Post by David on Oct 17, 2016 11:48:19 GMT -8
(image courtesy of the Indoor Football League)
10.17.16 -
The Arizona Rattlers are officially moving from the Arena Football League to the Indoor Football League.
In official press releases announced on Monday, both the IFL and the Rattlers confirmed that the franchise would begin play in the IFL for the upcoming 2017 season.
"We are excited about competing in the IFL," Rattlers owner Ron Shurts said. "Our loyal fan base and the Rattlers brand have always been my number one concern. This change affords our fans an opportunity to enjoy many more years of success and allows the Rattlers brand to continue to grow."
"Today is a tremendous day in the history of the IFL," said IFL Commissioner Michael Allshouse. "We are glad to welcome one of the preeminent indoor football organizations in the country to the IFL. The Arizona Rattlers organization has prided itself in continued success, both on and off the field, for nearly a quarter century. This longevity is a testament to the quality of their organization and their passionate fanbase."
Since its inception in 1992, the Arizona Rattlers have been one of the most successful franchises in Arena Football. In 24 seasons, Arizona reached the playoffs 21 times with 10 Division Titles and 8 Conference Championships. They appeared in 10 ArenaBowls with 5 championship wins, including back-to-back-to-back victories from 2012-2014. Their five championships are tied with the Tampa Bay Storm for the most ArenaBowl wins in AFL history.
Arizona is coming off 56-42 loss to the Philadelphia Soul in ArenaBowl XXIX. The Rattlers appeared to be in preparation for the 2017 AFL Season, but that bubble was popped last Wednesday when the Orlando Predators announced they were ceasing operations. Hours after the Preds announcement, Jacksonville Sharks owner Jeff Bouchy announced his organization was leaving the AFL for a "rival league."
With the league down from 9 prospective teams to 7, rumors swirled that Arizona would be the next team to move. A day after the loss of Jacksonville and Orlando, a report published in The Spokesman-Review stated that Arizona was seeking membership in the IFL.
That report came into question on Friday when the AFL held its dispersal draft, to which Arizona was one of 5 remaining franchises participating in the draft. The dispersal draft also confirmed that the Los Angeles KISS and Portland Steel had quietly folded after 3 seasons, but it also left the Arizona's fate up in the air that they might not be leaving the AFL after all.
A source exclusive to SCtoC confirmed over the weekend that the IFL had approved the Rattlers' application and was formulating its schedule to include the team in the 2017 season. The direct source also confirmed that Jacksonville had submitted an application to the IFL but was denied because Jacksonville did not "fit the geographical footprint nor the long-term vision of the league in terms of expansion into the east coast."
Arizona's move marks the third consecutive season in which an AFL organization has left for the IFL. The Iowa Barnstormers were the first to make the move after the 2014 season. After the 2015 season, the Spokane Empire (known then as the Shock) made the move to the IFL with owner Nader Naini citing the AFL didn't have "a sustainable long-term business model."
Shurts apparently echoed Naini's concerns. According to The Arizona Republic's Richard Obert, Shurts reportedly felt too much money was being lost in the AFL and was unsure if the league could sustain longevity.
“We couldn’t afford to sit out a year and expect our fans to come back the following year if we were out of football this year," Shurts stated. "Maybe the AFL will continue. We couldn’t take that chance with no Rattlers in 2017.”
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VIDEO: Ron Shurts talks about the move from the AFL to the IFL.
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Typically, moving from the AFL to the IFL results in a roster overhaul and change in coaching staff, as was the case with the Barnstormers and the Empire. However, the Rattlers will see some continuity carry over as the team confirmed that Head Coach/General manager Kevin Guy would guide the team in 2017.
“We are excited about our new opportunity in the IFL and looking forward to a great partnership,” Guy stated in the team's release. “The Rattlers are committed to putting a first-class product on the field. We have a lot of work to do before training camp starts. Every league has different rules and nuances and we will adjust accordingly. As a coaching staff, we welcome the new challenge. Recruiting is our number one priority as it is every year. Our main focus will be identifying, developing, and branding the product. We are very happy that Rattler Nation will have the opportunity to continue enjoying the Rattler brand.”
Guy also acknowledged the re-established rivalries with Iowa Spokane, the latter of which was a former division rival that Arizona faced many memorable battles from 2010-2015.
"We get to renew some old rivalries and start some new ones,” Guy said. “There are a lot of great coaches in the league and I have a lot of respect for them.”
Despite the move to a "lower tier" league, the Rattlers will continue to play its home games at Talking Stick Resort Arena in downtown Phoenix, Arizona.
The only question mark left regarding the team is if Arizona will still continue to be known as the Rattlers. The AFL owns the rights to the Rattlers' trademark and according to the Arizona Republic, Shurts will negotiate to keep the logo and name.
“Our intention is to stay with the Rattlers,” Shurts said. “That’s our brand. We will continue with that.”
The trademark topic has been a big topic of conversation regarding the AFL within the last year. When Spokane moved to the IFL, the AFL refused to allow the organization to keep its identity and retained the Shock trademark. Spokane would have had to pay a hefty price to purchase the name and trademarks, so they opted to re-brand themselves as the Empire instead.
The Iowa Barnstormers were able to retain their trademarks when they departed the AFL for the IFL prior to the 2015 season. The only tweak to their logo was the removal of "Arena Football Club" in their logo to "Football Club" when they dropped to the IFL.
With the addition of Arizona, the IFL is set entering 2017 with the Cedar Rapids Titans, Colorado Crush, Green Bay Blizzard, Iowa Barnstormers, Nebraska Danger, the expansion Salt Lake Screaming Eagles, Sioux Falls Storm, Spokane Empire and Wichita Falls Nighthawks.
The addition of Arizona offsets the loss of the Tri-Cities Fever, who announced they would go dormant in 2017. There are rumors that the Billings Wolves, who played in 2016, have folded but there has been no official confirmation.
- DKH, ANM & MKM
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