Defunct Arena Football League Teams

The following is a list of Arena Football League (AFL) teams. The AFL was a professional indoor American football league based in the United States.

The AFL started play with the 1987 season, featuring the Chicago Bruisers, the Denver Dynamite, the Pittsburgh Gladiators and the Washington Commandos. The Pittsburgh franchise became the Tampa Bay Storm in 1991 – they were the only franchise remaining from the inaugural 1987 season still operating until the 2017 season; after that season, they announced an indefinite suspension of operations, leaving open the possibility of returning in the future if the league were restructured in such a way as to make operation of a franchise potentially profitable.

As of the 2019 season, the final season in league history, 65 different franchises (operating under 85 different names when allowing for a franchise changing city or name) had competed in the AFL, of which 60 either left to compete in another indoor football league, suspended operations, or folded outright. At its height, the AFL featured 19 teams competing in the same season: 2001, 2004 and 2007.

Following the 2019 season, the AFL announced the closure of all its teams, but not the league itself. The league mulled over plans to operate with a touring format, with each week's games in a different arena and no set homes for any of its teams (much like the Premier Lacrosse League, BIG3, and most individual sports); however, league commissioner Randall Boe announced the league's filing for bankruptcy and cessation of operations on November 27, 2019.

Franchises active at the time of the 2019 bankruptcy

Expansions and contractions

The Arena Football League expanded and contracted many times throughout its history. Between 1987 and 2018, every year in the AFL had at least one team fold, relocate, or change names. There were never two consecutive seasons in which the league had exactly the same lineup of cities. The league reached its maximum size in the 2001, 2004 and 2007 seasons, in which 19 teams competed in each instance. The league was then primarily contracting from 2011 to 2018, either dropping teams proving to be financially unfeasible or having teams depart because of concerns about the financial structure or travel distances. In 2019, the league had its first season in which all teams returned from the previous season, where the league had tied a record low of four active members.

List of franchises

Timeline

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at:1986 color:lineColor layer:back width:0.66 #Test game
at:1987 color:lineColor layer:back width:0.66 #AFL forms
at:2009 color:lineColor layer:back width:0.66 #AFL dissolves
at:2010 color:lineColor layer:back width:0.66 #AFL reforms
at:2020 color:lineColor layer:back width:0.66 #AFL dissolves a second time

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text:
text:"1986: Test game season"
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text:"Grey bars indicate non-AFL years or temporary hiatus"
text:"2009: AFL suspends operations/restructures"
text:"2019: AFL files for Chapter 7 bankruptcy"

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bar:RockfordMetros
bar:ChicagoPoliticians
bar:DenverDynamite
bar:TampaBayStorm
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# – ChicagoPoliticians
bar:ChicagoPoliticians from:1986 till:1987 color:notpro $Left text:"Chicago Politicians"
bar:ChicagoPoliticians from:1987 till:1990 color:black $Right text:"Chicago Bruisers"

# – RockfordMetros
bar:RockfordMetros from:1986 till:1987 color:notpro $Left text:"Rockford Metros"
bar:RockfordMetros from:1987 till:1988 color:notpro $Right text:"Miami Vise"

# – DenverDynamite
bar:DenverDynamite from:1987 till:1988 color:gold $Left text:"Denver Dynamite"
bar:DenverDynamite from:1989 till:1992 color:gold

bar:DenverDynamite at:1987 $champ mark:(line, gold)

# – TampaBayStorm
bar:TampaBayStorm from:1987 till:1991 color:green $Left text:"Pittsburgh Gladiators"
bar:TampaBayStorm from:1991 till:2018 color:darkblue $LeftIn $t:white text:"Tampa Bay Storm"

bar:TampaBayStorm at:1991 $champ mark:(line, darkblue)
bar:TampaBayStorm at:1993 $champ mark:(line, darkblue)
bar:TampaBayStorm at:1995 $champ mark:(line, darkblue)
bar:TampaBayStorm at:1996 $champ mark:(line, darkblue)
bar:TampaBayStorm at:2003 $champ mark:(line, darkblue)

# – Washington Commandos
bar:WashingtonCommandos from:1987 till:1988 color:red $Left text:"Washington Commandos"
bar:WashingtonCommandos from:1989 till:1991 color:red

# – Detroit Drive
bar:DetroitDrive from:1988 till:1994 color:lightblue $Left text:"Detroit Drive"
bar:DetroitDrive from:1994 till:1995 color:darkred $right text:"Massachusetts Marauders"
bar:DetroitDrive from:1998 till:2010 color:red $right text:"Grand Rapids Rampage"

bar:DetroitDrive at:1988 $champ mark:(line, lightblue)
bar:DetroitDrive at:1989 $champ mark:(line, lightblue)
bar:DetroitDrive at:1990 $champ mark:(line, lightblue)
bar:DetroitDrive at:1992 $champ mark:(line, lightblue)
bar:DetroitDrive at:2001 $champ mark:(line, red)

# – Los Angeles Cobras
bar:LosAngelesCobras from:1988 till:1989 color:darkblue $Left text:"Los Angeles Cobras"

# – New England Steamrollers
bar:NewEnglandSteamrollers from:1988 till:1989 color:orange $Left text:"New England Steamrollers"

# – New York Knights
bar:NewYorkKnights from:1988 till:1989 color:navy $Left text:"New York Knights"

# – Albany Firebirds
bar:AlbanyFirebirds from:1990 till:2001 color:black $Left text:"Albany Firebirds"
bar:AlbanyFirebirds from:2001 till:2005 color:orange $LeftIn text:"Indiana Firebirds"
bar:AlbanyFirebirds at:1999 $champ mark:(line, black)
bar:AlbanyFirebirds2 from:2002 till:2009 color:notpro $Left text:"Albany Conquest"
bar:AlbanyFirebirds2 from:2009 till:2010 color:notpro $Right text:"Albany Firebirds"
bar:AlbanyEmpire from:2018 till:2020 color:orange $Left text:"Albany Empire"

bar:AlbanyEmpire at:2019 $champ mark:(line, orange)

# – Dallas Texans
bar:DallasTexans from:1990 till:1994 color:navy $Left text:"Dallas Texans"

# – Orlando Predators
bar:OrlandoPredators from:1991 till:2017 color:black $Left text:"Orlando Predators"

bar:OrlandoPredators at:1998 $champ mark:(line, black)
bar:OrlandoPredators at:2000 $champ mark:(line, black)

# – New Orleans Night
bar:NewOrleansNight from:1991 till:1993 color:darkblue $Left text:"New Orleans Night"

# – Cleveland Thunderbolts
bar:ClevelandThunderbolts from:1991 till:1992 color:black $Left text:"Columbus Thunderbolts"
bar:ClevelandThunderbolts from:1992 till:1995 color:purple $Right text:"Cleveland Thunderbolts"

# – Arizona Rattlers
bar:ArizonaRattlers from:1992 till:2017 color:sand $Left text:"Arizona Rattlers"
bar:ArizonaRattlers from:2017 till:end color:notpro

bar:ArizonaRattlers at:1994 $champ mark:(line, sand)
bar:ArizonaRattlers at:1997 $champ mark:(line, sand)
bar:ArizonaRattlers at:2012 $champ mark:(line, sand)
bar:ArizonaRattlers at:2013 $champ mark:(line, sand)
bar:ArizonaRattlers at:2014 $champ mark:(line, sand)

# – Charlotte Rage
bar:CharlotteRage from:1992 till:1997 color:teal $Left text:"Charlotte Rage"
# – Cincinnati Rockers
bar:CincinnatiRockers from:1992 till:1994 color:green $Left text:"Cincinnati Rockers"
# – San Antonio Force
bar:SanAntonioForce from:1992 till:1993 color:Red $Left text:"San Antonio Force"

# – Florida Bobcats
bar:FloridaBobcats from:1992 till:1993 color:gold $Left text:"Sacramento Attack"
bar:FloridaBobcats from:1993 till:1996 color:orange $RightIn text:"Miami Hooters"
bar:FloridaBobcats from:1996 till:2001 color:teal $RightIn text:"Florida Bobcats"
# – Fort Worth Cavalry
bar:FortWorthCavalry from:1994 till:1995 color:darkblue $Left text:"Fort Worth Cavalry"
bar:FortWorthCavalry from:1996 till:1997 color:gold $Right text:"Minnesota Fighting Pike"
# – Anaheim Piranhas
bar:AnaheimPiranhas from:1994 till:1996 color:gold $Left text:"Las Vegas Sting"
bar:AnaheimPiranhas from:1996 till:1998 color:black $Right text:"Anaheim Piranhas"
# – Milwaukee Mustangs
bar:MilwaukeeMustangs from:1994 till:2002 color:purple $Left text:"Milwaukee Mustangs"
bar:MilwaukeeMustangs from:2009 till:2010 color:notpro $Left text:"Milwaukee Iron"
bar:MilwaukeeMustangs from:2010 till:2011 color:orange $Left
bar:MilwaukeeMustangs from:2011 till:2013 color:Black $LeftIn $t:white text:"Milwaukee Mustangs"
bar:MilwaukeeMustangs from:2013 till:2017 color:Navy $Right text:"Portland Steel"
# – Iowa Barnstormers
bar:IowaBarnstormers from:1995 till:2001 color:Red $Left text:"Iowa Barnstormers"
bar:IowaBarnstormers from:2001 till:2008 color:black $leftin $t:white text:"New York Dragons"
bar:IowaBarnstormers from:2008 till:2010 color:notpro
bar:IowaBarnstormers2 from:2001 till:2002 color:notpro $Left text:"Iowa Barnstormers"
bar:IowaBarnstormers2 from:2010 till:2015 color:Red $Left text:"Iowa Barnstormers"
bar:IowaBarnstormers2 from:2015 till:end color:notpro
# – San Jose SaberCats
bar:SanJoseSaberCats from:1995 till:2009 color:Green $Left text:"San Jose SaberCats"
bar:SanJoseSaberCats from:2011 till:2016 color:Green $Left

bar:SanJoseSaberCats at:2002 $champ mark:(line, green)
bar:SanJoseSaberCats at:2004 $champ mark:(line, green)
bar:SanJoseSaberCats at:2007 $champ mark:(line, green)
bar:SanJoseSaberCats at:2015 $champ mark:(line, green)

# – Oklahoma Wranglers
bar:OklahomaWranglers from:1995 till:1997 color:gold $Left text:"Memphis Pharaohs"
bar:OklahomaWranglers from:1997 till:2000 color:teal $LeftIn text:"Portland Forest Dragons"
bar:OklahomaWranglers from:2000 till:2002 color:darkred $Right text:"Oklahoma Wranglers"
# – Connecticut Coyotes
bar:ConnecticutCoyotes from:1995 till:1997 color:navy $Left text:"Connecticut Coyotes"
# – St. Louis Stampede
bar:StLouisStampede from:1995 till:1997 color:black $Left text:"St. Louis Stampede"
# – Houston ThunderBears
bar:HoustonThunderBears from:1996 till:1998 color:black $Left text:"Texas Terror"
bar:HoustonThunderBears from:1998 till:2002 color:orange $Right text:"Houston ThunderBears"
# – Cleveland Gladiators
bar:ClevelandGladiators from:1997 till:2001 color:red $Left text:"New Jersey Red Dogs"
bar:ClevelandGladiators from:2001 till:2003 color:black $Left $t:white text:"New Jersey Gladiators"
bar:ClevelandGladiators from:2003 till:2008 color:red $LeftIn text:"Las Vegas Gladiators"
bar:ClevelandGladiators from:2008 till:2018 color:black $LeftIn $t:white text:"Cleveland Gladiators"
bar:ClevelandGladiators from:2018 till:2020 color:notpro
bar:ClevelandGladiators from:2020 till:2020 color:black
# – Nashville Kats
bar:NashvilleKats from:1997 till:2002 color:lightblue $Left text:"Nashville Kats"
bar:NashvilleKats from:2002 till:2008 color:black $right text:"Georgia Force"
bar:NashvilleKats2 from:2005 till:2008 color:lightblue $Left text:"Nashville Kats"
# – Alabama Vipers
bar:AlabamaVipers from:2000 till:2010 color:notpro $Left text:"Tennessee Valley Vipers"
bar:AlabamaVipers from:2010 till:2011 color:green $Left text:"Alabama Vipers"
bar:AlabamaVipers from:2011 till:2013 color:black $right text:"Georgia Force"
# – Toronto Phantoms
bar:TorontoPhantoms from:1997 till:1999 color:black $Left text:"New York CityHawks"
bar:TorontoPhantoms from:1999 till:2001 color:lightblue $LeftIn $t:white text:"New England SeaWolves"
bar:TorontoPhantoms from:2001 till:2003 color:black $Right text:"Toronto Phantoms"
# – Columbus Destroyers
bar:ColumbusDestroyers from:1999 till:2004 color:blue $Left text:"Buffalo Destroyers"
bar:ColumbusDestroyers from:2004 till:2009 color:black $Right text:"Columbus Destroyers"
bar:ColumbusDestroyers from:2019 till:2020 color:black $Left text:"Columbus Destroyers"
# – Chicago Rush
bar:ChicagoRush from:2001 till:2014 color:navy $Left text:"Chicago Rush"

bar:ChicagoRush at:2006 $champ mark:(line, navy)
# – Los Angeles Avengers
bar:LosAngelesAvengers from:2000 till:2009 color:red $Left text:"Los Angeles Avengers"
# – Carolina Cobras
bar:CarolinaCobras from:2000 till:2005 color:gold $Left text:"Carolina Cobras"
# – Detroit Fury
bar:DetroitFury from:2001 till:2005 color:purple $Left text:"Detroit Fury"
# – Dallas Desperados
bar:DallasDesperados from:2002 till:2009 color:blue $Left text:"Dallas Desperados"
# – Colorado Crush
bar:ColoradoCrush from:2003 till:2009 color:orange $Left text:"Colorado Crush"
bar:ColoradoCrush2 from:2006 till:2016 color:notpro $Left text:"Colorado Ice"
bar:ColoradoCrush2 from:2016 till:2017 color:notpro $Left text:"Colorado Crush"
bar:ColoradoCrush at:2005 $champ mark:(line, orange)
# – Austin Wranglers
bar:AustinWranglers from:2004 till:2008 color:navy $Left text:"Austin Wranglers"
bar:AustinWranglers from:2008 till:2009 color:notpro $Left text:"Austin Wranglers"
# – New Orleans VooDoo
bar:NewOrleansVooDoo from:2004 till:2006 color:purple $Left text:"New Orleans VooDoo"
bar:NewOrleansVooDoo from:2006 till:2007 color:notpro
bar:NewOrleansVooDoo from:2007 till:2009 color:purple
bar:NewOrleansVooDoo2 from:2001 till:2010 color:notpro $Left text:"Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings"
bar:NewOrleansVooDoo2 from:2010 till:2011 color:black
bar:NewOrleansVooDoo2 from:2011 till:2015 color:purple $Right text:"New Orleans VooDoo"
# – Philadelphia Soul
bar:PhiladelphiaSoul from:2004 till:2020 color:teal $Left text:"Philadelphia Soul"

bar:PhiladelphiaSoul at:2008 $champ mark:(line, teal)
bar:PhiladelphiaSoul at:2016 $champ mark:(line, teal)
bar:PhiladelphiaSoul at:2017 $champ mark:(line, teal)
# – Kansas City Command
bar:KansasCityCommand from:2006 till:2009 color:black $Left text:"Kansas City Brigade"
bar:KansasCityCommand from:2011 till:2013 color:lightblue $Right text:"Kansas City Command"
# – Utah Blaze
bar:UtahBlaze from:2006 till:2009 color:black $Left text:"Utah Blaze"
bar:UtahBlaze from:2009 till:2010 color:notpro $LeftIn $t:white text:"Utah Valley Thunder"
bar:UtahBlaze from:2010 till:2014 color:orange $Right text:"Utah Blaze"
# – Jacksonville Sharks
bar:JacksonvilleSharks from:2009 till:2017 color:Red $Left text:"Jacksonville Sharks"
bar:JacksonvilleSharks from:2017 till:end color:notpro
bar:JacksonvilleSharks at:2011 $champ mark:(line, red)
# – Dallas Vigilantes
bar:DallasVigilantes from:2009 till:2012 color:black $Left text:"Dallas Vigilantes"
# – Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz
bar:OklahomaCityYardDawgz from:2004 till:2010 color:notpro $Left text:"Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz"
bar:OklahomaCityYardDawgz from:2010 till:2011 color:darkred
# – Spokane Shock
bar:SpokaneShock from:2004 till:2010 color:notpro $Left text:"Spokane Shock"
bar:SpokaneShock from:2010 till:2016 color:orange
bar:SpokaneShock from:2016 till:2018 color:notpro $Right text:"Spokane Empire"
bar:SpokaneShock at:2010 $champ mark:(line, orange)
# – San Antonio Talons
bar:SanAntonioTalons from:2000 till:2010 color:notpro $Left text:"Tulsa Talons"
bar:SanAntonioTalons from:2010 till:2011 color:black
bar:SanAntonioTalons from:2010 till:2014 color:blue $Right text:"San Antonio Talons"
# – Pittsburgh Power
bar:PittsburghPower from:2011 till:2015 color:yellow $Left text:"Pittsburgh Power"
# – Los Angeles Kiss
bar:LosAngelesKiss from:2013 till:2017 color:black $Left text:"Los Angeles Kiss"
# – Las Vegas Outlaws
bar:LasVegasOutlaws from:2015 till:2016 color:black $Left text:"Las Vegas Outlaws"
# – Baltimore Brigade
bar:BaltimoreBrigade from:2017 till:2020 color:navy $Left text:"Baltimore Brigade"
# – Washington Valor
bar:WashingtonValor from:2017 till:2020 color:red $Left text:"Washington Valor"
bar:WashingtonValor at:2018 $champ mark:(line, red)
# – Atlantic City Blackjacks
bar:AtlanticCityBlackjacks from:2019 till:2020 color:gold $Left text:"Atlantic City Blackjacks"

See also

* List of Arena Football League arenas

Notes

References

External links

*

{{Arena Football League

*
*
Teams
Arena Football League