Jacksonville Tomcats

Jacksonville Tomcats

Jacksonville Tomcats
Founded	1999
Folded	2002
League	af2
Conference	American
Division	South
Based in	Jacksonville, Florida
Arena	Jacksonville Coliseum
Playoff berths	2000

The Jacksonville Tomcats were an arena football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They were an inaugural franchise in af2, the developmental league of the Arena Football League (AFL), and played for three seasons from 2000–2002. They played their home games at Jacksonville Coliseum.

The Arena Football League had been interested in placing a team in Jacksonville since the 1990s, due to the region's strong support of football. The idea attracted the attention of Jacksonville Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver, as the National Football League and its team owners forged a presence in the AFL. However, AFL officials ultimately determined that the city's current arena, Jacksonville Coliseum, was too small for league standards.

In 1999 the AFL announced the creation of a new developmental league, af2. Later that year Jacksonville was awarded one of the fifteen charter franchises in the new league. The team was eventually named the Jacksonville Tomcats after the F-14 Tomcat fighter jet, in reference to Jacksonville's historical connection with the U.S. Navy. Ownership was awarded to a group that included owners of the Jacksonville Lizard Kings minor league ice hockey team; Wayne Weaver eventually purchased Jacksonville's proprietary arena football rights.

The Tomcats began play in the 2000 af2 season. The Tomcats had to work around the limitations of the Jacksonville Coliseum, as the venue was too small for arena football regulations; the team reduced their end zones from eight to seven yards, and reduced their five-yard markers to only four yards. In their inaugural season they went 9-7 and made the playoffs, but were eliminated in their first post-season game by the Norfolk Nighthawks. The team sold out all of its home games that year, drawing an average of 8,222 spectators. The following year the Tomcats again went 9-7, but missed the playoffs. Ticket sales declined that year, a trend that continued in 2002, when the Tomcats went 8-8, again falling short of the playoffs.