Atlantic Football League
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 | |
| Sport | Canadian football |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2009 |
| First season | 2009 |
| Commissioner | Jim Macdonald |
| No. of teams | Four teams |
| Country | Canada |
| Most recent champion | Dalhousie Tigers |
| Most titles | Dalhousie Tigers (6) |
| Official website | atlanticfootball.co |
The Atlantic Football League (AFL) is an amateur club-level Canadian football league that features four teams based in Atlantic Canada. The league is for players aged 18–24 that either attend universities without U Sports football programs or for players in the area.[1][2] Since member teams operate as club teams (and not varsity teams), they do not receive funding from their universities. Some players eventually join U Sports programs and all Canadian players are eligible to join Canadian Football League teams.
On June 9, 2020, the league announced that they had cancelled the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada.[3]
On September 21, 2024, Ella Lord became the first woman to play in the league, playing for the UNB Reds.[4]
There are currently four teams in the league and each team plays six games with each team hosting the other once.[5] All teams currently qualify for the playoffs with the top seed hosting fourth place and second hosting third. The finalists then qualify for the league championship game, the Moosehead Cup.
Teams
Active teams
| Team | City | Stadium | Founded (Lineage) | Moosehead Cups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dalhousie Tigers | Halifax, Nova Scotia | Wickwire Field | 2010 (1947–76) | 6 |
| Holland Hurricanes | Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island | MacAdam Field | 2010 | 4 |
| UNBF Red Bombers | Fredericton, New Brunswick | BMO Centre | 2009 (1949–80) | 5 |
| Saint John Falcons | Saint John, New Brunswick | Canada Games Stadium | 2024 | 0 |
Defunct teams
| Team | City | Stadium | Existence | Moosehead Cups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moncton Jr. Mustangs | Moncton, New Brunswick | Rocky Stone Field | 2009–10 | 0 |
| UNBSJ Seawolves | Saint John, New Brunswick | Canada Games Stadium | 2009 | 1 |