IPFL
Infobox Sports league
|
|
| Formerly | Professional Indoor Football League |
|---|---|
| Sport | Indoor football |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Founder | Richard "Dick" Suess |
| Inaugural season | 1999 |
| Ceased | 2001 |
| CEO | Mike Storen |
| Claim to fame | 3rd professional indoor football league |
| Motto | Great Football, No Gimmicks. |
| No. of teams | 6 |
| Country | United States |
| Last champion(s) |
Tennessee ThunderCats |
| Most titles |
Hawaii Hammerheads(1999) Mississippi Fire Dogs(2000) Tennessee ThunderCats(2001) |
| Official website | www.indoorfootball.com |
The Indoor Professional Football League (IPFL) was the new incarnation of the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL), which started in 1998. Two of its teams (the Madison Mad Dogs and the Green Bay Bombers) left the league and their owner, Kerry Ecklund, founded the Indoor Football League in 1999. The IPFL led a troubled three-year existence, and died after its 2001 season, with its most successful teams joining up with the National Indoor Football League.
The IPFL was unique among indoor football leagues in that it sanctioned the use of a white football, manufactured by Rawlings, which was easier to see in the artificial lighting conditions. The league's slogan was "Great Football, No Gimmicks".
In 1999, IPFL was headed by a new commissioner, Mike Storen, and the league offices were moved to Atlanta.
Before the Pro Indoor Football League folded, the league was looking into replacing the two folded franchises of Minnesota and Texas and expanding the league back to 8 teams or even beyond to 10 or 12 teams for what was supposed to be its second season. However, the league took a major hit when Madison and Green Bay left the league to form a new league called the Indoor Football League. This left the league with only four teams: Honolulu, Utah, Colorado and Louisiana. The Utah Catzz soon folded as well, leading to the demise of the Pro Indoor Football League. The Pro Indoor Football League was reformed as the Indoor Professional Football League and the three remaining clubs from the old league; the Hawaii Hammerheads (formerly Honolulu Hurricanes), the Rocky Mountain (Colorado Springs) Thunder (formerly Colorado (Denver) Wildcats) and the Louisiana Bayou Beast were joined by three new franchises in Boise, Idaho; Biloxi, Mississippi; and Austin, Texas. The league was going to have 8 clubs but the Arizona (Tucson) Mirage and the Syracuse Blitz folded.
1. Texas Terminators, 12-4
2. Hawaii Hammerheads, 10-6
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