CONTINENTAL INDOOR FOOTBALL LEAGUE
ATLANTIC DIVISION
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|---|---|---|
| CHESAPEAKE | LEHIGH VALLEY | NEW ENGLAND |
TIDE |
OUTLAWS |
SURGE |
 |
 |
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|---|---|---|
| NEW YORK / NEW JERSEY | ROCHESTER | STUEBENVILLE |
REVOLUTION |
RAIDERS |
STAMPEDE |
GREAT LAKES DIVISION
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 |
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|---|---|---|
| CHICAGO | KALAMAZOO | MARION |
SLAUGHTER |
XPLOSION |
MAYHEM |
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 |
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|---|---|---|
| MIAMI VALLEY | MUSKEGON | PORT HURON |
SILVERBACKS |
THUNDER |
PIRATES |
 |
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|---|---|
| SPRINGFIELD | SUMMIT COUNTY |
STALLIONS |
RUMBLE |
The Great Lakes Indoor Football League expanded from 6 teams to 14 in 2007, and have changed their name to the Continental Indoor Football League as a result. Above is the alignment for the 2007 season. The Battle Creek Crunch have folded and one announced team, the Motor City Reapers, will not play in 2007, but may field a team in 2008.
HISTORICAL HELMETS
BATTLE CREEK CRUNCH
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|---|---|
| pre 2006 | 2006 |
The Crunch played their home games in Battle Creek, MI. Financial woes forced the team to suspend operations following the inaugural season. The first helmet above was displayed at a press conference announcing the team.
CHESAPEAKE TIDE
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|---|
| 2007 - present |
The Tide play their home games in the city of Upper Marlboro, in Prince George's County, MD. They are an expansion franchise, new to the CIFL in 2007.
CHICAGO SLAUGHTER
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|---|
| 2007 - present |
The Slaughter play their home games in suburban Chicago, IL. They are an expansion franchise, new to the CIFL in 2007.
KALAMAZOO XPLOSION
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|---|
| 2007 - present |
The Xplosion play their home games in Kalamazoo, MI. They are an expansion franchise, new to the CIFL in 2007.
LEHIGH VALLEY OUTLAWS
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|
|---|---|
| pre 2006 | 2006 - present |
The Outlaws are based in Bethlehem, PA.
The first helmet was displayed on the original team website. The team was an outdoor semi-pro squad before joining the CIFL and this was probably the helmet they formerly used on the field. In fact, the Outlaws are the only team that existed in some form prior to the formation of the CIFL
MARION MAYHEM
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|---|---|
| pre 2006 | 2006 - present |
The Mayhem play their home games in Marion, OH. The first helmet above was displayed at a press conference announcing the team. It is also very similar to the helmet worn by the player in the team's main logo.
MIAMI VALLEY SILVERBACKS
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|---|
| 2007 - present |
The Silverbacks play their home games in Troy, OH. The team began play in 2006 as a member of the AIFL (now AIFA). After the season, they moved to the CIFL along with the Steubenville Stampede and the Springfield Stallions.
MUSKEGEON THUNDER
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|---|
| 2007 - present |
The Xplosion play their home games in Muskegeon, MI. They are an expansion franchise, new to the CIFL in 2007.
NEW ENGLAND SURGE
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|
|---|---|
| 2007 (1st few games) | 2007 - present |
The Surge play their home games in Worcester, MA. They are an expansion franchise, new to the CIFL in 2007, but have already worn two different helmets on the field.
NEW YORK / NEW JERSEY REVOLUTION
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|---|
| 2006 - present |
The Revolution play their home games in Morristown, NJ. In 2006, as a charter member of the league, the team was based in New York City, but played as a travel team without a home arena.
PORT HURON PIRATES
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|---|
| 2006 - present |
The Pirates play their home games in Port Huron, MI. A founding member of the league, the team went undefeated in 2006 in route to winning the first championship, Great Lakes Bowl I, beating the Rochester Raiders 40-34.
ROCHESTER RAIDERS
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|---|
| 2006 - present |
The Raiders play their home games in Rochester, NY. A founding member, they made it all the way to the championship in 2006, before losing to the Port Huron Pirates, 34-40.
SPRINGFIELD STALLIONS
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|---|
| 2007 - present |
The Stallions play their home games in Springfield, IL. Originally, the team was announced as a 2007 expansion franchise in the AIFL (now AIFA), but before the team ever saw the field, they followed the Miami Valley Silverbacks and Steubenville Stampede to the CIFL. So, technically, they are a brand new expansion franchise.
STEUBENVILLE STAMPEDE
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 |
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|---|---|---|
| pre 2007 | pre 2007 | 2007 - present |
The Stampede play their home games in Steubenville, OH. The team began play in 2006 as a member of the AIFL (now AIFA). Following the season, they chose to leave the league, along with the Miami Valley Silverbacks and Springfield Stallions, to join the CIFL.
SUMMIT COUNTY RUMBLE
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|
|---|---|
| WAYNE COUNTY RUMBLE | SUMMIT COUNTY RUMBLE |
| pre 2007 | 2007 - present |
The Rumble play their home games in the city of Tallmadge, near Akron, OH. They are an expansion franchise, new to the CIFL in 2007.
They were originally scheduled to play in Toledo as the Toledo Rumble, but were unable to secure an arena lease. They moved to Wooster, OH, to play as the Wayne County Rumble, but again could not secure space to play.
COMMENTS
The Continental Indoor Football League (CILF) is an indoor league based in the Northeast. The league began play in 2006 as the Great Lakes Indoor Football League, or GLIFL.
Originally known as the Ohio-Penn Indoor Football League (OPIFL), the organization decided that it would be in their best interests to increase the league's appeal by focusing on the entire Great Lakes region. The GLIFL began play in 2006 with 6 teams -- the Leigh Valley Outlaws, New York/New Jersey Revolution, Rochester (NY) Raiders, Marion (OH) Mayhem, Port Huron (MI) Pirates and Battle Creek (MI) Crunch. The Pirates completed a perfect 10-0 season with a win in the inaugral Great Lakes Bowl, defeating the Rochester Raiders.
Following the season, the league annouced several expansion franchises -- the Chesapeake Tide, New England Surge, Kalamazoo Xplosion, Muskegon Thunder, Motor City Reapers, Chicago Slaughter and the Toledo (later Wayne County, and still later Summit County) Rumble. One original team, the Battle Creek Crunch, folded. One announced team, the Reapers, could not raise enough capital to field a team in 2007. The league also welcomed three defectors from the rival AIFA -- the Steubenville Stampede, Miami Valley Silverbacks & Springfield Stallions. All in all the league more than doubled in size. The changed their name to the Continental Indoor Football League, to further broaden their appeal, and began their new season in April 2007.
The League has been relatively successful so far. They boasted strong attendance in their first year have praised by critics for their relatively reasonalbe expansion policies and strong ownership groups. Like one of their predecessors, the IFL, they have tried to keep travel costs down by focusing their efforts in the Northeast and Great Lakes region. Also like the IFL before them, a single design group developed team identities, further distinguishing the CIFL "brand" of football.