Sport | Indoor football |
---|---|
Founded | 2021 |
First season | 2022 |
Ceased | 2023 |
No. of teams | 7 |
Country | United States |
Last champion(s) | Columbus Lions (2023) |
Official website |
www |
The American Indoor Football Alliance (AIFA) was a minor-professional American indoor football league based in the United States. [1]
Teams' typical operating budget was $500,000 with a $90,000 payroll budget per season. Players were paid up to $200 per game, with a $25 bonus for participating in charity events within their local communities. Most teams offered players housing during the season. [2]
After the 2021 American Arena League season concluded, four members of the East Division (Carolina Predators, Tampa Bay Tornadoes, Pennsylvania Union and Mississippi Raiders) announced that they would leave the AAL to form a new league, after league president and commissioner Tony Zefiretto had sold the league to the ownership. [3]
The league played its first season in 2022, while the Mississippi Raiders defeat the Las Vegas Kings 55–12 to claim the Inaugural AIFA Championship. [4] [5] [6]
For the 2023 season, AIFA had a inter-league scheduling agreement with the American West Football Conference. [7] [8] The Columbus Lions won the league championship after completing an undefeated season and beating Mississippi Raiders 55 to 10 in AIFA Championship. [9] [10] [11]
In late 2023 most of the teams left to join different leagues and the AIFA website was shutdown.
Teams that participated or were listed as members in the 2023 season.
Team | Home city | Home venue | Capacity | Founded | Joined | Head coach | Fate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Carolina Predators [12] | Fayetteville, North Carolina | TBD | TBD | 2018 | 2021 | AAL2 | |
Columbus Lions [13] | Columbus, Georgia | Columbus Civic Center | 7,573 | 2007 | 2022 | Chris McKinney | AIF |
Capital City Cyclones | Tallahassee, Florida | Traveling team | TBD | 2019 | 2021 | Stevie Thomas | IFA |
Las Vegas Kings | Las Vegas, Nevada | Las Vegas Sports Park | 2021 | 2021 | Chris Wallace | IFA | |
Mississippi Raiders [14] | Jackson, Mississippi | Mississippi Coliseum | 6,500 | 2019 | 2021 | Montra Edwards | AIF |
South Florida Thunder | Palm Beach, Florida | TBD | TBD | 2019 [15] | 2022 | TBD | |
Dallas Falcons | Dallas, Texas | Traveling team [16] | 2022 | 2023 | Bryan Kensky | AAL2 |
Sport | Indoor football |
---|---|
Founded | 2021 |
First season | 2022 |
Ceased | 2023 |
No. of teams | 7 |
Country | United States |
Last champion(s) | Columbus Lions (2023) |
Official website |
www |
The American Indoor Football Alliance (AIFA) was a minor-professional American indoor football league based in the United States. [1]
Teams' typical operating budget was $500,000 with a $90,000 payroll budget per season. Players were paid up to $200 per game, with a $25 bonus for participating in charity events within their local communities. Most teams offered players housing during the season. [2]
After the 2021 American Arena League season concluded, four members of the East Division (Carolina Predators, Tampa Bay Tornadoes, Pennsylvania Union and Mississippi Raiders) announced that they would leave the AAL to form a new league, after league president and commissioner Tony Zefiretto had sold the league to the ownership. [3]
The league played its first season in 2022, while the Mississippi Raiders defeat the Las Vegas Kings 55–12 to claim the Inaugural AIFA Championship. [4] [5] [6]
For the 2023 season, AIFA had a inter-league scheduling agreement with the American West Football Conference. [7] [8] The Columbus Lions won the league championship after completing an undefeated season and beating Mississippi Raiders 55 to 10 in AIFA Championship. [9] [10] [11]
In late 2023 most of the teams left to join different leagues and the AIFA website was shutdown.
Teams that participated or were listed as members in the 2023 season.
Team | Home city | Home venue | Capacity | Founded | Joined | Head coach | Fate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Carolina Predators [12] | Fayetteville, North Carolina | TBD | TBD | 2018 | 2021 | AAL2 | |
Columbus Lions [13] | Columbus, Georgia | Columbus Civic Center | 7,573 | 2007 | 2022 | Chris McKinney | AIF |
Capital City Cyclones | Tallahassee, Florida | Traveling team | TBD | 2019 | 2021 | Stevie Thomas | IFA |
Las Vegas Kings | Las Vegas, Nevada | Las Vegas Sports Park | 2021 | 2021 | Chris Wallace | IFA | |
Mississippi Raiders [14] | Jackson, Mississippi | Mississippi Coliseum | 6,500 | 2019 | 2021 | Montra Edwards | AIF |
South Florida Thunder | Palm Beach, Florida | TBD | TBD | 2019 [15] | 2022 | TBD | |
Dallas Falcons | Dallas, Texas | Traveling team [16] | 2022 | 2023 | Bryan Kensky | AAL2 |