Marion Blue Racers, Three Other Teams To Join Newly Formed XIFL

In an effort to develop professional football players, coaches, and front office personnel on and off the field , League President and Marion Blue Racer CEO, LaMonte Coleman is proud to introduce the Xtreme Indoor Football League (XIFL). The XIFL will kick off in February of 2014 and will have a strong emphasis placed on getting team and league personnel maximum exposure with real opportunities to advance.

The league has already announced the Marion Blue Racers, Missouri Monsters, Georgia Rampage, and expansion Columbus Beast as the first initial teams to go Xtreme with promises of more to come.

About XIFL:

The XIFL is structured with the owners in mind and is focused on maximizing profits for each member team. In its inaugural year, the league will provide revenue sharing based on league-wide sponsorships, territory license fees, and other league generating revenue streams.

On the field, the league will provide Xtreme wall to wall action, and entertainment. Details about the XIFL rules and other incoming teams will be announced at a later date. For more information on the XIFL, please visit XIFLFootball.com and be sure to go Xtreme on Facebook and Twitter @xiflfootball.

MISSION STATEMENT

The Xtreme Indoor Football League is committed to promoting and supporting our member teams so they can achieve strong financial returns, while becoming the most competitive and profitable indoor football teams in the country, while giving back to the communities our teams play in.

XIFL Purpose and Vision

THE XIFL PURPOSE

The purpose of the Xtreme Indoor Football League is to develop professional players, coaches, and personnel on and off the field. Emphasis is placed on getting team and league personnel maximum exposure with real opportunities to advance.

THE XIFL VISION

The vision of the Xtreme Indoor Football League is to become the most owner friendly, and respected league, built around integrity, communication, and support. The league will strive to develop personnel to reach their dreams.

WHAT IS THE XIFL?

The XIFL is a professional football league that plays in arenas seating 1,800 to 10,000+. The league is designed to develop and promote football players, coaches, and personnel to the next level of their careers.

The XIFL is dedicated to creating a high level league that teams can become profitable and have long term success.

XIFL OBJECTIVES

To offer Xtreme entertainment and football to communities throughout the USA.

To provide arenas with 1,800 plus seating capabilities with an opportunity to bring professional football and entertainment to their communities.

WHY THE XIFL?

The XIFL is structured with the owners in mind and is focused on maximizing profits for each member team.

The league will provide revenue sharing based on league-wide sponsorships, territory license fees, and other league generating revenue streams.

The XIFL will provide Xtreme wall to wall action, and entertainment.

Details about the XIFL rules and other incoming teams will be announced at a later date. For more information on the XIFL, please visit XIFLFootball.com and be sure to go Xtreme on Facebook and Twitter @xiflfootball.

Explosion Defeat Sting to Win CIFL Championship

In a game of epic proportions, two of the CIFL's finest teams battled tooth and nail to the final whistle; but at the end of the day the hometown fans of Erie stormed the field to celebrate with their team as the Erie Explosion defeated the Saginaw Sting 37-36 in front of nearly two thousand fans at the Erie Insurance Arena.
Erie took the lead early in the first quarter to go up 7-0 before the Sting marched back with a score and trick-play two point conversion to take the lead 8-7. The Sting tacked on another score with twelve minutes to go in the first half but failed on the two point conversion to take a 14-7 lead. With just under 7 minutes to go Erie's Shon Rowser kicked a field goal to close the gap to four with a score of 14-10.
The Sting fumbled late in the second quarter but Erie was unable to capitalize and turned the ball back over on downs. Sting QB AJ McKenna scored on a keeper and DeShawn Hayes added the two point conversion to go up 22-10 with twenty seconds to go in the half. The momentum changed in the favor of the Explosion with one second remaining on the clock as Erie QB Aaron Smetanka connected with Alfonso Hoggard to cut the lead to five with a score of 22-17 at the half.
The CIFL announced during halftime that the winners of their post season awards, as voted on by the coaches and owners, were as follows:
CIFL Players of the Year: Offensive - Tommy Jones, Dayton Sharks; Defensive - Kwaheem Smith, Erie Explosion; Special Teams - CJ Tarver, Saginaw Sting; CIFL MVP - CJ Tarver, Saginaw Sting
Erie added two more scores in the third quarter to lead Saginaw 30-22 at the end of three. The Sting scored to make it a two point game but failed on the two point try and the Explosion continued to lead 30-28. McKenna found Shaun Hldaki in the back of the end zone and added the two point conversion on a run play to put the Sting ahead for the final time 36-30. With 1:48 remaining on the clock Erie's Richard Stokes closed out the scoring when he plunged into the end zone to score the go-ahead touchdown putting the Explosion up for good 37-36. The Sting fought back to the Explosion six yard line but were unable to capitalize and turned the ball over on downs.
During the post game celebration the league also announced the CIFL Coach of the Year honors went to Shawn Liotta of the 12-0 Erie Explosion.
The Explosion capped off an undefeated season with the CIFL Championship, their first ever indoor football championship in Erie history. With the conclusion of the 2013 CIFL Championship, the Continental Indoor Football League would like to thank it's fans, teams and corporate partners for helping complete its eighth consecutive season - continuing its tradition as the longest running indoor football league in the country.

CIFL Suspends Owensboro Rage Operations

The CIFL is sad to announce that the operations of the Owensboro Rage, in Owensboro, KY have been suspended for the remainder of the 2013 season. The CIFL is extremely proud of the efforts put forth by the owner of the Rage, Melissa Logsdon, who -- while working three jobs -- has been trying extremely hard to fulfill the dream and aspirations of her late fiancée and former GM of the Rage, Eddie Cronin.

Together with the ownership of the Rage, the CIFL has determined that the best course of action for everyone involved is to suspend operations immediately. All players and coaches have been released of their contractual obligations and are free to sign with other teams within the league.

CIFL Announces Players Of The Week For Week 10

The Continental Indoor Football League would like to announce the Player's of the Week for Week 10 of the CIFL season.

Offensive Player of the Week is the Virginia Beach native and quarterback of the Kentucky Drillers Kameron Bryant. Bryant led the Drillers offense with 9 total touchdowns in their win over the Marion Blue Racers (74-51). He was 7 of 12 passing for 142 yards and 5 touchdowns and had 11 rushes for 149 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Defensive Player of the Week is from the Kentucky Xtreme defensive back Tayshawn McBroom had 3 interceptions against one of the toughest quarterbacks in the CIFL. Tayshawn is a Louisville, KY native and attended Georgetown College. The Xtreme fell to the undefeated Dayton Sharks (47-41) last week but McBroom had a star performance in the game.

Special Teams Player of the Week is from the Saginaw Sting, kicker Chris Kolias was 5 of 6 on his extra points and added 2 unos in the Sting's win over Port Huron (49-28). Kolias hails out of Dearborn, MI and played his college ball at Northwood University in Midland, MI.

CIFL Announces Players of the Week for Week 8

The Continental Indoor Football League announced the Player's of the Week for Week 8 of the CIFL season.

Offensive Player of the Week is the Louisville, KY native and the quarterback of the Kentucky Xtreme, Kevin Warner. Warner threw for 137 yards and 2 touchdowns while rushing for 63 yards and 3 additional touchdowns against the Marion Blue Racers. Warner attended Kentucky State University and continues to lead the Xtreme offense.

Defensive Player of the Week is from the Erie Explosion, defensive back Kwaheem Smith. The New Jersey native lead the Explosion defense with 6 tackles and 2 interceptions of which he returned one for a touchdown in the 52 - 20 victory over the Saginaw Sting. Smith attended Lincoln University and will look to lead the Explosion defense against the Kentucky Xtreme.

Special Teams Player of the Week is from the Saginaw Sting. Kicker Returner / Wide Receiver CJ Tarver earns the honor this week for his first quarter missed field goal return that electrified The Dow Event Center Crowd in Saginaw against the Explosion. Tarver is a native of Albany, NY and has proven to be a dangerous return man in the Indoor Football game.

Missouri Monsters Challenge Marion Blue Racers From CIFL To Cross League Game

The Missouri Monsters of the Ultimate Indoor Football League (UIFL) have agreed to terms with the Marion Blue Racers of the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) to play the first ever cross league game.

The game will be played on Saturday April 6th at the Family Arena in St. Charles, MO. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm Central Time. The game will be streamed live at: http://new.livestream.com/missourimonsters

"Having gotten to know the Blue Racers owner LaMonte Coleman over the past few years, there isn't an owner in this business that I will have more pleasure in beating. He left our league to go to a lower league, and he thinks he can compete with us? Thats just crazy. There is NO chance they beat us. I do respect Mr. Coleman for accepting the challenge when several other teams in his league didn't." Said Monsters Owner Andrew Haines.

"I'm so confident that the Monsters will win, that I guarantee it! If we lose, everyone in attendance will receive a FREE ticket voucher they can use for any of the remaining regular season home games." Added Haines.

The Marion Blue Racers are currently in their 3rd season of play. In 2012 the Blue Racers were members of the UIFL Northern Conference, and reach the playoffs. They lost in the first round of the postseason to the Erie Explosion in the first UIFL Outdoor Game. The team is located in Marion, OH, and are the only professional football team in Central OH.

"I want to thank the Missouri Monsters for inviting us to play them in their city. Mr. Andrew Haines is always working on ways to make the game fun for the fans," expressed CEO and Head Coach LaMonte Coleman.

"Andrew and I have been working on a game like this for about a year now. It will be fun to play against some of my former players but I want them to see that it was a mistake to leave my organization. My goal is to win the game and show why I chose to play in the CIFL. If my team loses, which I know that we won't, I will make a small donation to a charity that Andrew currently supports." Add Coleman.

Blue Racers Team captain Thomas "Tmac" McKenzie and other players are excited to play against some of their former teammates.

"There is no doubt that I am going for the sack record against them. Who do they have that can block me - Said Tmac.

The Missouri Monsters are currently in their first season of play. In May of 2012 the Monsters were announced as an expansion team in the Ultimate Indoor Football League.

Both teams are struggling to get wins, as the Blue Racers are 1-5, with their lone win coming by way of forfeit. The Monsters are 0-2 and looking for the first win of the season. Each team has made head coaching changes, and Monsters new Head Coach Martino Theus started the 2013 season as the Blue Racers Head Coach.

"First, I want to thank Lamonte for the opportunity to coach his organization, be apart of such a good city, and great people in Marion. Now I'm head coaching for a great owner, team. It's just straight business with the team. We know we have better athletes, talent all around. I love being able to coach against a good friend of mine (Mr. LaMonte Coleman) of fourteen years. This win will be big for our organization and fans plus some former players that are with us now. I know they are ready to play against Marion for sure. We will be ready as a team to beat Marion." Said Monsters Head Coach Martino Theus.

Tickets for the game start at $7.00 and can be purchased at the Family Arena Box Office, and through www.metrotix.com. Suites are available for the game, contact the team office for more information 636-395-0896 or email andrew@missourimonsters.com.

CIFL Names Players of the Week

The Continental Indoor Football League would like to announce the Player's of the Week for Week 3 of the CIFL season.
Offensive Player of the Week is the Eaton, OH native Tommy Jones of the Dayton Sharks. The Shark quarterback went 12 of 16 for 185 yards and 5 touchdowns with no interceptions in the win over the Owensboro Rage.
Defensive Player of the Week is Trenton, New Jersey native Kwaheem Smith of the Erie Explosion. The standout defensive back had 3 interceptions and 3 touchdowns in the Explosions victory over the Detroit Thunder.
Special Teams Player of the Week is Saginaw native Herb Waits of the Saginaw Sting. The full time defensive player had a star performance on special teams making 6 tackles while playing on the kickoff team and finishing the game with 12 total tackles. The Eastern Michigan University grad helped the Sting remain undefeated by beating Port Huron at McMorran arena.

Marion Blue Racers Scrimmage February 1st

The Marion Blue Racers, Central Ohio's only professional football team, would like to announce an open scrimmage night. This event will take place on Friday February 1st, 2013 in the Marion County Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The doors will open at 6:30pm and is free to the public. Come meet YOUR Blue Racers as we complete our training camp. This will be the final scrimmage before the season opener on February 7th 2013 in Saginaw MI, against the defending 2012 CIFL champions, The Saginaw Sting.
The Blues Racers will also be hosting on February 2nd, 2013, a free Skills and Drills completion for kids ages 6-17. Come meet your favorite Blue Racers. Players will be on hand to mentor everyone in the competition and sign autographs. Doors open at 12:00pm at the Marion County Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Come join us!

Theus Promoted to Lead 2013 Blue Racers

Former Arena Football League coach, Martino Theus has been promoted within the Marion Blue Racers Professional Football Organization to Head Coach. Theus was the Head Coach for the UIFL's Mississippi Hound Dogs last season. The move is made just days before the Marion Blue Racers are set to open up camp in Marion, Ohio.
As a highly touted Offensive Guru, Coach Theus will draw upon his playing experience to lead the Blue Racer offense into Saginaw, Michigan Friday, February 8th against the reigning, defending CIFL Champion Saginaw Sting in the marquee CIFL season opener. Coach Theus is the all-time leader in receiving yards, catches, and touchdowns for the Rochester Brigade in the AFL2. Theus' playing career is most noted for his record breaking season in 2002, accumulating 160 receptions, 1750 yards, and 23 touchdowns.
His impressive coaching resume began while under the tutelage of legendary Arena coach Irv Favre, father of Brett Favre, while with the Mississippi Firedogs. As the defensive backs coach for the AFL2's Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings, Theus' stout 4th ranked defense led the Battle Wings to back to back division championships. In 2010, Theus re-signed to the Arena Football League Battle Wings as the Defensive Coordinator.

Saginaw Sting Invite 21 From Tryout To Camp

The Saginaw Sting held their second, and last, open try-out for the 2013 season roster this past Saturday. The try-out was held at the Perani Arena in Flint and over 40 prospects from across the country came to showcase their talents. Each player was physically tested in a number of drills put on by the Saginaw Sting staff.
Each player presented their skills in front of head coach Fred Townsend and his coaching staff. At the end of the day, 21 players were invited to training camp in January. This brings the training-camp total to 29 players competing for open roster spots during camp. The Sting also signed on two players, Nate Samas and Andre McCauley, to join the Sting roster for the 2013 season.
Nate Samas played quarterback in 2012 for the Evansville Rage. Fred Townsend reminisced on last year's season contest against the Rage. "When we played against him last year, I felt he was one of the top quarterbacks in the league. He is a dual threat, and he was the hardest quarterback to prepare for last year because of his ability to run."
Andre McCauley played for the Troy Fighting Irish in upstate New York, a member of the Northeastern Football Alliance. Playing as a receiver and running back for the Irish he went on to earn the NFA Sunshine Bowl Game MVP in 2011 and 2012. He will play with the Irish against the Western Michigan Force in the USFA National Championship Game January 19th, 2013 in Los Angeles, CA.
Coach Townsend was really excited to see Andre's performance at the try-out. "I believe he will be as exciting as C.J. Tarver on the field. He will be one of our top players this year, being utilized in many different positions. I can't wait to see him run the football."
The additional players invited to camp from the December 15th tryout include: Daryl Gooden, Antwon Simmons, James Falls, Calvin Pureifoy, Brant Brooks, Jeffrey Brush, Joe Makowski, Shuan Hladki, Ryan Kantola, Kyle Zabel, Ryan Janer, Jakendall Brown, Joshua Federspiel, James Bandy, Breck Chandler, Michael LeGrow, Damion Horton, Loren Wiechmann and David Akins.
This Sting's home opener is February 8th at The Dow Event Center with a 7:30PM kickoff. Single game tickets will go on sale January 3rd and start at only $10. Season tickets are on sale now and are available at The Dow Box Office or by calling 989.759.1330.

CIFL Releases 2013 Regular Season Schedule

The CIFL has released it’s 2013 regular season schedule which will begin on Friday, February 8th.   With ten teams set to compete for the CIFL Championship, things begin the weekend after the conclusion of the NFL season and run for twelve consecutive weeks. Each team will play five home and five away contests (along with two bye weeks) and the playoffs will begin the first weekend of May.  
The league approved the expansion of the playoff format from four to six teams (with the top two teams receiving byes). The CIFL Championship will occur on or around Saturday May 18th, wrapping up the entire season prior to Memorial Day weekend.
The season will kick off on Friday February 8th, beginning with the home opener for the Owensboro Rage. Pregame festivities for this game will include the honoring of the late Eddie Cronin, the former GM of the 2012 Rage with a moment of silence (and each individual team within the CIFL will follow suit at their first home game for the 2013 season). That night the Saginaw Sting will begin their quest for a second consecutive CIFL Championship with a ring ceremony commemorating their 2012 undefeated season.
The CIFL has also scheduled two Monday night football contests in 2013, with games scheduled at home for the Kentucky Drillers on February 18th and the Saginaw Sting on March 18th.  A full version of the 2013 schedule is available at:  bit.ly/2013ciflschedule.

Cincinnati Commandos Suspend Operations For 2013

The Cincinnati Commandos have decided to suspend operations and play for the 2013 season. As a result of industry analysis and growth projections, the team decided to forgo the season and reorganize.
Due to instability with the leagues they have participated in the last few seasons and throughout the industry, the Commandos organization needed to re-organize for their future success. In a release the team stated that “It is paramount to increase marketing initiatives, corporate partnerships, as well as our fan base, for the Commandos to move forward in 2014 and beyond.”
General Manager Jason Buckley commented on the situation; "While we are disappointed we will not be able to play in 2013, we would like to thank all of our fans who supported the Commandos through our THREE-consecutive championship runs!!!"

Detroit Thunder Rolls Into CIFL

The Continental Indoor Football League is proud to announce the expansion Detroit Thunder franchise will join the CIFL for the 2013 season.
"We are honored to bring Indoor Football back to the Metro Detroit area and look forward to building a solid foundation and fan base," said Majority Owners Dave and Cynthia Kinsman.
The Thunder will don the colors of gold, white and navy blue as they begin quest to claim victory of the Michigan Cup. The cup will be up for grabs this season as interstate rival Patriots and the Saginaw Sting will square off in head-to-head match-ups during the 2013 CIFL regular season.
More information will be made available in the upcoming weeks and will include the unveiling of the new logo and team website.
"We are grateful for this opportunity to represent the CIFL in the largest Football City in the state of Michigan," Dave and Cynthia said, "We are committed to our coaches, players, fans, and businesses we partner with in 2013 and beyond." The Thunder will kick off their inaugural season February 9th.

CIFL Concludes Annual Meeting, Sets Vision for Future

Last weekend owners of the teams that make up the CIFL met inside the VIP Board Room of Freedom Hall at the Kentucky Expo Center, home of the expansion Kentucky Xtreme. The K.E.C. and Xtreme showed great hospitality to the CIFL team owners, general managers directors of operations who were in attendance. Owners overwhelmingly expressed their satisfaction with the outcome of the meeting and left with a good feeling about the present and the future of the league. The meetings lead one owner, Lamonte "LC" Coleman from the Marion Blue Racers to say, "I appreciate the hospitality that was displayed by the Kentucky Xtreme CEO Victor Cole and the staff of Freedom Hall...the CIFL prepared a well organized meeting that gave all owners an open forum to express their thoughts." LC went on to say "I can see their vision beginning to take shape, one day at a time".
The meeting brought about excitement from all the owners when thinking ahead to the 2013 season that starts in February. The owner from the Owensboro Rage, Melissa Logsdon, was thinking of not only the league, but the fans as well, "I look forward to the 2013 season beginning so we can put into action what we have been working so hard on and to share the experience with our communities and fans."
Fans will grow accustom to seeing more of their team's talent suit up this season as well. Starting in 2013 teams will be allowed to expand their active roster from 19 players up to 21 this year and are being required to carry a backup Quarterback and Kicker. Safety was an apparent factor in some rulings which included the elimination of Defensive Back blitzing, reducing the amount of blindsided hits to the quarterback. Uno's were also passed, allowing teams to score a single point on their kickoff if the ball makes its way through the uprights.
There will also be a couple new twists to watch for in the coaches this year. Starting this season coaches will be permitted to coach on the field again, which will improve communication between them and their players. They will also be proudly displaying the Adidas logo on their sideline apparel as well as the league announced they have agreed to a deal with Adidas to become the official supplier of footballs and coaches sideline apparel for the 2013 season.
"Our vision is to brand the CIFL as the premier indoor football league in the country. Partnering with companies like Adidas is one of the many steps on that journey." said Co-Owner of the CIFL Robert Licht. "We're redefining the expectations of indoor football by establishing and sharing best practices amongst our teams. Together with my partners Jim O'Brien and Stuart Schweigert, we look to continue the legacy of the CIFL as we enter its eight consecutive season."
An official 2013 CIFL schedule will be announced soon with games beginning in early February and the CIFL Championship slated to take place on Saturday May 18th. For more information please visit www.ciflfootball.com.

CIFL Owners Meeting Set For Saturday

The CIFL will be holding their annual owner's meeting this coming Saturday, October 20th, at Freedom Hall the home of the expansion franchise Kentucky Xtreme in Louisville. The owners will be discussing a variety of topics including the future of the CIFL, operations manual and rules clarification and the 2013 season schedule (set to kick off in February). They will be welcoming six new expansion/returning teams: Marion Blue Racers, Cincinnati Commandos, Kane County Dawgs, Kentucky Drillers, Erie Explosion, and the aforementioned Xtreme.
The meeting will also be an opportunity for teams to familiarize themselves with the new ownership groups representing the Dayton Sharks and the Owensboro Rage. Catering is being provided by Centerplate.
"This will be the first time that we get the opportunity to place all ten ownership groups in a board room and discuss their expectations for the CIFL going forward," said Robert Licht, Co-Owner of the CIFL - Indoor Football, Inc. "This league's future in contingent upon the strength of the teams within it.  We are going to hear what teams want from us, and set the level of expectations we need from them."
One commitment the CIFL has announced is its plan to offer to their fan base live scoring which will be featured in the CIFL Game Center from each of the 50 scheduled regular season games.
More information is set to come out of the upcoming meeting in the very near future as the CIFL prepares to kick off its 8th consecutive season, and continue its legacy as the longest consecutive running professional indoor football league in the United States.

Continental Indoor Football League Welcomes Kentucky Xtreme

The Kentucky Xtreme will launch its debut season in the Continental Indoor Football League at the Kentucky Exposition Center’s Freedom Hall in February, according to Brent Adams, the team’s assistant coach and director of media relations. It will play four or five home games there during the season, which will wrap up in June.
The Kentucky State Fair Board and Louisville Sports Commission have scheduled a 10 a.m. Wednesday news conference at Freedom Hall to announce a new sports tenant.
Adams declined to say whether the Xtreme will be the tenant introduced at the event but confirmed the team’s plans to play at Freedom Hall. The team’s Web site also identifies Freedom Hall as the team’s home.
This fall, the Xtreme will hold open tryouts for players in Louisville, Lexington and Bowling Green, Ky., and Indianapolis, according to Adams.
He said ticket prices have not been determined.
“I hope the fans will come out and support it,” Adams said of the new football team.
Freedom Hall hosted arena football from 2001 to 2008, when the Louisville Fire called the venue home. That team folded after the 2008 season.

CIFL Signs Erie Explosion

Speculation was put to rest yesterday afternoon as the Erie Explosion announced they had signed with the CIFL for the 2013 season. With multiple leagues vying for the opportunity to sign Erie, owner Bill Stafford weighed out each of his options before making his selection.
"After the past season, four different leagues approached us, knowing that they liked what we did and what (coach Shawn Liotta) was doing and results our players had,'' said Stafford. "We spent two and a half months listening to presentations and eliminating some things, and the Continental (Indoor Football) League is a very good fit."
Jim O'Brien, Co-Owner of the CIFL, was present for the announcement and spoke to the media about the future of the CIFL. "The CIFL is a better place today by having the Explosion become a part of it," said O'Brien, "We intend to make the CIFL stronger with each and every decision we make."
Erie fits the profile that O'Brien and his partners former NFL defensive back Stuart Schweigert and Michigan-based business owner Robert Licht set out to acquire this offseason. With nine players from this past season having ties to the Explosion now playing in the AFL or CFL, this business model is what the CIFL strives to accomplish across each of their markets.
"Our goal since day one has been to help players advance to the next level," said Schweigert (who will be returning to the UFL this fall), "Erie does a great job of that and we will look to echo that throughout the entire CIFL."
The CIFL will begin play in early February, a schedule is set to be announced in October.

CIFL Welcomes 2 Kentucky Teams

The CIFL is proud to welcome the additions of the Kentucky Xtreme and the Kentucky Drillers for the 2013 season.
The Xtreme will be based out of the Louisville area and will play their home contest inside the Kentucky Fair & Exposition Center's Freedom Hall.
"The city of Louisville and Xtreme are very excited to bring indoor football back to the Louisville area," said Xtreme owner Victor Cole. The Xtreme tested the waters of the indoor game this past season playing two exhibition games against 2012 CIFL teams, the Evansville Rage & Indianapolis Enforcers. The Louisville area is no stranger to the indoor game, having hosted an AF2 team (Louisville Fire) from 2001 to 2007.
On the east side of the state the Kentucky Drillers will call the East Kentucky Expo Center in Pikeville home.
"The move to the CIFL made logistical sense for us," said Drillers owner Rick Kranz. "We now have the majority of our opponents within six hours of our home field."
In anticipation of the upcoming season, Kranz also said, "We are excited about starting fresh in a new league and playing against competitive teams. We look forward to playing teams like Marion and Saginaw again. Our fans should be excited that we will be playing against quality opponents." The Drillers, heading into their third consecutive season, squared off against the Saginaw Sting in their league championship game back in 2011.
Both the Drillers of Pikeville and the Xtreme of Louisville will begin their CIFL seasons in February 2013.

CIFL Acquired by Indoor Football Incorporated

The Saginaw Sting is proud to announce the acquisition of the Continental Indoor Football League by Indoor Football Incorporated. Indoor Football Incorporated, solely owned by the members of the Sting's ownership group (Stuart Schweigert, Robert Licht, and James O'Brien), came to terms with former CIFL Owner Jeff Spitaleri earlier this month.
"This is an exciting development for our league and for the future of the CIFL," said Spitaleri, "I look forward to working with the staff and board of directors as the league undergoes this great transformation."
The transformation was set in place immediately concluding the CIFL Championship victory by the Sting back on June 2nd. "We have talked at great lengths with the owners of all the current teams within the CIFL," said Robert Licht - Co-Owner of the Sting and Indoor Football Incorporated. "This move was made for the betterment of the entire league and not just our team. We want each team in the CIFL to be able to embrace the business plan we have developed here in Saginaw and be just as successful."
Success came in multiple ways for the Sting in 2012. After the local ownership group, which includes two local business owners and a former NFL player, acquired the rights to operate the Sting in late 2011 the local community began to take notice of significant changes. The Sting players attended multiple events, including assemblies and read-a-thons at local schools, and helped to raise awareness and proceeds for the Children's Miracle Network, Muscular Dystrophy Association, and several others. A special fundraising effort was set up to support a local critically injured soldier (Travis Mills, from Vassar) that netted the raising of over $13,000. Their undefeated season was capped off in front of a record-setting attendance of 3,851 fans at the CIFL Championship game. The following week the announcement was made that Hemlock High School were the recipients of new varsity football jerseys for showing their support to the Sting during the season.
"We want this league to become the premier indoor football league in the country," said Co-Owner and former NFL player Stuart Schweigert, "That begins with building a league that is full of solid, competitive teams from top to bottom."
"This move will provide the structure and stability needed to make the CIFL a viable entertainment option for both sponsors and fans," said Co-Owner James O'Brien, "Fans want solid organizations and sponsors will look to back teams that have great fan support. Currently underway is an assessment of the current standing of all teams within the CIFL and further expansion to new markets. Details regarding these negotiations are not available at this time; however, the future of the CIFL is bright."
The CIFL will begin its 8th consecutive season in February of 2013.