valley 10:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
South Georgia at Florida 7:30 p.m.
Week 1
Friday, March 27, 2009
Albany at Mahoning Valley 7:05 p.m.
Manchester at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 7:30 p.m.
Oklahoma City at Amarillo 8:00 p.m.
Iowa at Milwaukee 8:05 p.m.
Boise at Tri-Cities 10:05 p.m.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Florida at South Georgia 7:30 p.m.
Tennessee Valley at Green Bay 8:00 p.m.
Lexington at Tulsa 8:00 p.m.
Bossier-Shreveport at Arkansas 8:05 p.m.
Rio Grande Valley at Corpus Christi 8:05 p.m.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Peoria at Quad City 4:05 p.m.
Stockton at Central Valley 10:00 p.m.
Bye: Spokane
Week 2
Friday, April 3, 2009
Albany at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 7:30 p.m.
Stockton at Spokane 10:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Milwaukee at Mahoning Valley 7:05 p.m.
Arkansas at Amarillo 8:00 p.m.
Corpus Christi at Bossier-Shreveport 8:00 p.m.
Tulsa at Iowa 8:05 p.m.
South Georgia at Oklahoma City 8:05 p.m.
Quad City at Tennessee Valley 8:30 p.m.
Bye: Boise, Central Valley, Green Bay, Florida, Lexington, Manchester,
Peoria, Rio Grande Valley, Tri-Cities
Week 3
Friday, April 10, 2009
Florida at Albany 7:00 p.m.
Manchester at Green Bay 8:30 p.m.
Iowa at Peoria 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at Lexington 7:00 p.m.
Tennessee Valley at South Georgia 7:30 p.m.
Boise at Bossier-Shreveport 8:00 p.m.
Mahoning Valley at Tulsa 8:00 p.m.
Rio Grande Valley at Arkansas 8:05 p.m.
Amarillo at Corpus Christi 8:05 p.m.
Central Valley at Oklahoma City 8:05 p.m.
Milwaukee at Quad City 8:05 p.m.
Tri-Cities at Spokane 10:00 p.m.
Bye: Stockton
Week 4
Friday, April 17, 2009
Peoria at Milwaukee 8:05 p.m.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Lexington at Florida 7:30 p.m.
Albany at Manchester 7:30 p.m.
Mahoning Valley at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 7:30 p.m.
Iowa at Tulsa 8:00 p.m.
Tennessee Valley at Arkansas 8:05 p.m.
Green Bay at Quad City 8:05 p.m.
Bossier-Shreveport at Rio Grande Valley 8:30 p.m.
Spokane at Boise 9:10 p.m.
Central Valley at Stockton 10:00 p.m.
South Georgia at Tri-Cities 10:05 p.m.
Bye: Amarillo, Corpus Christi, Oklahoma City
Week 5
Friday, April 24, 2009
Tri-Cities at Manchester 7:30 p.m.
Arkansas at Green Bay 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at Albany 7:00 p.m.
Milwaukee at Lexington 7:00 p.m.
Tulsa at Mahoning Valley 7:05 p.m.
Peoria at South Georgia 7:30 p.m.
Quad City at Iowa 8:05 p.m.
Amarillo at Oklahoma City 8:05 p.m.
Corpus Christi at Rio Grande Valley 8:30 p.m.
Florida at Tennessee Valley 8:30 p.m.
Boise at Central Valley 10:00 p.m.
Spokane at Stockton 10:00 p.m.
Bye: Bossier-Shreveport
Week 6
Friday, May 1, 2009
Corpus Christi at Florida 7:30 p.m.
Manchester at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 7:30 p.m.
Green Bay at Milwaukee 8:05 p.m.
Rio Grande Valley at Oklahoma City 8:35 p.m.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Mahoning Valley at Albany 7:00 p.m.
Tulsa at Amarillo 8:00 p.m.
Arkansas at Bossier-Shreveport 8:00 p.m.
Lexington at Peoria 8:00 p.m.
South Georgia at Tennessee Valley 8:30 p.m.
Stockton at Boise 9:10 p.m.
Iowa at Spokane 10:00 p.m.
Central Valley at Tri-Cities 10:05 p.m.
Bye: Quad City
Week 7
Friday, May 8, 2009
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at Mahoning Valley 7:05 p.m.
Iowa at Green Bay 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Milwaukee at Peoria 4:00 p.m.
Quad City at Manchester 7:30 p.m.
Lexington at South Georgia 7:30 p.m.
Albany at Bossier-Shreveport 8:00 p.m.
Oklahoma City at Tulsa 8:00 p.m.
Florida at Arkansas 8:05 p.m.
Tennessee Valley at Corpus Christi 8:05 p.m.
Boise at Spokane 10:00 p.m.
Stockton at Tri-Cities 10:05 p.m.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Amarillo at Rio Grande Valley 8:30 p.m.
Bye: Central Valley
Week 8
Friday, May 15, 2009
Tulsa at Milwaukee 8:05 p.m.
Peoria at Green Bay 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Manchester at Albany 1:00 p.m.
Bossier-Shreveport at Lexington 7:00 p.m.
Spokane at Florida 7:30 p.m.
Corpus Christi at Amarillo 8:00 p.m.
South Georgia at Quad City 8:05 p.m.
Oklahoma City at Tennessee Valley 8:30 p.m.
Tri-Cities at Boise 9:10 p.m.
Arkansas at Central Valley 10:00 p.m.
Rio Grande Valley at Stockton 10:00 p.m.
Bye: Iowa, Mahoning Valley, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
Week 9
Friday, May 22, 2009
Mahoning Valley at Manchester 7:30 p.m.
Rio Grande Valley at Bossier-Shreveport 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Florida at Lexington 7:00 p.m.
Green Bay at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 7:30 p.m.
Quad City at Peoria 8:00 p.m.
Amarillo at Iowa 8:05 p.m.
Central Valley at Spokane 10:00 p.m.
Boise at Stockton 10:00 p.m.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Oklahoma City at Corpus Christi 4:05 p.m.
Bye: Albany, Arkansas, Milwaukee, South Georgia, Tennessee Valley, Tri-Cities, Tulsa
Week 10
Friday, May 29, 2009
Quad City at Green Bay 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Milwaukee at Albany 7:00 p.m.
Lexington at Mahoning Valley 7:05 p.m.
Manchester at Florida 7:30 p.m.
Bossier-Shreveport at South Georgia 7:30 p.m.
Tennessee Valley at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 7:30 p.m.
Arkansas at Corpus Christi 8:05 p.m.
Peoria at Iowa 8:05 p.m.
Tulsa at Oklahoma City 8:05 p.m.
Amarillo at Boise 9:10 p.m.
Stockton at Central Valley 10:00 p.m.
Spokane at Tri-Cities 10:05 p.m.
Bye: Rio Grande Valley
Week 11
Friday, June 5, 2009
Albany at Manchester 7:30 p.m.
Mahoning Valley at Milwaukee 8:05 p.m.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Rio Grande Valley at Amarillo 8:00 p.m.
Corpus Christi at Bossier-Shreveport 8:00 p.m.
Green Bay at Peoria 8:00 p.m.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at Tulsa 8:00 p.m.
Oklahoma City at Arkansas 8:05 p.m.
Iowa at Quad City 8:05 p.m.
Lexington at Tennessee Valley 8:30 p.m.
Central Valley at Boise 9:10 p.m.
Tri-Cities at Stockton 10:00 p.m.
Bye: Florida, South Georgia, Spokane
Week 12
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at Manchester 7:30 p.m.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Spokane at Stockton 10:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Mahoning Valley at Albany 7:00 p.m.
Quad City at Lexington 7:00 p.m.
Tennessee Valley at South Georgia 7:30 p.m.
Bossier-Shreveport at Amarillo 8:00 p.m.
Arkansas at Tulsa 8:00 p.m.
Rio Grande Valley at Corpus Christi 8:05 p.m.
Green Bay at Iowa 8:05 p.m.
Milwaukee at Oklahoma City 8:05 p.m.
Florida at Central Valley 10:00 p.m.
Boise at Tri-Cities 10:05 p.m.
Bye: Peoria
Week 13
Friday, June 19, 2009
Manchester at Mahoning Valley 7:05 p.m.
Quad City at Milwaukee 8:05 p.m.
Tulsa at Green Bay 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
South Georgia at Lexington 7:00 p.m.
Central Valley at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 7:30 p.m.
Albany at Peoria 8:00 p.m.
Amarillo at Arkansas 8:05 p.m.
Corpus Christi at Oklahoma City 8:05 p.m.
Bossier-Shreveport at Rio Grande Valley 8:30 p.m.
Florida at Tennessee Valley 8:30 p.m.
Stockton at Boise 9:10 p.m.
Tri-Cities at Spokane 10:00 p.m.
Bye: Iowa
Week 14
Friday, June 26, 2009
Peoria at Albany 7:00 p.m.
Green Bay at Milwaukee 8:05 p.m.
Oklahoma City at Spokane 10:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at Mahoning Valley 7:05 p.m.
South Georgia at Florida 7:30 p.m.
Iowa at Amarillo 8:00 p.m.
Lexington at Corpus Christi 8:05 p.m.
Manchester at Quad City 8:05 p.m.
Arkansas at Rio Grande Valley 8:30 p.m.
Tulsa at Tennessee Valley 8:30 p.m.
Boise at Central Valley 10:00 p.m.
Stockton at Tri-Cities 10:05 p.m.
Bye: Bossier-Shreveport
Week 15
Friday, July 3, 2009
Quad City at Peoria 7:00 p.m.
Oklahoma City at Rio Grande Valley 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Amarillo at Bossier-Shreveport TBA
Spokane at Iowa 8:05 p.m.
Bye: Albany, Arkansas, Boise, Central Valley, Corpus Christi, Florida, Green Bay, Lexington,
Mahoning Valley, Manchester, Milwaukee, South Georgia, Stockton, Tennessee Valley, Tri-Cities, Tulsa, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
Week 16
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Manchester at Albany 7:00 p.m.
Tennessee Valley at Lexington 7:00 p.m.
Florida at South Georgia 7:30 p.m.
Mahoning Valley at Peoria 8:00 p.m.
Rio Grande Valley at Tulsa 8:00 p.m.
Corpus Christi at Arkansas 8:05 p.m
Milwaukee at Iowa 8:05 p.m.
Bossier-Shreveport at Oklahoma City 8:05 p.m.
Green Bay at Quad City 8:05 p.m.
Tri-Cities at Boise 9:10 p.m.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at Spokane 10:00 p.m.
Central Valley at Stockton 10:00 p.m.
Bye: Amarillo
Week 17
Friday, July 17, 2009
Mahoning Valley at Manchester 7:30 p.m.
Milwaukee at Green Bay 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 18, 2008
Peoria at Lexington 7:00 p.m.
Tennessee Valley at Florida 7:30 p.m.
Boise at South Georgia 7:30 p.m.
Albany at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 7:30 p.m.
Stockton at Amarillo 8:00 p.m.
Tulsa at Arkansas 8:05 p.m.
Bossier-Shreveport at Corpus Christi 8:05 p.m.
Iowa at Quad City 8:05 p.m.
Tri-Cities at Rio Grande Valley 8:30 p.m.
Spokane at Central Valley 10:00 p.m.
Bye: Oklahoma City
Week 18
Friday, July 24, 2009
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at Manchester 7:30 p.m.
Albany at Milwaukee 8:05 p.m.
Peoria at Stockton 10:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Green Bay at Mahoning Valley 7:05 p.m.
Lexington at Florida 7:30 p.m.
Arkansas at Bossier-Shreveport 8:00 p.m.
Amarillo at Tulsa 8:00 p.m.
Oklahoma City at Iowa 8:05 p.m.
Corpus Christi at Rio Grande Valley 8:30 p.m.
South Georgia at Tennessee Valley 8:30 p.m.
Spokane at Boise 9:10 p.m.
Central Valley at Tri-Cities 10:05 p.m.
Bye: Quad City
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