IFL National Championship
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2018) |
| First played | August 15, 2009 |
|---|---|
| Trophy | IFL National Championship Trophy |
| 2024 season | |
| 2024 IFL National Championship (August 17, 2024) Arizona Rattlers 53, Massachusetts Pirates 16 | |
The IFL National Championship (formerly the United Bowl) is the Indoor Football League's championship game. It has been played every year since 2009, except for 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The current champions are the Arizona Rattlers, who won their seventh indoor National Championship, defeating the Massachusetts Pirates. [1]
Origin
[edit]The IFL continued to use the "United Bowl" name originally used by United Indoor Football (UIF). The UIF used this name before they merged with Intense Football League to form the Indoor Football League. The UIF held United Bowl I, II, III, and IV in 2005 through 2008, with all four being won by the Sioux Falls Storm. Although the name "National Indoor Bowl Championship" was used for the 2008 contest between the UIF and the Intense Football League, the "United Bowl" name continued to be used for the combined league's championship until 2021 when it was rebranded.
Game history
[edit]2009–2010: Outlaws dominance
[edit]
The Billings Outlaws won the first two United Bowls, defeating the River City Rage and Sioux Falls Storm following the 2009 and 2010 seasons, respectively. The Outlaws were led by quarterback Chris Dixon, who was named the Most Valuable Player of both games. After the 2010 Billings tornado damaged Rimrock Auto Arena, the Outlaws ceased operations.[2]
2011–2016: Storm reign
[edit]Dixon joined the Storm before the start of the 2011 season, immediately having an impact by winning the league's Most Valuable Player Award and leading Sioux Falls to a 37–10 victory over the Tri-Cities Fever in the 2011 United Bowl. In the following season, Dixon repeated as league MVP and led the Storm to their second straight United Bowl victory over the Fever.
Dixon would be replaced by former Storm quarterback Terrance Bryant, who led the team to four United Indoor Football (UIF) titles from 2005 to 2008, during the 2013 season. Bryant would win United Bowl MVP after defeating the Nebraska Danger in their first United Bowl appearance.
Dixon re-joined the Storm during the 2014 season after one season in the Arena Football League (AFL). He led the Storm to a 13–0 start to the season before losing to the Cedar Rapids Titans in the final week of the regular season. After winning the United Conference Championship, the Storm would defeat the Danger for the second straight season to win their fourth straight title. Dixon announced his retirement after the 2014 United Bowl.
Lorenzo Brown took over as the Storm's quarterback in 2015, leading the team to a perfect 14–0 regular season record and a rematch against the Nebraska Danger in the 2015 United Bowl. The Storm would dominate the Danger, winning 62–27. Brown returned as the Storm's quarterback in 2016, helping Sioux Falls win their sixth consecutive championship, this time over the Spokane Empire.
2017–2021: First-year titles
[edit]The Storm advanced to the 2017 United Bowl to face the Arizona Rattlers in their first year competing in the IFL. The Rattlers upset the Storm in a 50–41 victory, ending the Storm's chances of a seven-peat. The Iowa Barnstormers, led by league MVP Drew Powell, would defeat the Storm in the 2018 United Bowl after an 11–3 season.
Sioux Falls reached the United Bowl for the tenth straight time in 2019, defeating the Rattlers and earning their seventh United Bowl championship.[3]
The 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[4] In 2021, the Massachusetts Pirates joined the IFL and immediately had an impact, going 11–3 and defeating the Arizona Rattlers in the 2021 United Bowl.[5] The 2021 United Bowl marked the first time since 2009 that the Sioux Falls Storm did not make the championship game.[6]
2022–2024: Western Conference's winning streak
[edit]On May 9, 2022, the IFL struck a deal to rebrand the United Bowl to the IFL National Championship.[7] The move came in conjuncture with the league announcing that The Dollar Loan Center (later renamed Lee's Family Forum) in Henderson, Nevada would be the host of the championship games for the next three seasons.[8][9]
During the 2022 IFL National Championship, the Northern Arizona Wranglers, led by quarterback Kaleb Barker, defeated the Quad City Steamwheelers, earning their first title.[10] In the following season, the Bay Area Panthers earned their first title by defeating the Sioux Falls Storm in the 2023 IFL National Championship.[11]
In a 2021 United Bowl rematch, the Arizona Rattlers got revenge over the Massachusetts Pirates to win their second IFL championship in 2024.[12]
On November 7, 2024, the IFL entered a three-year agreement to hold the IFL National Championship in Tuscon Arena at the Tucson Convention Center in Tucson, Arizona after the three-year partnership with Lee's Family Forum expired.[13]
Most Valuable Players
[edit]| Symbol | Description |
|---|---|
| Year | Each year is linked to an article about that particular IFL season |
| Winner (#) | Denotes number of times the player has won the award |
| † | Player still active in the Indoor Football League |
| * | Player elected to the IFL Hall of Fame |
| Team (#) | Denotes number of times the team has won the award |
| Position (#) | Denotes number of times the position has won the award |
By team
[edit]| Team | Total | IFL National Championship(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Sioux Falls Storm | 8[b] | 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014,[a] 2015, 2016, 2019 |
| Billings Outlaws | 2 | 2009, 2010 |
| Arizona Rattlers | 2 | 2017, 2024 |
| Iowa Barnstormers | 1 | 2018 |
| Massachusetts Pirates | 1 | 2021 |
| Northern Arizona Wranglers | 1 | 2022 |
| Bay Area Panthers | 1 | 2023 |
By position
[edit]| Position | Total |
|---|---|
| Quarterback | 9 |
| Wide receiver | 3 |
| Defensive end | 2 |
| Linebacker | 1 |
| Defensive back | 1 |
Multiple winners
[edit]| Player | Position | Team(s) | Awards | IFL National Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Dixon* | Quarterback | Billings Outlaws (2) / Sioux Falls Storm (2) | 4 | 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014 |
| Lorenzo Brown Jr.† | Quarterback | Sioux Falls Storm (2) | 2 | 2016, 2019 |
Notes
[edit]- ^ a b Chris Dixon and James Terry were named co-MVPs of the 2014 United Bowl, the only United Bowl with co-MVPs.
- ^ The Storm's MVP total includes the co-MVPs of 2014 United Bowl as two different recipients. There were seven United Bowls where the Storm received MVP awards.
References
[edit]- ^ "2017 IFL RECORD AND FACT BOOK" (PDF). goifl.com. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
- ^ "Outlaws to Suspend Operations". OurSportsCentral. 7 October 2010. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ^ Knowles, Ryan (14 July 2019). "Sioux Falls ruins Rattlers' perfect season, takes United Bowl in Glendale". Arizona Sports. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ^ "IFL Cancels Season". WHO13. 13 April 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ^ Franz, Doug (13 September 2021). "Arizona Rattlers fall to Massachusetts Pirates in 2021 IFL United Bowl". Arizona Sports. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ^ "RATTLERS PUSH PASS STORM, 69-42, TO ADVANCE IN PLAYOFFS". Indoor Football League. 29 August 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ^ "IFL ANNOUNCES THREE YEAR PARTNERSHIP TO BRING CHAMPIONSHIP TO HENDERSON, NV". Indoor Football League. 9 May 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ^ Webster, Danny (9 May 2022). "IFL's championship game to be held in Henderson for next 3 years". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ^ Lewis, Linsey (1 April 2024). "Henderson arena gets new name 2 years after opening". KLAS 8 News Now. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
- ^ Zorn, Dave (13 August 2022). "Northern Arizona Wranglers Win The IFL Title With A 47-45 Victory Over Quad City". Great Circle Media. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ^ Borg, Zach (6 August 2023). "Bay Area downs Storm in IFL National Championship". Dakota News Now. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ^ "Local QB Dalton Sneed leads Arizona Rattlers to IFL championship win over Massachusetts Pirates". Arizona Sports. 17 August 2024. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ^ Van Beek, Eric (7 November 2024). "IFL CHAMPIONSHIP HEADED TO TUCSON, AZ". Indoor Football League. Retrieved 16 February 2025.