Supreme Indoor Football (SIF) is an inactive professional
indoor football league based in the
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the southern United States and the southern por ...
.
The SIF was originally the creation of the
Cape Fear Heroes ownership. During the league's initial launch in 2015, it was to be part of the Indoor Football Alliance, which would have also included a revived
Continental Indoor Football League
The Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) was an indoor football league based along the Midwestern United States region that played nine seasons from 2006 to 2014. It began play in April 2006 as the Great Lakes Indoor Football League (GLIF ...
and begun play in 2016. When the CIFL revival never materialized, and the league had difficulties in finding teams to join the league, the Heroes suspended operations, effectively suspending the league as well. The league launched on its second attempt in April 2017. It played one season before its members joined the newly formed
American Arena League
The American Arena League (AAL) is a professional indoor football minor league that began playing in 2018. The league was initiated by a merger between Arena Pro Football (APF) and the Can-Am Indoor Football League (Can-Am), although the AAL o ...
. Commissioner Barbara Springer then announced she wanted to turn the SIF into a developmental summer league.
History
The league's history began with two of its future teams having problems with the
X-League. On May 31, 2015, the
Cape Fear Heroes announced that they would be leaving the X-League entirely and operating independently the rest of the season while searching for a new league in 2016. In the wake of such recent events, the
Marion Blue Racers
The Marion Blue Racers were a professional indoor football team based in Marion, Ohio. The Blue Racers began play as an expansion team in the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) in 2011, before moving to the United Indoor Football League (U ...
would follow suit in announcing their departure from the X-League.
On August 23, 2015, the Indoor Football Alliance of the new Supreme Indoor Football league (owned by Heroes owner Barbara Spigner) and the revived
Continental Indoor Football League
The Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) was an indoor football league based along the Midwestern United States region that played nine seasons from 2006 to 2014. It began play in April 2006 as the Great Lakes Indoor Football League (GLIF ...
(owned by
Saginaw Sting
The Saginaw Sting was a professional Indoor Football team based in Saginaw, Michigan. The team was most recently a member of American Indoor Football (AIF). They began play in 2008 as an expansion team in the Continental Indoor Football League ...
owner Jim O'Brien) was announced. The Heroes were the SIF's first team, while the Blue Racers, Sting and the
Erie Explosion
The Erie Explosion was a professional American indoor football team based in Erie, Pennsylvania. Founded in 2007 as the Pittsburgh RiverRats, the Explosion played in the Professional Indoor Football League, the United Indoor Football League, the ...
all announced their intentions on returning to the CIFL.
On November 4, 2015, the Saginaw Sting returned to
American Indoor Football
American Indoor Football (AIF) was a professional indoor football league, one of the several regional professional indoor football leagues in North America.
The AIFL began as a regional league with six franchises on the East Coast of the United ...
(AIF), leaving the IFA; the Blue Racers followed shortly after. With the departures of the Sting and Blue Racers, the Explosion were the lone CIFL representative in the Alliance. On the same day, the Heroes (still at that point alone as members of their league) held a press conference holding firm to their plans on launching Supreme Indoor Football, with a target of eight teams for its inaugural 2016 season. On December 4, 2015, the league announced its first new team, the Kentucky Knights, a team that had originally been announced as a team in the Texas-based North American Indoor Football.
The Heroes released their 2016 schedule on December 9, 2015; it included games against the Explosion, Knights, a team known as the "Maryland Big Red,"
Buffalo Lightning
The Buffalo Jr. Sabres are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Buffalo, New York. They are a part of the Ontario Junior A Hockey League. Its current head coach and general manager is Nick Tuzzolino, who played in the organization during its Buffalo ...
and
Atlanta Sharks, the last two of which also jumped from AIF. The Lightning confirmed their participation in the Alliance on December 15. On January 18, 2016, the Explosion announced they would not participate in a 2016 season reducing alliance participants to three (Buffalo Lightning, Cape Fear Heroes, and Kentucky Knights).
On January 30, 2016, Supreme Indoor Football held a draft that included five teams, the previously mentioned three plus the
ASI Panthers
The AllStarInc Panthers were a professional indoor football team based in Reading, Pennsylvania. They were members of American Indoor Football (AIF) for the 2015 season. The Panthers played their home games at Santander Arena in Reading.
Histor ...
(formerly of AIF) and a team called "Western Pennsylvania" (presumably a last-minute replacement for the Explosion). Shortly thereafter, the Heroes released a revised schedule, removing the Atlanta Sharks and adding an unnamed team from
Lockport, New York
Lockport is both a city and the Lockport (town), New York, town that surrounds it in Niagara County, New York, Niagara County, New York (state), New York. The city is the Niagara county seat, with a population of 21,165 according to 2010 census ...
(taking the place of one of the Explosion's home games, an away game was still listed as being against the Explosion) and the IFA website added several previously unannounced teams (Cincinnati Bulldogs,
Cleveland Saints
The Cleveland Saints were a professional indoor football team based in Warrensville Heights, Ohio. The Saints were members of American Indoor Football (AIF). The club was established in 2014 as an expansion team for the 2015 season. The Saints ...
, River City Raptors, and the Steel City Patriots). However, on March 3, 2016, league commissioner Barbara Spigner announced that the Cape Fear Heroes would sit out the 2016 season due to a number of factors, among them being financial support. The Lightning and Bulldogs each played some games independently in 2016, including one against each other with the Bulldogs losing 45–0 to the Lightning.
In August 2016, the league reactivated, this time as a solo league. Its members were listed as the Heroes, the South Carolina Ravens (a travel team affiliated with AIF in 2016), the Cap City Bulls of
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...
, and the Coastal Outlaws of
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Br ...
. However, the Outlaws claimed to be part of a different league called United States Indoor Football and were eventually removed from the website in September. Replacing the Outlaws in September, the SIF website added the
Triangle Torch
The Triangle Torch (also known as the East Carolina Torch) was a professional indoor football team playing in North Carolina. The team first played as the Triangle Torch in Raleigh, North Carolina, and was named after the larger Research Triangle ...
(formerly of the AIF) as one of its members, but there has yet to be a statement made by the SIF or the Torch on their new membership. On October 5, a team called the Louisiana Cottonmouths announced on their own Facebook that they have joined the SIF; the Cottonmouths were originally a
2016 expansion team in the AIF that failed to launch prior to their first season.
The SIF held a press conference on October 28 officially announcing its return to organizing as a league with the management of the Heroes and the Torch. The SIF listed the Heroes, Torch, Bulls, Ravens, and Cottonmouths on their Facebook page. On November 5, the league added the
Anderson Gladiators from the recently formed
Arena Developmental League. On November 14, the league partnered with the new regional league, Elite Indoor Football, to play a cross-league schedule for 2017. The EIF was founded by the
Savannah Steam
A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...
after the demise of the AIF and includes four other teams: the Atlanta Furious, the Carolina Cowboys, the Florida Tribe, and the Roanoke Militia. In January 2017, the SIF added two more teams in the Georgia M.O.B. and Greenville (later changed to Upstate) Dragons. The Georgia M.O.B. (Men of Business) were previously announced as members of the Georgia Arena Football League and then Elite Indoor Football before joining the SIF. The Dragons were announced as being a travel-only team for 2017.
The league's schedule was announced as starting play on April 1, 2017. Prior to this, the Cap City Bulls played a non-league
exhibition game
An exhibition game (also known as a friendly, a scrimmage, a demonstration, a preseason game, a warmup match, or a preparation match, depending at least in part on the sport) is a sporting event whose prize money and impact on the player's or ...
s February 11 against the
Wichita Falls Nighthawks
The Wichita Falls Nighthawks were a professional indoor American football team. They were based in Wichita Falls, Texas. The team was headquartered in Wichita Falls and played its home games at Kay Yeager Coliseum. The Nighthawks first joined the ...
, losing 89–12, and March 9 against the
Monterrey Steel
The Monterrey Steel was a professional indoor football team and a charter member of the National Arena League (NAL) that played in the 2017 season. Based in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, the Steel played their home games at Arena Monterrey.
The Ste ...
, losing 47–24. While the Anderson Gladiators, Louisiana Cottonmouths, and South Carolina Ravens are still listed as SIF teams, they were left off the 2017 schedule and their social media pages have not been updated in several months; the header of the league's website now also includes the helmets of the EIF's Savannah Steam and Carolina Cowboys (whose helmet in turn is an unauthorized copy of the
Dallas Desperados
The Dallas Desperados were a professional arena football team based in Dallas, Texas. The Desperados played in the Eastern Division of the Arena Football League from 2002 to 2008.
The franchise began play in as an expansion team, and have post ...
'). Neither the Steam nor the Cowboys have been declared a full member of the league. In early March, the Georgia M.O.B. were also removed from the schedules. The Heroes played the first official game of the season against the
Savannah Steam
A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...
(now going by Southern Steam) with a 58–0 win on April 1.
The first season for the SIF had each of the four participating teams playing a six-game season within the league. The Torch would end the season undefeated with a record of 6–0, the Heroes going 4–2, the Bulls going 1–5 and the Dragons with a 0–6 record. On June 17, 2017, the Heroes defeated the Bulls 63–14 in the semifinal game. The Heroes then defeated the Torch in the championship game on June 24, 30–24.
At the end of the season, the Torch left the league and then joined the newly formed
American Arena League
The American Arena League (AAL) is a professional indoor football minor league that began playing in 2018. The league was initiated by a merger between Arena Pro Football (APF) and the Can-Am Indoor Football League (Can-Am), although the AAL o ...
(AAL) on July 21. On August 7, the Upstate Dragons signed an arena deal in Anderson, South Carolina, and also announced they would be joining the AAL. The next week, the Cap City Bulls also announced they would be joining the AAL and changed their name to the Austin Wild. However, the AAL never confirmed their membership and they became an affiliate team looking to become full members. By August 23, the Heroes were again the only confirmed SIF member for 2018 and subsequently joined the AAL as well.
2017 teams
Map of teams
Teams once listed as members
*Anderson Gladiators – (
Anderson, South Carolina
Anderson is a city in and the county seat of Anderson County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 28,106 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, and the city was the center of an urbanized area of 75,702. It is one of the prin ...
; preseason 2017) An expansion team that had originally announced as joining the
Arena Developmental League. The team apparently ran into arena lease issues and did not make the 2017 schedule. Still listed as a member on the SIF website.
*
ASI Panthers
The AllStarInc Panthers were a professional indoor football team based in Reading, Pennsylvania. They were members of American Indoor Football (AIF) for the 2015 season. The Panthers played their home games at Santander Arena in Reading.
Histor ...
– (
Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading ( ; Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Reddin'') is a city in and the county seat of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city had a population of 95,112 as of the 2020 census and is the fourth-largest city in Pennsylvania after Philade ...
; preseason 2016) Briefly listed as a member of the Indoor Football Alliance (IFA) and was one of five teams that supposedly took part in the 2016 SIF draft. The Panthers were members of
American Indoor Football
American Indoor Football (AIF) was a professional indoor football league, one of the several regional professional indoor football leagues in North America.
The AIFL began as a regional league with six franchises on the East Coast of the United ...
(AIF) for the 2015 season. The Panthers switched to a semi-professional outdoor fall schedule in 2016 and later rebranded as the Penn Panthers.
*
Atlanta Sharks – (
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
; 2015) Briefly listed as a member of the SIF in December 2015 despite cancelling their last five games in their 2015 AIF season.
*
Buffalo Lightning
The Buffalo Jr. Sabres are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Buffalo, New York. They are a part of the Ontario Junior A Hockey League. Its current head coach and general manager is Nick Tuzzolino, who played in the organization during its Buffalo ...
– (
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...
; preseason 2016) Joined the SIF from the AIF following the 2015 season. One of five teams that supposedly took part in the 2016 SIF draft. Played four games independent of a league in 2016 after the SIF went on hiatus and joined the regional Can-Am Indoor Football League in 2017 as the Buffalo Blitz.
*Cincinnati Bulldogs – (
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
; preseason 2016) A regional semi-professional team and a member of the Mid South Football Alliance was briefly listed as a member of the SIF on the 2016 schedule. Played some 2016 exhibition games against the AIF.
*
Cleveland Saints
The Cleveland Saints were a professional indoor football team based in Warrensville Heights, Ohio. The Saints were members of American Indoor Football (AIF). The club was established in 2014 as an expansion team for the 2015 season. The Saints ...
– (
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
; preseason 2016) A recently folded team that had been members of the AIF in the 2015 season, briefly listed as a member of the SIF on the 2016 schedule.
*Coastal Outlaws – (
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Br ...
; 2016) A team that runs a summer developmental league called United States Indoor Football out of the
Savannah Civic Center
The Savannah Civic Center is a multi-purpose facility located in Savannah, Georgia, in Savannah Historic District. Built-in 1974, the facility consists of an arena, theatre, ballroom, and exhibit halls. Throughout the years, the center hosts var ...
was announced as a 2017 SIF member. However, the team denied joining the SIF and were later added to the new
Arena Pro Football as the Savannah Coastal Outlaws.
*
Erie Explosion
The Erie Explosion was a professional American indoor football team based in Erie, Pennsylvania. Founded in 2007 as the Pittsburgh RiverRats, the Explosion played in the Professional Indoor Football League, the United Indoor Football League, the ...
– (
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie (; ) is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. Erie is the fifth largest city in Pennsylvania and the largest city in Northwestern Pennsylvania with a population of 94,831 a ...
; preseason 2016) Joined the revived
Continental Indoor Football League
The Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) was an indoor football league based along the Midwestern United States region that played nine seasons from 2006 to 2014. It began play in April 2006 as the Great Lakes Indoor Football League (GLIF ...
(CIFL) after the 2015 season and then the league joined with the SIF to form the Indoor Football Alliance for the 2016 season. Was the last member of the revived CIFL before suspending operations just prior to the 2016 SIF draft.
*Georgia M.O.B. – (
Conyers, Georgia
Conyers is an Atlanta suburb, the county seat of and only city in Rockdale County, Georgia, Rockdale County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. The city is 24 miles (38.6 km) east of Atlanta, downtown Atlanta and is a part of t ...
; preseason 2017) The M.O.B. (Men of Business) were an expansion team originally announced as a member of the Georgia Arena Football League, then the
Savannah Steam
A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...
's Elite Indoor Football, and finally as a member of the SIF in January 2017. They made the original 2017 SIF schedule but were removed in early March before ever playing a game.
*Kentucky Knights – (
Owensboro, Kentucky
Owensboro is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Daviess County, Kentucky, United States. It is the fourth-largest city in the state by population. Owensboro is located on U.S. Route 60 and Interstate 165 about southwest of Lou ...
; preseason 2016) Originally announced as a team in the semi-professional Texas-based North American Indoor Football, one of many members added to the IFA prior to the league going on hiatus for the 2016 season. One of five teams that supposedly took part in the 2016 SIF draft.
*Lockport – (
Lockport, New York
Lockport is both a city and the Lockport (town), New York, town that surrounds it in Niagara County, New York, Niagara County, New York (state), New York. The city is the Niagara county seat, with a population of 21,165 according to 2010 census ...
; preseason 2016) A team with no name briefly listed as a member of the SIF on the 2016 schedule. Likely owned by the same owners as the Buffalo Lightning who had attempted another Lockport team for 2017 called the Lockport Lightning in the Can-Am Indoor Football League.
*Louisiana Cottonmouths – (
Gonzalez, Louisiana; preseason 2017) An expansion team that joined that was originally announced to play in
American Indoor Football
American Indoor Football (AIF) was a professional indoor football league, one of the several regional professional indoor football leagues in North America.
The AIFL began as a regional league with six franchises on the East Coast of the United ...
in the 2016 season but went on hiatus. After being announced as an SIF member they did not make the 2017 schedule. Still listed as a member on the SIF website.
*
Marion Blue Racers
The Marion Blue Racers were a professional indoor football team based in Marion, Ohio. The Blue Racers began play as an expansion team in the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) in 2011, before moving to the United Indoor Football League (U ...
– (
Marion, Ohio
Marion is a city in and the county seat of Marion County, Ohio, Marion County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in north-central Ohio, approximately north of Columbus, Ohio, Columbus.
The population was 35,999 at the 2020 United S ...
; 2015) Rejoined the CIFL (which joined the SIF to form the IFA) after departing the X-League following the 2015 season. Briefly joined
American Indoor Football
American Indoor Football (AIF) was a professional indoor football league, one of the several regional professional indoor football leagues in North America.
The AIFL began as a regional league with six franchises on the East Coast of the United ...
(AIF) instead before folding prior to the 2016 season.
*Maryland Big Red – (2015) A team briefly listed as a member of the SIF for about one month. Currently members of the Mid-Atlantic Indoor Football League, a semi-pro outfit based entirely in the state of Maryland.
*River City Raptors – (Preseason 2016) A regional semi-professional team briefly listed as a member of the SIF on the 2016 schedule. A team of the same name was once a participant in the outdoor
Gridiron Developmental Football League
The Gridiron Developmental Football League (GDFL) is a low-level american football minor league based in Memphis, Tennessee, using the franchise model.
, the league has 63 teams. The GDFL plays a playoff format similar to NCAA tournament, as 16 ...
in 2010.
*
Saginaw Sting
The Saginaw Sting was a professional Indoor Football team based in Saginaw, Michigan. The team was most recently a member of American Indoor Football (AIF). They began play in 2008 as an expansion team in the Continental Indoor Football League ...
– (
Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both in the area known as Mid-Michigan. Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of Greater ...
; 2015) Rejoined the CIFL (which joined the SIF to form the IFA) after departing the AIF following the 2015 season. Briefly rejoined the AIF instead before folding prior to the 2016 season.
*South Carolina Ravens – (
North Charleston, South Carolina
North Charleston is the third-largest city in the U.S. state, state of South Carolina.City Planning Department (2008-07)City of North Charleston boundary map. City of North Charleston. Retrieved January 21, 2011. On June 12, 1972, the city of No ...
; preseason 2017) A team that was affiliated with, but not a full member, the AIF in the 2016 season. Joined the SIF as an expansion team after the AIF ceased operations but did not make the 2017 SIF schedule. Still listed as a member on the SIF website.
*Steel City Patriots – (
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Hamilton has a population of 569,353, and its census metropolitan area, which includes Burlington and Grimsby, has a population of 785,184. The city is approximately southwest of T ...
; preseason 2016) A regional semi-professional team listed as a member of the outdoor Northern Football Conference was briefly listed as a member of the SIF on the 2016 schedule. The Patriots rebranded as the Niagara Spartans and planned to begin play in 2017 as a member of the Can-Am Indoor Football League.
*Western Pennsylvania – (Preseason 2016) A team with no name that supposedly took part in the 2016 SIF draft.
References
External links
Supreme Indoor Football official websiteSupreme Indoor Football official Facebook
{{Professional gridiron football leagues in North America
Defunct indoor American football leagues in the United States
Sports leagues established in 2015
2015 establishments in the United States