The United States Women's Football League (USWFL) is a full-contact
women's American football
Women's gridiron football, more commonly known as women's tackle football, women's American football, women's Canadian football, or simply women's football, is a form of gridiron football (American or Canadian) played by women. Most leagues play ...
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 opened with exhibition play in 2010 and subsequently played its first regular season in 2011.
[https://www.uswfl.net/copy-of-schedule-new] The league was known as the "Women's Spring Football League" from 2009 to 2015.
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-woman football with the Cincinnati Sizzle taking the league crown.
History
United States Women's Football League (USWFL)
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.
In 2017, the Washington Prodigy beat the Houston Wildcats 44–0 to win the league championship game in Bristol, Tennessee. In the Ironwoman Championship the Tri-Cities Thunder beat the West Virginia Wildfire 28–0.
In 2018, the Washington Prodigy repeats and defeat the North Florida Pumas 20–0 to win the Division II championship game in Bristol, Tennessee. In the Ironwoman Championship the Hampton Roads Lady Gators defeated the Tri-Cities Thunder 20-14
In 2019, the Washington Prodigy beat the Keystone Assault 39–0 to win their 3rd straight USWFL D2 championship in Bluff City, Tennessee. The Tri-Cities Thunder won their 2nd Ironwoman Championship by beating the Hampton Roads Lady Gators 32-6
Women's Eights Football League (W8FL)
The WSFL started an eight-woman division in 2011. The
Cape Fear Thunder claimed the WSFL's first eight-player division championship with a 4–2–1 regular season record.
In 2012, the
West Virginia Wildfire captured the WSFL title in the 8-player division with a 5–2 record.
In 2013, the WSFL held its first championship game in the eight-player division. The
West Virginia Wildfire defeated the
Binghamton Tiger Cats, 44–8, to claim their second straight championship in the eight-player division.
In 2014, the eight-player division spun off into its own league, taking the name the Women's Eights Football League (W8FL). The Cape Fear Thunder won their second eight-player championship by defeating the West Virginia Wildfire, 34–26, in the W8FL title game.
In 2015, the New York Knockout defeated the Cape Fear Thunder, 28–0, to win their first W8FL championship title, with the game having been played in Schenectady, New York.
Teams
2021 United States Women's Football League Teams (USWFL)
2021 Season Teams
Expansion 2022 & Inactive Teams
USWFL Championship Game Results
USWFL IronWoman Championship Game Results 2017-2019
WSFL 8s Championship Game Results 2011–2015
Former USWFL and W8FL teams playing elsewhere
*
Kansas City Storm – played in USWFL in 2010, then as an independent team, now a member of
Women's Tackle Football League.
*
Nevada Storm – played in USWFL from 2011 to 2012, then left to join
Women's Football Alliance
The Women's Football Alliance (WFA) is a professional full-contact Women's American football tackle minor league that began play in 2009. It is the largest 11-on-11 football league for women in the world, and the longest running active women's ...
.
*
North Florida Pumas – played in USWFL now in
Women's National Football Conference
The Women's National Football Conference (WNFC) is an amateur full-contact Women's American football league in the United States. With teams across the United States, the WNFC had its first game in 2019 with fourteen regular teams and one exhib ...
.
*
Rocky Mountain Thunderkatz – played in USWFL in 2014, then returned to
Women's Football Alliance
The Women's Football Alliance (WFA) is a professional full-contact Women's American football tackle minor league that began play in 2009. It is the largest 11-on-11 football league for women in the world, and the longest running active women's ...
.
References
External links
United States Women's Football League official website
{{Major women's sport leagues in North America
Sports leagues established in 2009
Women's American football leagues
2009 establishments in the United States