2016 Spokane Shock schedule

[David]

Spokane's 2016 Home Opponents (image credit: David Hein / Sports Coast To Coast)

The IFL released the 2016 regular season schedule. After six years in the AFL, the Shock begin their inaugural season in the IFL at home against the Tri-Cities Fever, on February 27 at Spokane Arena. The game against the Fever will reestablish a rivalry that has not been played since the two teams were in the af2 from 2007-2009.

The Spokane Shock will play in West Division of the Intense Conference. This season, Spokane will play the other teams in their division (Tri-Cities and Billings) four times each (2 home/2 away).

The Shock will have the beginning of their season spaced out and will go a full month without a home game until April. After their opener against Tri-Cities, they will have an early bye week before hitting the road against the Billings Wolves. The Shock will have yet another bye week before heading back on the road to play the Nebraska Danger.

The Shock will also battle the Colorado Crush and Wichita Falls Nighthawks twice this season, once at home and once on the road. Spokane will play the entire Midwest Division of the United Conference with games against former af2/AFL rival Iowa Barnstormers, 5-time defending United Bowl champion Sioux Falls Storm in Sioux Falls the expansion Minnesota Havok. They will not face the teams in the United Conference's North Division, which includes Minnesota Axemen (formerly Bemidji Axemen), Cedar Rapids Titans and former af2 foe Green Bay Blizzard.

The IFL's schedule provides that all 12 teams plays 16 games (8 home/8 away) over 18 weeks, with each team getting two bye weeks. The league will observe a league-wide bye week after the regular season ends during Fourth of July Weekend (July 1-July 3). The playoffs begin the weekend of July 8 and wrap up with the United Bowl Championship during the weekend of July 22.

The following is Spokane's 2016 schedule (times are pacific; bold orange denotes home games). Television and streaming listings have been listed as they have been released. All Shock games will be broadcast on local radio and online at 700 ESPN. On the television side, there's no word as to how many Shock games will air on SWX, but since Billings and Tri-Cities have their own SWX affiliates, it's logical to presume those 4 road games, in addition to the 8 Shock home games, will be broadcast locally. We will provide updates as information becomes available. All IFL games, including the playoffs and the United Bowl, are streamed on IFLLIVE.TV, but it requires a pay subscription. 

FEBRUARY
Week 1 -- Sat., February 27 - Tri-Cities Fever at Spokane Shock, 7 p.m.

MARCH
Week 2 -- Bye
Week 3 -- Sat., March 12 - Spokane Shock at Billings Wolves, 6 p.m.
Week 4 -- Bye
Week 5 -- Fri., March 25 - Spokane Shock at Nebraska Danger, 5 p.m.

APRIL
Week 6 -- Fri., April 1 - Iowa Barnstormers at Spokane Shock, 7 p.m.
Week 7 -- Sat., April 9 - Colorado Crush at Spokane Shock, 7 p.m.
Week 8 -- Sat., April 16 - Spokane Shock at Sioux Falls Storm, 5 p.m.
Week 9 -- Sat., April 23 - Spokane Shock at Tri-Cities Fever, 7 p.m.
Week 10 -- Fri., April 29 - Minnesota Havok at Spokane Shock, 7 p.m.

MAY
Week 11 -- Sat., May 7 - Billings Wolves at Spokane Shock, 7 p.m.
Week 12 -- Sat., May 14 - Spokane Shock at Colorado Crush, 6 p.m.
Week 13 -- Fri., May 20 - Tri-Cities Fever at Spokane Shock, 7 p.m.
Week 14 -- Sat., May 28 - Spokane Shock at Tri-Cities Fever, 7 p.m.

JUNE
Week 15 -- Sat., June 4 - Billings Wolves at Spokane Shock, 7 p.m.
Week 16 -- Sat., June 11 - Spokane Shock at Wichita Falls Nighthawks, 5 p.m.
Week 17 -- Sat., June 18 - Wichita Falls Nighthawks at Spokane Shock, 7 p.m.
Week 18 -- Sat., June 25 - Spokane Shock at Billings Wolves, 6 p.m.

OPPONENTS' ARENAS
Billings Wolves - Rimrock Auto Arena; Billings, Montana
Colorado Crush - Budweiser Events Center; Loveland, Colorado
Nebraska Danger - Eihusen Arena; Grand Island, Nebraska
Sioux Falls Storm - Denny Sanford Premier Center; Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Tri-Cities Fever - Toyota Center; Kennewick, Washington
Wichita Falls Nighthawks - Kay Yeager Coliseum; Wichita Falls, Texas

Click here to view the week-by-week schedule for the IFL's 2016 season.

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[Kasey]

having four division games is a great way to promote rivalries. it's too bad they don't play Green Bay.

i realize after the drop to the IFL that it's unlikely, but is SWX going to televise any games?

[David]

Oct 7, 2015 10:58:18 GMT -8 Kasey said:

having four division games is a great way to promote rivalries. it's too bad they don't play Green Bay.

i realize after the drop to the IFL that it's unlikely, but is SWX going to televise any games?

I'm suspecting that they will. Billings and Tri-Cities both have SWX affiliates, and I have seen some Tri-City and Billings games aired on SWX, but they were mainly repeats of games that happened earlier. The Shock haven't made any formal announcements quite yet, and I'm not sure what the rules are with televising games and the IFL Live subscription service. But I think if they air any games, it'd be the 8 home games and the road games versus Tri-City and Billings. 

[Kasey]

Oct 7, 2015 11:48:22 GMT -8 David said:

Oct 7, 2015 10:58:18 GMT -8 Kasey said:

having four division games is a great way to promote rivalries. it's too bad they don't play Green Bay.

i realize after the drop to the IFL that it's unlikely, but is SWX going to televise any games?

I'm suspecting that they will. Billings and Tri-Cities both have SWX affiliates, and I have seen some Tri-City and Billings games aired on SWX, but they were mainly repeats of games that happened earlier. The Shock haven't made any formal announcements quite yet, and I'm not sure what the rules are with televising games and the IFL Live subscription service. But I think if they air any games, it'd be the 8 home games and the road games versus Tri-City and Billings. 

that would be great for all three teams. big for the IFL also, i would think.

[voodoonut]

Maybe a bit off topic, sorry, what is the general quality of play in the IFL as opposed to the AFL?

A big drop off in quality? Do you find the games as enjoyable as AFL games?

[David]

I've never seen an IFL game, so I can't say. ArenaFan says that the talent level is lower than AFL standards, but if you're sirshoelacesalesman, you're an idiot that speaks without knowing much.

From what I've read, it's a lot more shotgun orientated on offense and they run the ball with more frequency and success. The talent may not be AFL level, but IFL players have gone on to play in the CFL and NFL at about the same rate.

But as for the talent level? If you ask me, the IFL's got an opportunity to be a serious threat to the AFL, what with the AFL declining over the past few years.

[David]

With the re-brand of the Spokane Shock as the Spokane Empire, and the termination of the Minnesota Axemen resulting in the IFL changing its schedule, this thread is now closed. It will remain as a good comparison tool for the Spokane Empire's 2016 IFL Schedule.