AIFA Timeline

AIFA's History

2005
•July 4, 2005 - Michael Mink and John Morris form the Gulf Coast Raiders of the Southern States Football League. The Team is formed in honor of Dorothy Mink and a way to give back to the community. The team focus is to help young men get a second chance in the game of football.

2006
•March 21, 2006 - The Gulf Coast Raiders win the South Division Title going 9-1 in their first season. •April 28, 2006 - The Gulf Coast Raiders play as a replacement team in a game against Osceola of the NIFL as the Montgomery Maulers. This is Morris and Mink's first experience in indoor football. •May 2, 2006 - Charles Grainger is hired as attorney to represent John Morris and Michael Mink. •May 3, 2006 - John Morris and Michael Mink purchase the Montgomery Maulers of the NIFL and resolve all issues of the team in a large press conference in Montgomery, Alabama. •October 2, 2006 - John Morris and Michael Mink form the American Indoor Football Association. The original members are Canton, Huntington, Reading, Erie, Montgomery, Carolina, Mississippi, Tallahassee, Florence, Lakeland, Johnstown and Danville. •October 15, 2006 - Jack Bowman named National Director of the AIFA. •November 28, 2006 - The AIFA announce the Baltimore Blackbirds of the EIFL will play at the 1st Mariner Arena in downtown Baltimore, MD. •December 11, 2006 - The Pittsburgh Riverrats join the AIFA as an expansion team to play in the 2007 season.

2007
•February 12, 2007 - The AIFA assumes control of the Reading Express to operate and manage until owner is found. •March 1, 2007 - Ted Lavender purchases the Reading Express from the original Express ownership group. •March 21, 2007 - The AIFA assumes control of Johnston Riverhawks and financially supports team. •June 2, 2007 - The AIFA assumes control of the Florence Phantoms and begins search for new ownership. •June 5, 2007 - The AIFA completes its first season as all 112 games were played. All teams complete their season in the leagues first year. •June 16, 2007 - The Reading Express win the first Northern Conference Championship with a 66-51 win over the Canton Legends. •June 18, 2007 - The Lakeland Thunderbolts win the first Southern Conference Championship with a 84-62 win over the Mississippi Mudcats. •June 22, 2007 - The North beats the South in the first AIFA All Star Game. The game is played on national television. •June 23, 2007 - The Lakeland Thunderbolts win the first AIFA Bowl over the Reading Express 54-49. The game is played on national television. •June 23, 2007 - Lakeland Thunderbolts wide-receiver, Gator Day, wins AIFA Bowl I MVP. Day was a former Gulf Coast Raider with Morris and Mink. •June 30, 2007 - John Morris and Michael Mink sell the Carolina Speed to Rick Baker of Baltimore, Maryland. •July 16, 2007 - The AIFA declines renewal of the Baltimore Blackbirds for the 2008 season. •August 1, 2007 - The AIFA does not renew contract with the Tallahassee Titans for 2008 season. •August 6, 2007 - John Morris and Michael Mink announce Montgomery Bears will not be back for 2008 season. •August 14, 2007 - The AIFA announce the Florida Stingrays as an expansion team for the 2008 season. •August 19, 2007 - The Wyoming Calvary join the AIFA as one of the most successful professional football teams in indoor history. •August 27, 2007 - The August Spartans, 2007 WIFL Champions, join the AIFA with fellow WIFL member Columbus Lions of the 2008 season. August 29, 2007 -The Fayetteville Guard join the AIFA as the last standing champion in the NIFL. •September 4, 2007 - Bill Hazen named Public Relations Director for the AIFA. •September 10, 2007 - The Utah Saints are announced as a development team in the AIFA for the 2008 season. •September 12, 2007 - The Harrisburg Stampede is announced as an AIFA expansion team in 2009. The team is majority owned by John Morris with Marcus Colston of the NFL Saints and Michael Mink as a partner. •September 17, 2007 - The AIFA announces a three year television deal with Simply4Me Inc. •September 28, 2007 - AIFA debutes new internet radio show "This Week in the AIFA". •October 8, 2007 - The AIFA announces the Johnston Riverhawks will go dark for 2008 season. •October 8, 2007 - The AIFA declines renewal of the Erie Freeze for the 2008 season. •October 17, 2007 - The AIFA announces the Arizona Adrenaline as an expansion team in the West Division. •October 20, 2007 - The Lakeland Thunderbirds decline to participate in the 2008 season due to internal issues. •December 27, 2007 - The August Spartans are sold and renamed the August Colts for the 2008 season.

2008
•January 8, 2008 - The Pittsburgh Riverrats move to Erie, PA for the 2008 season. •January 11, 2008 - The New Mexico Wildcats are announced as a new expansion team in the AIFA West Division. This is the first professional football team in New Mexico in 47 years. •January 12, 2008 - The AIFA sells the Florence Phantoms on behalf of the Florence Ownership Group to Keith Jordan. •April 15, 2008 - Simple Me reports in a letter to the league that they would be unable to meet the financial obligations and the AIFA terminates agreement. •May 3, 2008 - The AIFA assumes control of the Utah Saints. The league manages and financially supports the team to a successful completion of all scheduled games. •May 17, 2008 - AIFA reaches agreement with Fox Sports Net -Pittsburgh, to televise the 2008 league games for remainder of season. •June 13, 2008 - Rochester Raiders announce they will play in the AIFA 2009. •June 28, 2008 - The AIFA completes season number two as all games played for second consecutive year. •July 12, 2008 - The Florence Phantoms, under new ownership of Barbara Spigner, defeat the Reading Express 5237 and win the Eastern Conference Championship. •July 18, 2008 - The Wyoming Calvary defeat the Mississippi Mudcats 54-26 to win the Western Conference Championship. July 25, 2008 -The East meets West as the Florence Phantoms defeat the Wyoming Calvary to win the AIFA Championship Bowl II, 48-12 in front of 4,850 fans. •July 25, 2008 - Omar Jacobs, the Florence Phantom quarter-back, wins AIFA Bowl II MVP. Omar was a former NFL and Bowling Green stand-out. •August 1, 2008 - The AIFA has awarded an expansion team to Richmond, Virginia. The team will begin playing in 2010. •August 1, 2008 - AIFA announces 2008 season all-stars. •August 1, 2008 - The AIFA announces the Utah Saints will not return for the 2009 season. •August 1, 2008 - Fox Sports Atlantic picks up replays of AIFA games in the month of August. •August 4, 2008 - The AIFA sells the Baltimore Mariners to Baltimore business man Alan Taylor and Steven Shockett. •August 6, 2008 - AIFA announces the Director of Football Officials, Tom Falcinelli. •September 16, 2008 - The Rochester Raiders will not play in the AIFA in 2009. •September 19, 2008 - The AIFA 2009 owners meeting is underway in Baltimore, Maryland.