| Minnesota Vixen | |
| Founded | 1999 |
|---|---|
| League | Independent Women's Football League |
| Team history | WPFL (1999-2007) NWFA (2008) IWFL (2009-present) |
| Stadium | Burnsville High School |
| Based in | Burnsville, Minnesota |
| Team colors | Black & Red |
| Owner | Hot Dish Football, Inc. |
| Head coach | Adam Griffith |
| Championships | 0 |
| Division titles | 1 (2000 NWFA) |
| Mascot | B.A. Vixen |
The Minnesota Vixen are a professional women's football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The team has been known as the Minnesota Vixens and Minneapolis Vixens prior to being known as the Vixen (note lack of "s").
A member of the Independent Women's Football League, the Vixen currently play their home games at Burnsville High School in Burnsville, Minnesota. Established in 1999, the Vixen are the longest continuously playing women's American football team in the world.
In 2011, Adam Griffith was promoted from interim head coach to full-time head coach. His 2012 staff includes offensive coordinator Brandon Pelinka, Emilie Sundberg, Matt Bohar, Codi Falley, and Damion Topping.
History[]
1999 Barnstorming Tour[]
The Vixen's history dates as far back as women's football itself; in 1999, businessmen Carter Turner and Terry Sullivan decided to explore the feasibility of a professional women's football league by gathering together top female athletes from across the United States and gather them into two teams for an exhibition game. The two teams were called the Minnesota Vixen and the Lake Michigan Minx, and the exhibition game was played at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis (known worldwide as home to the National Football League's Minnesota Vikings). While the Vixens lost the game by a score of 30-27, the success inspired the two teams to trek outward on the "No Limits" Barnstorming Tour, where they would play each other again in six cities.
2000: WPFL kicks off[]
The success of the tour led Turner and Sullivan to form the Women's Professional Football League; although the Minx would not join the Vixen in the WPFL's first full season, the Austin Rage, Colorado Valkyries, Daytona Beach Barracudas, Houston Energy, Miami Fury, New England Storm, New York Galaxy, New York Sharks, Oklahoma City Wildcats, and Tampa Tempest would join the Vixen to form the WPFL's inaugural roster of teams. The Vixen would finish the regular season unbeaten at 5-0, clinch the Central Division title, and ensure home-field advantage throughout the American Conference playoffs. However, that playoff run would only last one game, as the Vixen lost the American Conference Championship Game to the eventual WPFL Champion Houston Energy by a score of 35-14.
2001[]
The Vixen played a three-game season, going 1-2 against the Arizona Caliente and the Indianapolis Vipers.
2002[]
The Vixen finished 2-3 and fourth place in the National Conference.
2003[]
The Vixen finished 2-7 and fourth place in the American Conference, North Division.
2004[]
The Vixen finished 6-4 and second place in the National Conference, North Division, qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in four years. However, they would lose the National Conference Semifinal game to the Delaware Griffins.
2005[]
Once again, the Vixen finished 6-4, second place in the North Division, and qualified for a playoff spot. Although they defeated the Indiana Speed in the National Conference Semifinal, the Vixen lost to the New York Dazzles in the National Conference Championship game.
2006[]
The Vixen finished 2-6 and third place in the National Conference, East Division.
2007[]
In their final year in the WPFL, the Vixen finished 2-5 and third place in the National Conference, North Division. Soon afterwards, the Vixen left the WPFL to join the National Women's Football Association.
2008[]
In their first and only year in the NWFA, the Vixen qualified for the playoffs for the first time in three years, finishing 6-2 and second place in the Northern Conference, North Division. However, that playoff run would only last one game, as the Vixen lost by a score of 31-7 to the North Division Champions and eventual NWFA runners-up West Michigan Mayhem. After the season ended, the Vixen switched leagues again, this time to the Independent Women's Football League.
Season by season[]
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties
| Season | W | L | T | Finish | Playoff results | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Vixen (WPFL) | ||||||
| 1999 | "No Limits" Barnstorming Tour (Lake Michigan): Results Unknown/Not Counted | |||||
| 2000 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1st American Central | Lost American Conference Championship (Houston) | |
| 2001 | 1 | 2 | 0 | Exhibition Team | -- | |
| 2002 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4th National | -- | |
| 2003 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 4th American North | -- | |
| 2004 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2nd National North | Lost National Conference Semifinal (Delaware) | |
| 2005 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2nd National North | Won National Conference Qualifier (Indiana) Lost National Conference Championship (New York) | |
| 2006 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 3rd National East | -- | |
| 2007 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 3rd North Central | -- | |
| Minnesota Vixen (NWFA) | ||||||
| 2008 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2nd North North | Lost Northern Conference Quarterfinal (West Michigan) | |
| Minnesota Vixen (IWFL) | ||||||
| 2009 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 3rd Tier I West Midwest | -- | |
| 2010 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 8th Tier II West Midwest | -- | |
| 2011 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 4th West-Mid West Division | -- | |
| 2012 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 4th Mid West Division | -- | |
| Totals | 37 | 61 | 0 | (including playoffs) | ||
* = Current Standing
Season schedules[]
2009[]
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 11 | Kansas City Tribe | Away | Lost 8-45 |
| April 25 | Chicago Force | Home | Lost 0-55 |
| May 2 | Wisconsin Warriors | Home | Lost 16-54 |
| May 16 | Iowa Crush | Home | Won 38-20 |
| May 23 | Chicago Force | Away | Lost 0-53 |
| May 30 | Wisconsin Warriors | Away | Lost 8-38 |
| June 6 | Iowa Crush | Away | Won 14-9 |
| June 13 | Kansas City Tribe | Home | Lost 0-65 |
2010[]
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 3 | Wisconsin Wolves | Away | Lost 30-73 |
| April 10 | Iowa Crush | Home | Lost 14-35 |
| April 24 | Dallas Diamonds | Away | Lost 0-79 |
| April 27 | Iowa Crush | Away | Lost 0-37 |
| May 8 | Chicago Force | Home | Lost 0-56 |
| May 15 | Kansas City Tribe | Home | Lost 0-80 |
| May 22 | Wisconsin Warriors | Away | Lost 0-55 |
| June 5 | Wisconsin Wolves | Home | Lost 18-20 |
2011[]
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 9 | Iowa Crush | Home | Lost 20-6 |
| April 23 | Madison Cougars | Away | Lost 0-16 |
| April 30 | Wisconsin Warriors | Home | Lost 46-14 |
| May 7 | Iowa Crush | Away | Lost 14-26 |
| May 21 | Wisconsin Warriors | Away | Lost 6-60 |
| May 28 | Madison Cougars | Home | Lost 7-6 |
| June 4 | Iowa Crush | Away | Lost 38-12 |
| June 11 | Madison Cougars | Home | Lost 26-14 |
External links[]
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
