DIVISIONS DIVISIONS

[jgary48]

The Indoor Football League structured its standings for 2019 in a league format abandoning the traditional division format of two seasons ago even thougth the number of dfranchises increased to ten. The league will likely see an increase in the number of franchises in 2020. The divisional format could return and traditional play that helps too develop regional rivalaries will come into play. There are many obseervers of the league in 2019 that feel that the league is using an unofficial divisional format this season. There have been  multiple games between  franchise neighbors Arizona and Tucson, and they have been very competive, at least for part of the games and the Iowa and the DAKOTA based franchises.  The league may have chosen this path to build fan interest and  put people in the seats. The less travel that the teams have too do makes them better prepared for games and enables them to entertain the fans better. The divisional format is exciting in that a close divisional race can make the regular season more meaningful   by creating playoff intensity even before the playoffs. Leagues thrive on this because it creates new fans and helps the sport find a true niche in a crowded sports market.

[David]

Just a few points.

- The League standing format's been in use since 2018 after the folding of Spokane, Colorado, Salt Lake and the whole Wichita Falls fiasco that made them eventually fold.
- They Haven't had Divisions since the 2011 season. They switched to Conference format in 2012 and it went through 2017.
- Increase in teams? Maybe. San Diego and Bismarck are both on shaky ground and if you ask me, I feel like the Oakland franchise will just be San Diego relocated since they're struggling to pull a decent attendance.
- There have been multiple games between Arizona and Tucson and Arizona and San Diego, but if anything that's just for the convenience of mileage proximity since Arizona used to be the furthest West. While it makes it easier for fans of these franchises to go on the road (especially Tucson and Arizona), there's a flaw with it. In Arizona's case is, this is a huge bulk of their schedule (8 out of 14 games) and this is drawing criticism (unless you're a Rattlers fan that doesn't care) that it's too much of a cupcake schedule for Arizona to easily get to the Semifinal playoff game.

[Yeseeka]

It'w just too much. Everything which is mentioned is designed to help Arizona. One team. That's it. I've never heard of a team having a schedule against eight teams (expansion wise) and the other only six against existing teams. I know they saw Arizona is paying for the league, and we know they are paying players under the table which has been confirmed to have been happening for years now. I'd rather the league struggle and not coddle the Rattlers. It's just not worth it.