Post by Monika on Sept 27, 2019 19:21:00 GMT -8
Welcome to SCtoC's Indoor Football League 2020 Season News Tracker. During the course of the IFL's 12th season, we will post all major news regarding the league and its teams. This will include, but not be limited to, expansion announcements and other team news, scheduling, standout game performances and other major news items.
Posts will be added regularly by DiamondThief & David & Nevadanut and myself. If any of our readers feel they have an applicable piece of news, please comment below or email us at sportscoasttocoast@mail.com. News items with photos will include photo credits to the best of our abilities to confirm them. News items will appear below in descending order with the most recent news on top.
-MMM
NEWS TRACKER:
July 28, 2020 - The Columbus team officially announces its identity as the Columbus Wild Dogs.
June 26, 2020 - The Columbus team which was to join the IFL in 2021 has postponed that entry until 2022 in order to provide a more successful launch to the team, per ownership.
March 22, 2020 - IFL commissioner Todd Tyron, in an interview with Connor Ferguson of Last Word on Sports, states that he has several contingency plans to resume the season once the initial impact of the coronavirus has passed.
March 13, 2020 - Due to the outbreak of the conronavirus, IFL commissioner Todd Tryon announces that the season will be suspended indefinitely.
February 20, 2020 - IFL announces adoption of the NAL's Deuce Rule to be in effect during the last minute of each half.
February 20, 2020 - The IFL officially unveils new league logos.
December 12, 2019 - The IFL announces that Columbus, Ohio, will join beginning in 2021. In addition, the Germain family, who owns Columbus and Frisco, has also acquired exclusive rights to the business operations of the entire league
December 11, 2019 - The Frisco IFL Expansion team is named the "Frisco Fighters"
November 26, 2019 - The IFL releases its 2020 schedule.
November 25, 2019 - The Indoor Football League announces an expansion franchise in Frisco, Texas. The team, replacing the defunct Texas Revolution (CIF) become the 13th team slated to play in the IFL and will begin play in 2020.
November 4, 2019 - Spokane announces the signings of QB Charles McCullum and WR Jordan Jolly. McCullum and Jolly have been staples of teams coached by HC Billy Back, and have played together going back to their days with the NIPL's Nashville Venom in 2014 before following Back to Wichita Falls (2016-2017) and the Carolina Cobras (2018-2019) of the NAL. McCullum was twice named IFL MVP (2016, 2017) and Jolly was named NAL MVP (2019). Both have won championships league championships in 2014 and 2018.
November 4, 2019 - RB Davonte Sapp-Lynch, the younger brother of Oakland Panthers owner Marshawn Lynch, signs with his hometown team and to play for his brother's organization.
November 1, 2019 - The Spokane Shock are revived by former NFL defensive tackle Sam Adams, confirming news SCtoC broke on August 31. Spokane also announces Billy Back, the 2016 IFL Coach of the Year (Wichita Falls Nighthawks) as head coach.
October 19, 2019 - Quad City Steamwheelers re-sign QB E.J. Hilliard, the 2019 IFL Offensive Player of the Year.
October 18, 2019 - On a Friday, the Spokane Shock tease an "official announcement" that would be forthcoming in the following week. That tweet appears below in the comments section.
October 17, 2019 - The Sioux Falls Storm announce the signing of former Nebraska Danger QB Tommy Armstrong Jr., the 2019 IFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
October 10, 2019 - The league makes it official; former Sioux Falls Storm owner Todd Tryon is the league's fourth commissioner. SCtoC first confirmed the news eight days prior.
October 3, 2019 - IFL announces that commissioner Mike Alshouse is stepping down. As SCtoC had reported the previous day. The league says in a press release that a search is underway for his successor, though this site has confirmed it will be former Sioux Falls Storm owner Todd Tryon.
October 3, 2019 - The IFL and Sioux Falls Storm announce the sale of the team from Todd Tryon to a six-person ownership group; Jason and Valerie Headlee, David and Stephanie Richter, and Patrick and Amber Garry. The new ownership group consists of three sisters and their husbands. New team president Jason Headlee says in a league press release: "We have a passion for football and are really excited to bring a great 2020 season to the fans and sponsors. Our theme for the 20th season is The Gold Standard and we look forward to bringing the continued success on and off the field."
October 2, 2019 - SCtoC confirms that former Sioux Falls Storm owner Todd Tryon will take over as commissioner of the IFL, replacing Mike Allshouse. The latter had been with the league since 2009, and had been commissioner since 2013. Tryon helped lead the Storm to seven United Bowl championships and 10 straight appearances since the formation of the current IFL. An official announcement is expected within days.
October 2, 2019 - The Sioux Falls Storm unveil a new 20th anniversary logo to be utilized during the 2020 season. That graphic appears below (image courtesy Sioux Falls Storm on Twitter).
October 1, 2019 - Free agency officially opens for the 2020 season, the 12th for the current Indoor Football League.
September 26, 2019 - The Iowa Barnstormers announce they have hired Ameer Ismail as their new head coach to replace the departed Dixie Wooten. Ismail was initially hired in the fall of 2018 to lead the expansion San Diego Strike Force, but left that position to serve as defensive coordinator for the Carolina Cobras of the National Arena League last season.
September 23-24, 2019 - The IFL holds it's league meetings in San Diego, home of the Strike Force. Owners, executives, potential owners and other guests are present to discuss the upcoming season and other items.
September 18, 2019 - The Tucson Sugar Skulls hire Dixie Wooten as head coach and general manager. In three years as head coach of the Barnstormers, Wooten compiled a 38-6 regular season record and was 2-2 in the playoffs. He replaces Marcus Coleman, who led the Sugar Skulls to a 7-7 record and playoff berth in their expansion season. Co-owner Cathy Guy said at the introductory press conference that the team had every intention of bringing back Coleman, but when Wooten became available, it was decided to make the switch. Wooten tells SCtoC he will continue to coach at Texas A&T.
September 13, 2019 - Dixie Wooten resigns as head coach of the Iowa Barnstormers after three seasons. Wooten led the Barnstormers to their first indoor football championship in 2018. He serves as head coach of the Texas A&T football team.
September 12, 2019 - Duke City names former Nebraska Danger head coach and player Pig Brown as its new head coach, replacing Dominic Bramante who was dismissed the previous week. Brown, already an IFL Hall of Famer as a player, accumulated a 7-11 regular season record as co-interim head coach/head coach with the Danger over the past one-and-one-third seasons. He led them to a 7-7 regular season record in 2019, along with a 1-1 mark in the playoffs. Bramante had coached the Gladiators in each of their five CIF seasons.
September 10, 2019 - The Oakland Panthers expansion franchise is announced to join the IFL for the 2020 season. The team will be co-owned by River Kings and Strike Force owner Roy Choi, and former NFL star Marshawn Lynch. Lynch's younger brother, Davonte Sapp-Lynch, played running back during the 2019 season for the Nebraska Danger. Lynch (left) and Choi are pictured below (photo via Oakland Panthers on twitter).
September 5, 2019 - The River Kings announce they have hired Victor Mann as their new head coach, replacing Mark Stoute. Mann coached the previous four years in the CIF, most recently for the Texas Revolution, which folded late in the 2018 season. A former Assistant Head Coach/Offensive coordinator at, Texas College (Tyler, Texas), Mann was named CIF Coach of the Year in 2016.
August 20, 2019 - The IFL and Duke City Gladiators officially announce the franchise's move from Champions Indoor Football to the IFL beginning the 2020 season. The Gladiators, based out of Albuquergue, New Mexico, competing in the CIF for five seasons, accumulating a 39-20 overall record. They come to the IFL after winning the past two CIF championships.
Mid-August, 2019 - SCtoC learns Oakland, Portland and Spokane have been approved for expansion teams by the IFL. Official announcements are expected to be forthcoming.
August 14, 2019 - In a press conference streamed live on Youtube, San Diego Strike Force general manager Ryan Eucker introduces the team's new look. The new logo and color scheme replaces last year's generic look and focuses on the strong Naval aviation presence in the San Diego area. It features a new look helmet, three uniform options and several aviator identifier badges. The scheme was designed by Brian Gundell, who worked with Eucker on the re-brands of the Spokane Empire (2016) and the River Kings (2018). Eucker also announces that Burt Grossman will return as the team's head coach for its second season. Additionally, he announces that September's league meeting will be held in San Diego. Below is the primary home uniform, known as the "flight suit." (graphic courtesy San Diego Strike Force).
July 30, 2019 - The Arizona Rattlers announce they have reached an agreement to play their home games at Gila River Arena in Glendale for 2020 with an option for 2021. The team is using Gila as an alternative site to their home venue of Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix due to renovations being made to Talking Stick. The Rattlers hosted the Intense Conference Championship Game and United Bowl at Gila in 2019.
July 25, 2019 - Sources exclusively inform SCtoC that the Duke City Gladiators plan to make the jump from Champions Indoor Football to the IFL. The Gladiators, who have won the past two CIF championships, are based out of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
July 22, 2019 - Though a confidential credible source, SCtoC has learned exclusively that IFL expansion is likely to come to the Pacific Northwest. The source told SCtoC that representatives from Spokane, Portland, Boise and the Seattle area were in the mix. Spokane would be a new ownership group resurrecting the Shock nickname and Portland would be former Thunder (AFL) owner Terry Emmert. Boise and Seattle would be new ownership groups. A meeting was to be scheduled in Portland among teams looking to join the IFL.
July 21, 2019: The Cedar Rapids River Kings announce the dismissal of Mark Stoute as head coach. Stoute finished last season at 1-13 with the River Kings. He had coached Cedar Rapids (formerly the Titans) from 2013 to 2016 where he led the team to a 40-17 overall record and four playoff appearances in as many seasons.
July 16, 2019 - Nebraska Danger owner Charlie Bosselman puts the team up for sale. There later will be rumors that the team will be purchased and moved to Dallas, Texas, but there is no indication that such rumors have been substantiated. Should the team not find a buyer, it will likely go dormant or fold. The Danger just completed their ninth season in the IFL.
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Graphic courtesy of David.