2024 The Arena League season

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DurationJune 1 - August 10, 2024 [1]
Number of games8 per team
2024 TAL season
LeagueThe Arena League
SportArena football
DurationJune 1 - August 10, 2024 [1]
Number of games8 per team
Number of teams4
Streaming partnerYouTube
Regular Season ChampionsKansas City Goats
Season MVPBoo Smith
Playoffs
Semifinal championsIowa Woo
  Semifinal runners-upKansas City Goats
Semifinal championsDuluth Harbor Monsters
  Semifinal runners-upOzarks Lunkers
ArenaMania I
DateAugust 10th, 2024
VenueDECC Arena
ChampionsDuluth Harbor Monsters
  Runners-upIowa Woo
TAL seasons

The 2024 Arena League season was the inaugural season of The Arena League (The AL or TAL). The regular season began on June 1, 2024 and ended on July 27, 2024.[1][2][3][4]

The Arena League was announced as a six-on-six indoor American football league with the intentions to launch in 2024 with four teams and with Pro Football Hall of Famer Tim Brown as the Commissioner. The league kicked off the regular season on June 1, 2024.

The AL's aim is to highlight the player's athleticism and increase the pace of play.

Teams

The first city announced was Springfield[5] with Duluth being the second city.[6] Waterloo was announced as the third team on May 4, 2023.[7] Kansas City was the fourth and final team announced for the inaugural 2024 season.

On October 19, 2023 the Waterloo Woo announced their owners and changed their team name to the Iowa Woo along with a logo redesign.[8]

Team City Stadium Capacity Joined Head coach
Duluth Harbor Monsters Duluth, Minnesota DECC Arena 5,333 2024 Tony O'Neil
Iowa Woo Waterloo, Iowa The Hippodrome 5,155 2024 Mook Zimmerman
Kansas City Goats Kansas City, Missouri Municipal Arena 9,987 2024 Dorsey Golston III
Ozarks Lunkers Springfield, Missouri Wilson Logistics Arena 4,500 2024 Cam Bruffett

League finances

Former IFL Commissioner, Tommy Benizio, an advisor for the league and his corporation operated and ran the teams,[9] while J.R. Bond leads a small group financing the league; Bond is a political advisor in Kansas City and has served as owner of several professional sports teams including the Sioux City Bandits, Topeka Tropics, and Topeka Golden Giants.[10] The league would later announce owners for all four locations.[11][12][13][8]

Players

Teams have a 15-player roster with the game being played with six offensive players against six defensive players. The league will follow a one-platoon system with offensive and defensive players playing both sides of the ball. There are no restrictions on defense.

On December 5, 2023, the Lunkers signed Matt Rush, the first player to sign with an AL team.[14]

Season format

The inaugural season of The Arena League had a nine-week regular season schedule with each team receiving one bye week with playoffs to follow. The season ran from June to August 2024.[1] In September, the AL released the 2024 schedule.[15]

Rules

Reference[16]

  • The field is traditional arena football size, measuring 50 yards long and 85 feet wide enclosed by padded walls.
  • Teams had 15-player rosters with the game being played with six offensive players against six defensive players. The league followed a one-platoon system with offensive and defensive players playing both sides of the ball. There are no restrictions on defense.
  • Play clock is reduced to 20 seconds from the spotting of the ball, as in the Canadian Football League.
  • No offensive huddles are allowed unless a timeout is called.
  • All offensive players are eligible receivers with three players initially lined up in an offensive line position. The quarterback cannot run the ball past the line of scrimmage.
  • All players and coaches communicated with helmet communication systems that fans will be able to listen to in real time.
  • Kickoffs were replaced with a quarterback throwoff, with an onside conversion option.
  • All forms of kicking the ball are prohibited, including punts and field goals.
  • There was only one on-field official to mark and set the ball and make penalty announcements. There were sky judges watching live video feeds to decide penalties in real time. Coaches and fans will have access to the referee interactions.[17] After each game, fans can give feedback on the referees performance.

Final standings

TeamWLPCTGBPFPASTK
(1)Kansas City Goats 7 1 .875 581 405 W3
(2)Duluth Harbor Monsters 5 3 .625 2 390 354 W3
(3)Ozarks Lunkers 3 5 .375 4 379 446 L3
(4)Iowa Woo 1 7 .125 6 343 488 L3
Legend
(1) – Clinched 1 Seed
(2) – Clinched 2 Seed
(3) – Clinched 3 Seed
(4) – Clinched 4 Seed

Season schedule

The regular season schedule was released on September 6, 2023.[1]

Regular season

Week 1

Date Time Away team Result Home team Stadium Notes Ref
June 17:05 p.m. CTDuluth Harbor Monsters5277Kansas City GoatsMunicipal Arena
June 17:05 p.m. CTIowa Woo4069Ozarks LunkersWilson Logistics Arena

Week 2

Date Time Away team Result Home team Stadium Notes Ref
June 82:05 p.m. CTKansas City Goats9156Iowa WooThe Hippodrome

Week 3

Date Time Away team Result Home team Stadium Notes Ref
June 157:05 p.m. CTDuluth Harbor Monsters4438Ozarks LunkersWilson Logistics Arena
June 157:05 p.m. CTIowa Woo3858Kansas City GoatsMunicipal Arena

Week 4

Date Time Away team Result Home team Stadium Notes Ref
June 227:05 p.m. CTOzarks Lunkers5246Iowa WooThe Hippodrome2OT
June 235:05 p.m. CTKansas City Goats5857Duluth Harbor MonstersDECC Arena

Week 5

Date Time Away team Result Home team Stadium Notes Ref
June 297:05 p.m. CTOzarks Lunkers6959Kansas City GoatsWilson Logistics ArenaGame originally scheduled to be held at Municipal Arena[18]
June 297:05 p.m. CTIowa Woo4122Duluth Harbor MonstersDECC Arena

Week 6

Date Time Away team Result Home team Stadium Notes Ref
July 67:05 p.m. CTDuluth Harbor Monsters6760Ozarks LunkersWilson Logistics Arena

Week 7

Date Time Away team Result Home team Stadium Notes Ref
July 137:05 p.m. CTKansas City Goats7845Ozarks LunkersWilson Logistics Arena
July 137:05 p.m. CTIowa Woo4152Duluth Harbor MonstersDECC Arena

Week 8

Date Time Away team Result Home team Stadium Notes Ref
July 207:05 p.m. CTOzarks Lunkers1851Duluth Harbor MonstersDECC Arena
July 207:05 p.m. CTKansas City Goats9960Iowa WooThe Hippodrome

Week 9

Date Time Away team Result Home team Stadium Notes Ref
July 277:05 p.m. CTDuluth Harbor Monsters4521Iowa WooThe Hippodrome
July 277:05 p.m. CTOzarks Lunkers2861Kansas City GoatsSt. Pius X Football StadiumInside Out Game

[19]

Postseason

 
Semi-finalsArenaMania I
 
      
 
August 3 – St. Pius X Football Stadium
 
 
1
Kansas City Goats
58
 
August 10 – DECC Arena
 
4
Iowa Woo
59
 
4
Iowa Woo
44
 
August 3 – DECC Arena
 
2
Duluth Harbor Monsters
46
 
2
Duluth Harbor Monsters
50
 
 
3
Ozarks Lunkers
18
 

Semi-finals

Date Time Away team Result Home team Stadium Notes Ref
August 37:05 p.m. CTIowa Woo5958Kansas City GoatsSt. Pius X Football Stadium
August 37:05 p.m. CTOzarks Lunkers1850Duluth Harbor MonstersDECC Arena

ArenaMania I

ArenaMania I–Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Iowa Woo 6 12 02644
Duluth Harbor Monsters 7 8 121946

at DECC Arena, Duluth, Minnesota

  • Date: August 10, 2024
  • Game time: 7:05 p.m. CDT
  • TV: YouTube


Media

See also

References

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