The Intense Football League (IFL) was a professional
indoor football minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in No ...
that began operations in 2004. Its focus was in
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
, but it was notable for being the first professional football league to place a franchise in
Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U ...
.
History
During its first season, the
El Paso Rumble folded and the league oversaw operations of the team until the end of the season. In 2005, the
Amarillo Dusters left for the
AF2, while the other teams joined the
National Indoor Football League and the league suspended operations. In 2006, the Intense Football League restarted. Three of the original teams (Odessa, San Angelo and Corpus Christi) returned to the IFL, joined by new teams from
Belton,
Lake Charles, and
Laredo.
Following the 2006 season, the
Laredo Lobos left for AF2, but the league expanded with three new teams for 2007 in the
Frisco Thunder,
Katy Ruff Riders, and
Alaska Wild (notable for being the first ever professional football team in the state of
Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U ...
). For 2008 another Alaskan team was added with the
Fairbanks Grizzlies. The league planned to add a team in
El Paso for 2009.
On July 22, 2008, it was announced that the IFL would be merging with
United Indoor Football for the upcoming 2009 season, following the
National Indoor Bowl Championship
National may refer to:
Common uses
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** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
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between both leagues' champions on August 2. On August 1 it was announced the new league would be called
Indoor Football League
The Indoor Football League (IFL) is a professional indoor American football league created in 2008 out of the merger between the Intense Football League and United Indoor Football. It has one of the largest number of currently active teams am ...
.
National Championship Game Leads to Merger Between UIF and IFL - Oursportscentral.com, July 22, 2008
/ref>
Seasons
* 2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight ...
* 2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro votes to declare independence from Serbia; The 2006 ...
* 2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple Inc., Apple's first iPhone (1st generation), iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakis ...
* 2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
All-time IFL teams
* Alaska Wild (2007–2008)
* Amarillo Dusters (2004)
* CenTex Barracudas (2006–2008)
* Corpus Christi Hammerheads (2004, 2006–2008)
* El Paso Rumble (2004)
* Fairbanks Grizzlies (2008)
* Frisco Thunder (2007–2008)
* Katy Ruff Riders (2007–2008)
* Laredo Lobos (2006)
* Louisiana Swashbucklers (2006–2008)
* Lubbock Lone Stars (2004)
* Odessa Roughnecks (2004, 2006–2008)
* San Angelo Stampede Express (2004, 2006–2008)
See also
* Intense Bowl
References
External links
*
{{Profootball
Defunct indoor American football leagues in the United States
Sports leagues established in 2003
2003 establishments in the United States
Sports leagues disestablished in 2008
2008 disestablishments in the United States