WOMEN'S PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
AMERICAN SOUTHERN DIVISION
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| DALLAS | HOUSTON | GEORGIA | |
| DIAMONDS | ENERGY | GLADIATORS | |
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| NEW MEXICO | |||
| BURN | |||
AMERICAN WESTERN DIVISION
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| ARIZONA | LONG BEACH | LOS ANGELES | |
| CALIENTE | AFTERSHOCK | AMAZONS | |
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| SO CAL | SAN FRANCISCO | |||
| SCORPIONS | STINGRAYZ | |||
NATIONAL EASTERN DIVISION
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| ALBANY | DELAWARE | EMPIRE STATE | |
| AMBUSH | GRIFFINS | ROAR | |
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| NEW YORK | |||
| DAZZLES | |||
NATIONAL NORTHERN DIVISION
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| CAPE FEAR | CAROLINA | INDIANA | |
| THUNDER | QUEENS | SPEED | |
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| MINNESOTA | TOLEDO | |||
| VIXEN | REIGN | |||
The helmets above reflect the 2005 season for the WPFL. Georgia, New Mexico, San Francisco, Empire State, Cape Fear and Carolina are all new teams. Several teams have also left. You can find them below.
HISTORICAL TEAMS
ALBANY AMBUSH
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| 2004 - present |
The Ambush were a new franchise in 2004. The are based near Albany, NY.
ALAMO CITY BATTLE
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| 2001 (?) |
The only information I have for the Battle is a few logos. I'm not even sure if they ever fielded a team. I do know they were not a member in 2000, nor have they played since 2002.
ARIZONA CALIENTE
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| 2003 - present |
The Caliente played in the WAFL and WAFC before joining the WPFL in 2003. They are based near Phoenix, AZ.
ARIZONA KNIGHTS
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| 2001 (?) |
I believe the Knights became the Knighthawks (see below), but I don't have any concrete evidence of an association between the two teams. If the Knights did play, it had to have been in 2001.
ARIZONA KNIGHTHAWKS
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| 2002 - 2003 |
The Knighthawks played at least two seasons. They may have played as the Knights prior to 2002.
ATLANTA STEALTH
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| 2003 (never played) |
The Stealth were scheduled to begin play in 2003, but for whatever reason the team never took to the field.
AUSTIN RAGE
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| 2000 - 2001 | 2002 |
The Rage suspended operations for the 2003 season, but were scheduled to return in 2004. So far, however, they have not resurfaced.
CAPE FEAR THUNDER
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| 2005 - present |
The Thunder are a new expansion team for 2005. I believe they are wearing plain gold helmets with black facemasks.
CARLOINA QUEENS
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| 2005 - present |
The Queens are a new expansion team for 2005. They are based near Charleston, SC. I believe they are wearing plain black helmets.
COLORADO VALKYRIES
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| 2000 - ? |
I know the Valkyries played in 2000, but I have no information about 2001. The team was gone by 2002, however.
DALLAS DIAMONDS
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? - 2002 |
2003 - present |
The Diamonds have been one of the more successful WPFL franchises. I'm not sure when they got their start, but they did not play in the 2000 season.
DAYTON REBELS / DAYTON REBELLION
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| Pre 2003 | 2003 |
| REBELS | REBELLION |
The Rebellion played a single season in 2003. I believe the team originally was to play as the Rebels, but were reorganized prior to the season.
DAYTONA BEACH BARRACUDAS
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| 2000 - ? |
I know the Barracudas played in 2000, but I have no information about 2001. The team was gone by 2002, however. They may have been related in some way to a Barracudas franchise originally slated to play in the WAFL, but I'm not certain.
DELAWARE GRIFFINS
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| 2004 - present |
The Griffins are a new franchise in 2004.
EMPIRE STATE ROAR
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| 2005 -present |
The Roar are technically a new franchise, but in reality are a merger of the Syracuse Sting (see below) and the Rochester Raptors of the NWFA. They are based near Rochester, NY.
FLORIDA STINGRAYS
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| 2003 |
The Stingrays were a very successful addition to the WPFL in 2003, losing the Championship game in their first season. However, they were gone by 2004.
GEORGIA GLADIATORS
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| 2005 - present |
The Gladiators are a new franchise for 2005, base in Harium, GA.
HAWAI'I WAVES
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| 1999 |
The Waves played some exhibition games with the Minnesota Vixen and Lake Michigan Lynx prior to the official establishment of the WPFL, but apparently never became members of the league for some reason.
HOUSTON ENERGY
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| 2000 - present |
The Energy are one of only two teams to have lasted since the beginning of the WPFL. They have been remarkably successful, capturing the first 3 championships.
INDIANA SPEED
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| 2001 (?) | 2002 | 2003 |
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| 2004 - present |
The Speed have played since at least 2002, possibly earlier. The first helmet may only be a prototype. The second helmet may have also been worn with white facemasks.
LAKE MICHIGAN LYNX
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| 1999 |
In 1999, the Lynx toured the country along with the Minnesota Vixen, playing exhibition games to stir up interest in organized women's tackle football. For some reason however, the team never became a part of the WPFL when it was established a year later.
LONG BEACH AFTERSHOCK
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| 2003 - present |
The Aftershock joined the league in 2003. They are based in Long Beach, CA. They played in the AWFL prior to joining the WPFL.
LOS ANGELES BREAKERS
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| 2001 (?) |
I'm not sure if the Breakers ever made to the field, but if they did play it would have been in 2001.
LOS ANGELES AMAZONS
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2002 |
2003 - present |
I believe the Amazons joined the league in 2002.
MIAMI FURY
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| Pre 2000 (?) | 2000 - 2001 |
The Fury were a founding member of the WPFL. They left after the 2001 season and joined the IWFL. The first helmet may have only been a prototype. I have no evidence that it was ever actually worn on the field.
MINNESOTA VIXEN
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| 1999 - ? | ? - present |
The Vixen were a part of the WPFL even before the league organized. They toured the country in 1999 along with the Lake Michigan Lynx, playing exhibition games to spark interest in women's tackle football. The team has been a part of the WPFL ever since. At one point the team was demoted to "associate" status, but are currently a member in good standing.
MISSOURI AVENGERS
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| 2004 |
The Avengers played a single season in 2004. They may be related to the Prowlers, who were up for sale in 2003, but I'm not sure.
MISSOURI PROWLERS
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| ? - 2003 |
The Prowlers played at least two seasons, 2002-2003, and may have played earlier. The team was up for sale at the end of the 2003 season and may have become the Avengers as a part of a reorganization.
NEW ENGLAND STORM
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| 2000 - ? | ? - 2003 |
The Storm were a founding member of the WPFL, playing their home games in Rhode Island. For some reason, the team was expelled from the league following the 2003 season.
NEW MEXICO BURN
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| 2005 - present |
The Burn are a new franchise for 2005, base in Albuquerque, NM.
NEW YORK DAZZLES
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| 2004 - present |
The Dazzles are a brand new franchise in 2004.
NEW YORK GALAXY / ROCHESTER GALAXY
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2000 - ? |
2000 - ? |
NEW YORK GALAXY |
ROCHESTER GALAXY |
The New York Galaxy played in 2000. The team played in the Syracuse / Rochester, NY, area. After the 2000 season, the team reorganized and played independently in 2001 as the Syracuse Sting. I'm not sure whether the Rochester Galaxy helmet was a pre-2000 prototype, a mid-season change, or considered as part of the reorganization in 2001. Whatever the situation, I don't think the Rochester version of the helmet was ever actually worn.
NEW YORK SHARKS
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| 2000 |
The Sharks were a founding member of the WPFL. They only remained in the league for a single season however, playing as an independent team in 2001 before joining the IWFL.
NORTH CAROLINA COUGARS
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| 2001 |
The Cougars played several WPFL teams in 2001, however, I suspect that they remained an independent team and never actually joined the league.
NORTHERN ICE
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| pre 2003 | 2003 - 2004 |
The Ice played in Wisconsin. Prior to their first season in 2003, the green helmet was displayed on their web site. Apparently only the silver helmet has been worn on the field.
OKLAHOMA CITY WILDCATS
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| 2000 - ? |
The Wildcats played in the inaugural 2000 season, however I don't know for certain whether they participated in 2001. The team had folded by 2002.
ORLANDO FIRE
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| 2003 (never played) |
The Fire was one of several teams announced as part of expansion prior to the 2003 season. For whatever reason the team never played in the WPFL. The Fire were a part of the WFA in 2002.
PACIFIC BLAST
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| 2003 (never played) |
The Blast were one of several teams announced as part of expansion prior to the 2003 season. The team never played, but was still considered a part of the league and promised to return in 2004. Unfortunately, they have apparently folded. The Blast were slated to play their home games in Hawai'i.
SAN DIEGO SUNFIRE
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| 2003 |
The Sunfire played a single season with the league in 2003. They played in the WAFL in 2001, and the AWFL in 2002.
SO CAL SCORPIONS
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| 2003 | 2004 - present |
The Scorpions play in Southern California, San Diego to be specific. In 2003, the team may have worn black or navy blue numbers on their helmets for some games.
SYRACUSE STING
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| 2001 | 2002 | 2003 - 2004 |
The Sting were the reorganized New York Galaxy. They played as an independent in 2001, but still had many WPFL teams on their schedule. By 2002, they became a full member of the league again and participated until 2004. After the season, the team merged with the Rochester Raptors of the NWFA to become a new franchise, the Empire State Roar (see above).
The 2002 helmet shown above may have never actually been worn on the field, but I'm confident the design was at least considered by the team.
TAMPA TEMPEST
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| 2000 - ? |
The Tempest played at least one season in the WPFL. I have no information about the team in 2001, but I know they had joined the IWFL by the 2002 season.
TAMPA BAY FORCE
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| 2003 (never played) |
The Force were one of the teams announced as a part of expansion in 2003. The team never played, but was still considered a member of the WPFL and slated to play in 2004. The team apparently folded however, as they are no longer associated with the league. The Force played in the WAFL in 2001 and the WFA in 2002.
WAUSAU WOLVES
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| 2003 |
The Wolves were slated to join the league in 2003 but, for whatever reason, they never made it to the field.
WISCONSIN RIVETERS
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| ? - 2002 |
The Riveters played at least one season in the WPFL in 2002, but may have taken part in the 2001 season as well. They left the league prior to the 2003 season and joined the NWFA in 2004.
COMMENTS
The WPFL was one of the first leagues to begin competing when women's tackle football began it's recent rise in popularity in 1999. That year two teams, the Minnesota Vixen and Lake Michigan Lynx, were created and sent on a "barnstorming" tour to explore the possibility of, and stir up interest for, a women's tackle football league. The two teams played each other as well as several local teams along the way. In 2000, the Women's Professional Football League was established with 11 teams in two conferences. The first game of a 10 game schedule was played October 14th, 2000, with the season culminating with the league championship February 3rd, 2001, in Daytona Beach, FL. Unfortunately the league struggled financially from the start. By the end of November, the league was taken over by one of it's franchises and the remainder of the season was cancelled. The league managed to survive this major setback and continues to this day.
Still, of the three "major" women's league's currently in operation, the WPFL seems to be the one closest to the edge of folding for good, with three franchises unable to field teams in 2003, and another 6 teams leaving prior to 2004. In fact, only two of the original 11 teams remain in the league's fifth year. I'm fairly certain I have all the teams that have played in the WPFL listed above. I also have several teams that were slated to play but, for whatever reason, did not. The problem is I don't know in some cases which is which. When multiple helmets are listed for a team I tried my best to put them in chronological order from oldest to most recent. To further complicate matters, I have little or no information on the 2001 season.
I need help to complete this page. Any information you can provide is much appreciated.