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2016 American Indoor Football season
League American Indoor Football
Sport Indoor football
Duration February 27, 2016 – May 23, 2016
2016
Playoffs
Northern champions West Michigan Ironmen
  Northern runners-up Lehigh Valley Steelhawks
Southern champions Columbus Lions
  Southern runners-up Florida Tarpons
2016 AIF Championship Game
Finals champions Columbus Lions
  Runners-up West Michigan Ironmen
AIF seasons
← 2015

None →

The 2016 American Indoor Football season was the eleventh and final season of American Indoor Football (AIF). The regular season began February 27, 2016, and ended on May 23, 2016. Each team played a game schedule of varying lengths.

League changes[]

During the offseason there were several membership changes in the league that saw only four of the nine teams return from the previous season. However, the league would end up starting the season with 18 full member teams, two travel only teams, and one affiliated provisional team.[1]

Returning teams[]

  • Chicago Blitz returned for their second season in the AIF. However, the team would cancel its last game and announce the team was for sale at the end of the season.
  • Maryland Eagles returned for their fourth season in the AIF. As was the case in 2015, the Eagles would only play a handful of games in AIF late in the season as a travel-only team, whilst playing the majority of their games in the Major Indoor Football League.
  • Savannah Steam returned for their second season in the AIF.

Relocating teams[]

Leaving teams[]

Teams added[]

Expansion teams that folded mid-season[]

  • Atlanta Vultures were added as an expansion team to replace the departed Atlanta Sharks. Folded mid-season with a 2-1 record due to lack of usable turf in their home arena. The team's last win against the Savannah Steam was reversed by the league and all remaining scheduled league games were ruled as 0-2 losses in the league standings.
  • Corpus Christi Fury joined from the recently folded X-League Indoor Football. The team cancelled several games during the season and only played one game against an AIF member. While never announced by the team itself, the Fury appeared to have folded before their May 15 game against the New Mexico Stars, giving the Stars 24-hours notice that they would be unable to make the game.[2] They also announced their May 22 home game was cancelled on the day of the game over social media without explanation.
  • Philadelphia Yellow Jackets as an expansion team. The team had to cancel/forfeit two of their last three home games due to their arena lease being voided on May 11. They rescheduled their last home game to the home arena of the Central Penn Capitals but apparently folded instead.
  • Steel City Menace were added as an expansion team. Originally were going to be named "Mile High Menace" and play in Denver but relocated to Pueblo, Colorado and were renamed. The team folded mid-season after two league road games and not having a home arena.[3] During their first exhibition away game they wore a local high school's uniform and during their April 9 game against the New Mexico Stars they wore white practice jerseys with numbers made of red duct tape. Even though the team folded in mid-April, the AIF listed the New Mexico Stars' 90-6 win over the local Capital City Warriors as a league game against the Menace.

Failed expansion teams[]

  • Abilene Warriors were announced as an expansion team but failed to obtain a home arena.[4]
  • Austin Colts were added mid-season from North American Indoor Football as an expansion team on March 31[5] but backed out of their first game less than a week before it was scheduled to be played.
  • Louisiana Cottonmouths were announced as an expansion team but never materialized.[6]
  • Marion Blue Racers were added from the recently folded X-League Indoor Football but suspended operations prior to the season. The owner later announced it was selling off all the Blue Racers assets and the team would not be returning.
  • Northshore Gators were announced as an expansion team but never materialized.
  • Pineywoods Bucks were announced as an expansion team but never materialized.
  • Texas Stealth were announced as an expansion team but re-joined the local North American Indoor Football instead before the season started.[7]

Regular season[]

2016 AIF Northern standingsview · talk · edit
Team W L T PCT PF PA PF (Avg.) PA (Avg.) STK
West Michigan Ironmen 6 1 0 .857 471 224 67.3 32.0 W6
River City Raiders 6 1 0 .857 398 235 56.9 33.6 W3
Lehigh Valley Steelhawks 6 2 0 .750 430 237 53.8 29.6 L1
Philadelphia Yellow Jackets 4 3 0 .571 266 169 38.0 24.0 L2
Central Penn Capitals 4 4 0 .500 373 338 46.6 42.3 W3
Chicago Blitz 3 3 0 .500 237 170 39.5 28.3 L1
Triangle Torch 3 4 0 .429 292 359 41.7 51.3 L2
Winston Wildcats 3 5 0 .375 139 300 17.4 37.5 W3
Maryland Eagles 0 2 0 .000 19 116 9.5 58.0 L2
Northern Kentucky Nightmare 0 5 0 .000 116 236 23.2 47.2 L5
2016 AIF Western Standingsview · talk · edit
Team W L T PCT PF PA PF (Avg.) PA (Avg.) STK
New Mexico Stars 6 1 0 .857 497 105 71.0 15.0 W5
Corpus Christi Fury 2 1 0 .667 168 112 56.0 37.3 L1
Steel City Menace 0 2 0 .000 16 81 8.0 40.5 L2
2016 AIF Southern standingsview · talk · edit
Team W L T PCT PF PA PF (Avg.) PA (Avg.) STK
Columbus Lions 8 0 0 1.000 599 174 74.9 21.8 W8
Florida Tarpons 7 1 0 .875 489 202 61.1 25.3 W4
Myrtle Beach Freedom 4 4 0 .500 259 307 32.4 38.4 L1
Savannah Steam 3 5 0 .375 264 336 33.0 42.0 L1
Georgia Firebirds 3 5 0 .375 236 350 29.5 43.8 L2
Central Florida Jaguars 2 6 0 .250 219 483 27.4 60.4 L1
Atlanta Vultures 1 5 0 .167 67 141 11.2 23.5 L5

Playoffs[]

  Division Semi-Finals Division Championships 2016 AIF Championship
                           
  1  West Michigan 78  
4*  Myrtle Beach 37  
  1  West Michigan 42  
Northern Division
  3  Lehigh Valley 35  
2  River City 52
  3  Lehigh Valley 54  
    N1  West Michigan 32
  S1  Columbus 74
  1  Columbus 49  
4  New Mexico 37  
  1  Columbus 79
Southern Division
  2  Florida 66  
2  Florida 71
  3*  Savannah 20  

*When initially announced, the West Michigan Ironmen were set to play the Northern Division's fourth-seeded Central Penn Capitals. On May 30, the Capitals were replaced with the Southern Division's third-seeded Myrtle Beach Freedom. The Freedom were replaced by the Southern Division's fourth-seed, the Savannah Steam.

References[]

Template:AIF

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