2018 Champions Indoor Football 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

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

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

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

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

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 2018-04-24. Retrieved 2018-04-23.
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. "Dallas Marshals Suspends 2018 season". CIF. April 27, 2018. Archived from the original on April 28, 2018. Retrieved October 31, 2018.