2014 Arena Football League season
| 2014 Arena Football League season | |
|---|---|
| League | Arena Football League |
| Sport | Arena Football |
| Duration | March 14, 2014 – August 23, 2014 |
| Regular season | |
| Season champions | Cleveland Gladiators |
| Season MVP | Nick Davila, ARZ |
| League postseason | |
| American Conference champions | Cleveland Gladiators |
| American Conference runners-up | Orlando Predators |
| National Conference champions | Arizona Rattlers |
| National Conference runners-up | San Jose SaberCats |
| ArenaBowl XXVII | |
| Champions | Arizona Rattlers |
| Runners-up | Cleveland Gladiators |
The 2014 Arena Football League season was the 27th season in the history of the league. The regular season began on March 14, 2014 and ended on July 26, 2014.
The city of Anaheim, California was awarded an expansion team on August 15, 2013. The team, named the Los Angeles Kiss, was the first AFL team to call Los Angeles home since the Los Angeles Avengers in 2008. Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, members of the rock band Kiss, were the owners of the expansion franchise.
Two teams that competed in 2013 suspended operations, (Chicago Rush & Utah Blaze) and their rosters were dispersed throughout the league during a dispersal draft on September 6, 2013.
The Milwaukee Mustangs sold their league membership to Terry Emmert, who then started a new franchise in Portland, Oregon named the Portland Thunder.
On December 17, 2013 it was announced that ESPN had agreed to a multi-year deal in televising several games, including the ArenaBowl. Additionally, at least 75 games during the season are to be aired on ESPN3, the network's online streaming service. ESPN had previously aired games as recent as the 2008 season, prior to the league's hiatus that resulted in the canceled 2009 season.
With teams expanding, relocating and suspending operations, the AFL announced the divisional alignment for 2014 on October 29, 2013. The two conferences will have an even number of teams, and will be placed in two divisions.
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