2013 Arena Football League season

2013 Arena Football League season
League Arena Football League
Sport Arena football
Duration March 23, 2013 – August 17, 2013
Regular season
Season champions Arizona Rattlers
Season MVP Erik Meyer, SPO
AFL Playoffs
American Conference champions Philadelphia Soul
  American Conference runners-up Jacksonville Sharks
National Conference champions Arizona Rattlers
  National Conference runners-up Spokane Shock
ArenaBowl XXVI
Champions Arizona Rattlers
  Runners-up Philadelphia Soul
Finals MVP Rod Windsor, ARZ

The 2013 Arena Football League season was the twenty-sixth season in the history of the league. The regular season began on March 23, 2013 with a five-game slate, the first of which to kickoff being between the Utah Blaze and the Pittsburgh Power, and ended on July 27, 2013 with the Utah Blaze and Cleveland Gladiators as the last game to kickoff.[1][2] The Arizona Rattlers defeated the Philadelphia Soul by a 48–39 score in ArenaBowl XXVI to conclude the league's playoffs.[3]

League business

Teams

The league dropped to 14 teams during the offseason. The Kansas City Command ceased operations on August 23, 2012,[4] as well as the Georgia Force on October 14, 2012.[5] The Milwaukee Mustangs suspended operations for 2013, eyeing a return to play in the 2014 season.[6]

Television

It was announced on November 13, 2012 that the league had reached an agreement with CBS Sports Network to air 19 regular season games, as well as two playoff games. The network is scheduled to air the league's "game of the week" each Saturday. The main CBS network will televise ArenaBowl XXVI on August 17, 2013.[3]

Regular season standings

American Conference
East Division
Team W L PCT PF PA DIV CON Home Away
(2) Philadelphia Soul 12 6 .667 1052 839 2–2 6–3 5–4 7–2
Cleveland Gladiators[a] 4 14 .222 847 1047 2–2 3–7 3–6 1–8
Pittsburgh Power 4 14 .222 726 1014 2–2 4–8 1–8 3–6
South Division
Team W L PCT PF PA DIV CON Home Away
(1) Jacksonville Sharks[b] 12 6 .667 941 883 6–0 11–0 6–3 6–3
(3) Orlando Predators[c] 7 11 .389 965 1032 2–4 5–7 4–5 3–6
(4) Tampa Bay Storm 7 11 .389 959 980 2–4 4–6 2–7 5–4
New Orleans VooDoo 5 13 .278 833 1069 2–4 4–6 3–6 2–7
National Conference
Central Division
Team W L PCT PF PA DIV CON Home Away
(2) Chicago Rush[d] 10 8 .556 973 947 2–2 5–5 3–5 7–3
San Antonio Talons 10 8 .556 782 884 2–2 3–8 4–5 6–3
Iowa Barnstormers 6 12 .333 827 913 2–2 3–7 2–7 4–5
West Division
Team W L PCT PF PA DIV CON Home Away
(1) Arizona Rattlers 15 3 .833 1203 866 4–2 9–3 8–1 7–2
(3) Spokane Shock 14 4 .778 1198 896 4–2 8–2 7–2 7–2
(4) San Jose SaberCats 13 5 .722 1033 877 3–3 6–4 8–2 5–3
Utah Blaze 7 11 .389 896 988 1–5 3–8 4–5 3–6

Eight teams qualify for the playoffs: four teams from each conference, of which two are division champions and the other two have the best records of the teams remaining.[7]

Tie-breakers

Playoffs

Conference Semifinals Conference Championship ArenaBowl XXVI
         
1 Jacksonville 69
4 Tampa Bay 62
1 Jacksonville 59
American Conference
2 Philadelphia 75
2 Philadelphia 59
3 Orlando 55
A2 Philadelphia 39
N1 Arizona 48
1 Arizona 59
4 San Jose 49
1 Arizona 65
National Conference
3 Spokane 57
2 Chicago 47
3 Spokane 69

Conference semifinals

Conference Date Kickoff Away Home Final score Game site Recap
National August 1 10:00 p.m. EDT Chicago Rush Spokane Shock Spokane, 67–49 Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena [9]
American August 3 7:00 p.m. EDT Tampa Bay Storm Jacksonville Sharks Jacksonville, 69–62 Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena [10]
American August 3 7:05 p.m. EDT Orlando Predators Philadelphia Soul Philadelphia, 59–55 Wells Fargo Center [11]
National August 4 8:00 p.m. EDT San Jose SaberCats Arizona Rattlers Arizona, 59–49 US Airways Center [12]

Conference championships

Conference Date Kickoff Away Home Final score Game site Recap
American August 10 7:00 p.m. EDT Philadelphia Soul Jacksonville Sharks Philadelphia, 75–59 Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena [13]
National August 10 9:00 p.m. EDT Spokane Shock Arizona Rattlers Arizona, 65–57 US Airways Center [14]

ArenaBowl XXVI

Main article: ArenaBowl XXVI
Date Kickoff Away Home Final score Game site Recap
August 17 1:00 p.m. EDT Philadelphia Soul Arizona Rattlers Arizona, 48–39 Amway Center [15]

References

  1. "AFL Announces 2013 Schedule". Arena Football League. November 13, 2012. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
  2. "2013 AFL Schedule" (PDF). Arena Football League. November 13, 2012. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
  3. 1 2 "AFL, CBS Sports Network Sign Two-Year TV Agreement". Arena Football League. November 13, 2012. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
  4. "Kansas City Command bows out; new team forms in new league – Kansas City Business Journal". Bizjournals.com. August 23, 2012. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
  5. "Force Fold". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. October 14, 2012. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
  6. "Milwaukee's AFL franchise announces that it will go dormant for the 2013 season". Milwaukee Mustangs. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
  7. "Playoff Qualification, Selection of Teams". Arenafootball.com. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  8. "Week 19 AFL Playoff Scenarios (Updated 7/26, 4:15 PM)". Arenafan.com. July 21, 2013. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  9. "Shock hold off the Rush in 69-47 win". Spokane Shock. Arenafan.com. August 2, 2013. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  10. "Sharks Cap Incredible Comeback with 69-62 Win Over Storm". Jacksonville Sharks. Arenafan.com. August 4, 2013. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  11. "Soul defeat Predators to advance, 59-55". Philadelphia Soul. Arenafan.com. August 4, 2013. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  12. "SaberCats Fall 59-49 to Rattlers in Close One in the Desert". San Jose SaberCats. Arenafan.com. August 4, 2013. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  13. "Sharks Fall to Soul in Conference Championship, 75-59". Jacksonville Sharks. Arenafan.com. August 10, 2013. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  14. "Shock fall to the defending champs 65-57". Spokane Shock. Arenafan.com. August 11, 2013. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  15. Jeff Sims (August 17, 2013). "Rattlers Repeat as ArenaBowl Champs". Arenafan.com. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
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