Sport | Women's American football |
---|---|
Founded | 2009 |
No. of teams | 14 for 2017 season |
Country | USA |
Most recent champion(s) |
Cincinnati Sizzle (USWFL) |
The United States Women's Football League (USWFL) is a full-contact women's American football league that opened with exhibition play in 2010 and subsequently played its first regular season in 2011. The league was known as the "Women's Spring Football League" from 2009–2015. It is the newest of three full-contact, 11-on-11 football leagues for women, along with the Independent Women's Football League and the Women's Football Alliance.
The USWFL played with 11-player and 8-player divisions from 2011 through 2013. In 2014, the league split into two leagues, with the 11-woman division retaining the WSFL name and the 8-woman division taking the name the Women's Eights Football League (W8FL). In 2016 the league played only 11-man football with the Cincinnati Sizzle taking the league crown.
The USWFL was founded as the Women's Spring Football League in 2009. A few teams played an exhibition season under the WSFL banner in 2010, with the Kansas City Storm going undefeated in the regular season but no playoffs or league championship game were played resulting in no league champion being crowned.
In 2011, the USWFL played what it regards as its first official regular season. The Baltimore Burn finished the season with a 6–0 record against non-league foes and claimed the 2011 WSFL championship on the basis of regular season record.
In 2012, the USWFL staged its first playoffs and held its first league championship game at Endless Mountains Stadium in Towanda, Pennsylvania. The New Jersey Titans defeated the DFW Xtreme, 67–6, to claim the 2012 WSFL championship.
In 2013, the USWFL staged its second playoffs and held its second league championship game in Memphis, Tennessee. The Memphis Dynasty defeated the Arkansas Banshees, 32–12, to claim the title.
In 2014, the USWFL staged its third playoffs and held its third league championship game in Erie, Pennsylvania. The Memphis Dynasty defeated the Arkansas Banshees, 34–12, to claim their second straight WSFL championship.
In 2015, the USWFL staged its fourth playoffs and held its fourth league championship game in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania. The Keystone Assault defeated the Tennessee Legacy, 9–7, to claim their first WSFL championship.
In 2016, the Cincinnati Sizzle defeated the New England Nightmare 30–6 at Horn Lake, Mississippi to claim their first league championship.