Regional Football League
Most recent season or competition: 1999 | |
Sport | American football |
---|---|
Founded | 1997[1] |
First season | 1999 |
Ceased | 1999 |
Commissioner | John "Gus" Bell[1] Ron Floridia[2] |
No. of teams | 6 |
Country | United States |
Headquarters | Framingham, MA[3] Mobile, AL[2] |
Last champion(s) | Mobile Admirals (1999) |
TV partner(s) | none |
The Regional Football League (RFL) was an American football minor league formed to be the self-styled "major league of spring football." Established in 1997, the league played a single season, 1999, and then ceased operations.
History
The RFL season was designed for spring-summer play with teams based primarily in the Southern United States. The debut season was originally slated to begin in March 1998,[4] however this was delayed by a year.[5] The league adopted rules consistent with professional football of the era, with some exceptions:[6][7]
- running clock until the last two minutes of each half
- one offensive player allowed to be in motion towards the line of scrimmage at the snap
- ball placed at the 20-yard-line for extra pointattempts
- receivers only need one foot in bounds to complete a catch
The league's inaugural (and only) season was 1999, where each of its six teams was scheduled to have training camp and two preseason games in early April, followed by 12 regular season games; a postseason would follow in July. The league held its first regular season games on April 17, 1999.[8] Financial constraints forced the league to reduce player salaries at the end of April, due to low attendance at games.[9] In late May, the league announced that the regular season would be shortened by three games, with the championship game held in late June.[10] Ultimately, the league only played an eight-week regular season. Near the end of the shortened season, the league cancelled a contest between New Orleans and Ohio, and Shreveport forfeited a game, both due to financial concerns.[11] Four teams qualified for the playoffs,[12] and on June 20, 1999, the Mobile Admirals defeated the Houston Outlaws, 14–12, in the championship game, RFL Bowl I, which was played at Ladd–Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama.[13]
RFL rosters were limited to 37 active players and five
The first commissioner of the league was John "Gus" Bell, who was succeeded by Ron Floridia in May 1999.[2] The league did not secure a television contract, and only one game was ever televised—the May 8, 1999, New Orleans Thunder at Mobile Admirals contest on WHNO,[citation needed] a mainly-religious television station in New Orleans.
Despite some efforts made to resume play for a second season, the league folded after its shortened 1999 season. The announced beginning of the XFL for 2001 precluded any realistic chance of the league resuming operations.
Teams
The league's six charter members were announced on November 12, 1998.[16] They participated in the league's only season, which ran from April to June 1999.
Team | City | Stadium | Head coach |
---|---|---|---|
Houston Outlaws | Houston, Texas |
Pasadena Memorial Stadium[17] | Ray Woodard[17] |
Mississippi Pride | Jackson, Mississippi | Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium | Johnny Plummer |
Mobile Admirals | Mobile, Alabama | Ladd–Peebles Stadium | Tom Walsh |
New Orleans Thunder | New Orleans, Louisiana |
Tad Gormley Stadium | Rex Stevenson / Buford Jordan |
Ohio Cannon | Toledo, Ohio | Glass Bowl | Lew Carpenter |
Shreveport Knights | Shreveport, Louisiana | Independence Stadium | Fred Akers |
Source[18]
Regular season
vs. HOU | vs. MISS | vs. MOBL | vs. N.O. | vs. OHIO | vs. SHRV | Forfeit | Overall | Win pct. | |
HOU | — | 1–0 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | — | 6–2 | .750 |
MISS | 0–1 | — | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | — | 4–4 | .500 |
MOBL | 2–0 | 1–1 | — | 2–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | — | 6–2 | .750 |
N.O. | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | — | 0–1 | 0–1 | — | 1–6 | .143 |
OHIO | 0–2 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | — | 0–1 | W | 3–4 | .429 |
SHRV | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | — | L | 3–5 | .375 |
Notes:
- In the seventh week of the regular season, a contest between New Orleans and Ohio was cancelled by the league.[19]
- In the eighth and final week of the regular season, Shreveport was unable to play in their home stadium.[20] The league rescheduled their intended opponent, New Orleans, to play at Mississippi,[21] and when Shreveport did not travel to play at Ohio, they were assessed a forfeit.[11]
Playoffs
Semi-finals June 12 | RFL Bowl I June 20 | ||||||||
1 | Mobile | 35 | |||||||
4 | Ohio | 14 | |||||||
1 | Mobile | 14 | |||||||
2 | Houston | 12 | |||||||
2 | Houston | 27 | |||||||
3 | Mississippi | 3 |
Games were hosted by the higher-seeded team.
Projected expansion teams
Proposed for the 2000 season,[8] which was not played.
Further reading
- Kantor, Stuart (1999). "Are You Ready for Even More Football?". footballresearch.com. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
External links
- Regional Football League (RFL) 1999
- Remember the RFL
- Remembering the RFL
- RFL 1999 New Orleans Thunder at Mobile Admirals via YouTube
References
- ^ a b "Transactions: Football". The Des Moines Register. March 4, 1997. p. 12. Retrieved January 23, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. p. 23. Retrieved January 23, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. p. 26. Retrieved January 23, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. p. 21. Retrieved January 23, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. December 2, 1997. p. 20. Retrieved January 23, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Knights Fact Sheet". Remember the RFL. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
- ^ Gater, Harold (April 24, 1999). "The Leagues". The Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, Mississippi. p. 32. Retrieved January 25, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. p. 27. Retrieved January 23, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. p. 1. Retrieved January 23, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Admirals' season cut". Pensacola News Journal. Pensacola, Florida. May 27, 1999. p. 41. Retrieved January 23, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. p. 15. Retrieved January 23, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Goolsby, Henry (June 9, 1999). "Pride relishes change to apprehend Outlaws". The Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, Mississippi. p. 23. Retrieved January 23, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Roller coaster ride ends with championship for Admirals". Pensacola News Journal. June 21, 1999. p. 5D. Retrieved January 23, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Eight Pride players make All-RFL team". The Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, Mississippi. June 25, 1999. p. 31. Retrieved January 23, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Sherman still shakin' it up". June 23, 1995. Retrieved February 19, 2017 – via Google News.
- ^ "League". Remember the RFL. Retrieved January 25, 2019 – via Google Sites.
- ^ a b Richards, Joey D. (May 27, 1999). "Santa Fe's Wylie finds a football home with the Outlaws". The Daily News. Galveston, Texas. p. 17. Retrieved January 28, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. April 17, 1999. p. 28. Retrieved January 26, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. June 1, 1999. p. 14. Retrieved January 23, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. p. 17. Retrieved January 26, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. p. 17. Retrieved January 27, 2019 – via newspapers.com.