2018 Champions Indoor Football season

Season in the Champions Indoor Football League

Sports season

2018 Champions Indoor Football season

League| Champions Indoor Football
Sport| Indoor football
Duration| March 3 – June 10
Regular season
Season champions| Duke City Gladiators
Season MVP| Darrian Miller (Sioux City)
Playoffs
North Conference champions| Sioux City Bandits
North Conference runners-up| Salina Liberty
South Conference champions| Duke City Gladiators
South Conference runners-up| Texas Revolution
Champions Bowl IV
Champions| Duke City Gladiators
Runners-up| Sioux City Bandits
Champions Indoor Football seasons

← 2017

2019 →

The 2018 Champions Indoor Football season was the fourth season of the CIF. The regular season began on March 3, when the Wichita Force traveled to Salina Liberty, losing 17–15. The regular season concluded on June 10. This was the second season in which four teams per conference advanced to the Champions Bowl playoffs, with the top seed in each conference hosting their conference's fourth seed, and second seeds hosting third seeds in the first round.

The league champion was the Duke City Gladiators over the Sioux City Bandits 31–27 in Champions Bowl IV. The regular season MVP was Sioux City Bandits running back Darrian Miller.

## League changes

[edit]

On August 16, 2017, the CIF announced the Quad City Steamwheelers as an expansion team for 2018. On August 30, the league announced the addition of the Sioux Falls Storm from the Indoor Football League (IFL). The Wichita Falls Nighthawks of the IFL also joined on September 12.[1]

On the same day the Nighthawks joined, the Bloomington Edge and West Michigan Ironmen left the CIF for the IFL. The CIF apparently then attempted to sue the IFL, Edge, and Ironmen for leaving the CIF after the two teams had already signed league affiliation agreements with the CIF for 2018. The IFL then threatened to sue the CIF, Storm, and Nighthawks in return despite neither former IFL team signing an affiliation agreement with the IFL for 2018.[2] To avoid disputes, the CIF stated they would not schedule either team.[3] The Storm immediately announced that they would return to the IFL[4] and the Nighthawks had to suspend operations.[5]

While the CIF did drop the lawsuit against the IFL, it filed for an injunction against the Edge and Ironmen teams from participating in the IFL for breaking the terms of their signed affiliation agreements. A temporary injunction from participation against the two teams was granted on January 31, 2018.[6] The Ironmen later announced a change in ownership,.[7] were granted approval to return to the CIF for the 2019 season and were allowed to play the 2018 season in the semi-professional Midwest Professional Indoor Football (MPIF) during the 2018 season.[8] The Edge then played an independent schedule after the conclusion of the 2018 CIF season to meet the terms of the injunction.[9]

Prior to the season, Dallas Marshals were sold and moved to the Fair Park Coliseum due to arena lease issues in negotiations with the new Mesquite Arena owners.[10] The Marshals played two regular season home games on March 3 and 10, however, they canceled their next two for March 24 and April 14 on the day of the games.[11][12] After the April 14 postponed game, the CIF issued a statement that a decision concerning the team is pending.[13] The Marshals played an away game at the Texas Revolution on April 21, and the Fair Park Coliseum listed all remaining Marshals' games as postponed. On April 27, the team suspended operations for the rest of the season.[14]

## Standings

[edit]

North Conference

Team  | W | L | PCT | PF | PA
x–Salina Liberty | 9 | 3 | .714 | 347 | 288
y–Sioux City Bandits | 9 | 3 | .733 | 515 | 330
y–Quad City Steamwheelers | 8 | 4 | .667 | 398 | 335
y–Bismarck Bucks | 5 | 7 | .417 | 460 | 446
Omaha Beef | 4 | 8 | .333 | 526 | 617
Kansas City Phantoms | 3 | 9 | .250 | 497 | 723
South Conference
Team  | W | L | PCT | PF | PA
z–Duke City Gladiators | 10 | 2 | .833 | 504 | 339
y-Amarillo Venom | 8 | 4 | .667 | 507 | 394
y-Texas Revolution | 5 | 7 | .417 | 272 | 299
y-Wichita Force | 4 | 8 | .333 | 216 | 258
Dallas Marshals[a] | 1 | 5 | .167 | 176 | 331

z \- clinched top overall seed
x \- clinched conference title
y \- clinched playoff berth

1. ^ After the several canceled home games, the Marshals ceased operations on April 27.[14] Their remaining games were given as forfeits.

## Playoffs

[edit]

| Conference Semi-final | | | Conference championship | | | Champions Bowl IV |

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

|  |  |  | | |  |  |  | | |  |  |  |
| N3 | Quad Cities | 46 | | |
| N2 | Sioux City | 54 |
| | N2 | Sioux City | 45 |
| North Conference |
| | | N1 | Salina | 39 |
| N4 | Bismarck | 51 |

| N1 | Salina | 81 |
| | N2 | Sioux City | 27 |
|  |
| | | S1 | Duke City | 31 |
| S3 | Texas | 56 | |

| S2 | Amarillo | 45 |
| | S3 | Texas | 28 |
| South Conference |
| | | S1 | Duke City | 41 |
| S4 | Wichita | 39 |

| S1 | Duke City | 44 |

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Sioux Falls Storm Officially Join the Champions Indoor Football League". ESPN 99.1 – Sioux Falls Sports Leader – Sioux Falls Sports. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
2. ^ "Tryon addresses legal aspect of switching leagues". KWSN. October 5, 2017. Archived from the original on October 8, 2017. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
3. ^ "CIF Commissioner Issues State of the League Address". Salina Scoop. October 4, 2017. Archived from the original on October 5, 2017. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
4. ^ "LETTER FROM TODD TRYON". Sioux Falls Storm. October 4, 2017. Archived from the original on October 5, 2017. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
5. ^ "Nighthawks suspend operations for 2018". KAUZ-TV. October 16, 2017.
6. ^ "TEMPORARY INJUNCTION BARS RENEGADE TEAMS FROM LEAVING C.P.I.F.L." KSCJ. January 31, 2018.
7. ^ "West Michigan Ironmen GM says franchise ready to roll for arena football opener". MLive.com. March 7, 2018.
8. ^ "CIF Announced First Expansion Team for 2019". CIF. April 23, 2018. Archived from the original on April 25, 2018. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
9. ^ "Ruling sacks Edge spring season; team pushes plans to summer". The Pantagraph. February 22, 2018.
10. ^ "Dallas Marshals in Dallas, TX | Dallas Marshals". dallasmarshals.com. Archived from the original on April 24, 2018. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
11. ^ "March 24 game canceled". Facebook. March 24, 2018.
12. ^ "April 14 game canceled". Facebook. April 14, 2018.
13. ^ "Amarillo - Dallas postphone - Details to follow". April 14, 2018. Archived from the original on April 24, 2018. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
14. ^ a b "Dallas Marshals Suspends 2018 season". CIF. April 27, 2018. Archived from the original on April 28, 2018. Retrieved October 31, 2018.

* v
* t
* e

Champions Indoor Football

Teams|

* Billings Outlaws
* Gillette Mustangs
* ICT Regulators
* Rapid City Marshals
* Salina Liberty
* Southwest Kansas Storm

Venues|

* CAM-PLEX Wyoming Center
* First Interstate Arena
* Hartman Arena
* Summit Arena at The Monument
* Tony's Pizza Events Center
* United Wireless Arena

Former teams|

* Amarillo Venom (2015–2020)
* Bismarck Bucks (2017–2018)
* Bloomington Edge (2016–2017)
* CenTex Cavalry (2017)
* Chicago Eagles (2016)
* Dodge City Law (2014–2017, 2021)
* Duke City Gladiators (2015–2019)
* Kansas City Phantoms (2017–2018)
* Mesquite/Dallas Marshals (2016–2018)
* Oklahoma Flying Aces (2019–2020)
* Omaha Beef (2015–2023)
* Quad City Steamwheelers (2018)
* Salina Bombers (2015)
* San Angelo Bandits (2015–2016)
* Sioux City Bandits (2015–2023)
* Texas Revolution (2015–2019)
* Topeka Tropics (2022–2023)
* West Michigan Ironmen (2017)
* West Texas Warbirds (2020)
* Wichita Force (2015–2021)

Former venues|

* Allen Event Center
* Amarillo Civic Center
* Bell County Expo Center
* Bismarck Event Center
* Comerica Center
* Ector County Coliseum
* Fair Park Coliseum
* Ford Center at The Star
* Foster Communications Coliseum
* Grossinger Motors Arena
* Intrust Bank Arena
* Kansas Star Arena
* L. C. Walker Arena
* Liberty First Credit Union Arena
* Mesquite Arena
* Silverstein Eye Centers Arena
* Stormont Vail Events Center
* Stride Bank Center
* TaxSlayer Center
* Tingley Coliseum
* Tyson Events Center
* UIC Pavilion

Seasons|

* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* ~~2020~~
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023

Champions Bowl|

* I
* II
* III
* IV
* V
* VI
* VII
* VIII

*[W]: Wins
*[L]: Losses
*[PCT]: Winning percentage
*[PF]: Points for (total points scored)
*[PA]: Points against (total points allowed)
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template