2014 Arena Football League season

2014 Arena Football League season
League Arena Football League
Sport Arena Football
Duration March 14, 2014 – August 23, 2014
Regular season
Season champions Cleveland Gladiators
Season MVP Nick Davila, ARZ
League postseason
American Conference champions Cleveland Gladiators
  American Conference runners-up Orlando Predators
National Conference champions Arizona Rattlers
  National Conference runners-up San Jose SaberCats
ArenaBowl XXVII
Champions Arizona Rattlers
  Runners-up Cleveland Gladiators

The 2014 Arena Football League season was the twenty-seventh season in the history of the league. The regular season began on March 14, 2014 and ended on July 26, 2014.

League business

Teams

The city of Anaheim, California was awarded an expansion team on August 15, 2013. The team, named the Los Angeles Kiss, was the first AFL team to call Los Angeles home since the Los Angeles Avengers in 2008. Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, members of the rock band Kiss, were the owners of the expansion franchise.[1]

Two teams that competed in 2013 suspended operations, (Chicago Rush & Utah Blaze) and their rosters were dispersed throughout the league during a dispersal draft on September 6, 2013.[2]

The Milwaukee Mustangs sold their league membership to Terry Emmert, who then started a new franchise in Portland, Oregon named the Portland Thunder.[3]

Television

On December 17, 2013 it was announced that ESPN had agreed to a multi-year deal in televising several games, including the ArenaBowl. Additionally, at least 75 games during the season are to be aired on ESPN3, the network's online streaming service. ESPN had previously aired games as recent as the 2008 season, prior to the league's hiatus that resulted in the canceled 2009 season.[4]

Realignment

With teams expanding, relocating and suspending operations, the AFL announced the divisional alignment for 2014 on October 29, 2013. The two conferences will have an even number of teams, and will be placed in two divisions.[5]

Conference Division Teams
American East Cleveland Gladiators, Iowa Barnstormers, Philadelphia Soul, Pittsburgh Power
South Jacksonville Sharks, New Orleans VooDoo, Orlando Predators, Tampa Bay Storm
National Pacific Portland Thunder, San Jose SaberCats, Spokane Shock
West Arizona Rattlers, Los Angeles Kiss, San Antonio Talons

Regular season standings

American Conference
East Division
Team W L PCT PF PA DIV CON Home Away
(1) Cleveland Gladiators 17 1 .944 991 782 7–1 12–1 9–0 8–1
(3) Pittsburgh Power 15 3 .833 1015 778 6–2 11–2 8–1 7–2
(4) Philadelphia Soul 9 9 .500 1021 949 2–5 7–7 7–2 2–7
Iowa Barnstormers 6 12 .333 848 1046 0–7 2–10 3–6 3–6
South Division
Team W L PCT PF PA DIV CON Home Away
(2) Orlando Predators 11 7 .611 1005 957 7–2 8–6 7–2 4–5
Tampa Bay Storm 8 10 .444 904 953 4–3 7–6 5–4 3–6
Jacksonville Sharks 7 11 .389 879 862 2–5 3–8 4–5 3–6
New Orleans VooDoo 3 15 .167 770 1011 2–5 2–12 1–8 2–7

National Conference
Pacific Division
Team W L PCT PF PA DIV CON Home Away
(2) San Jose SaberCats 13 5 .722 999 723 5–1 9–3 7–2 6–3
(3) Spokane Shock 11 7 .588 957 843 4–2 8–4 6–3 5–4
(4) Portland Thunder 5 13 .278 816 965 0–6 2–11 3–6 2–7
West Division
Team W L PCT PF PA DIV CON Home Away
(1) Arizona Rattlers 15 3 .833 1151 905 4–0 11–2 9–0 6–3
San Antonio Talons[a] 3 15 .167 743 1017 1–3 1–5 0–9 3–6
Los Angeles Kiss 3 15 .167 633 957 1–3 3–9 2–7 1–8

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.[6]

Tie-breakers

Playoffs

Conference Semifinals Conference Championship ArenaBowl XXVII
         
1 Cleveland 39
4 Philadelphia 37
1 Cleveland 56
American Conference
2 Orlando 46
2 Orlando 56
3 Pittsburgh 48
A1 Cleveland 32
N1 Arizona 72
1 Arizona 52
4 Portland 48
1 Arizona 72
National Conference
2 San Jose 56
2 San Jose 55
3 Spokane 28

Conference semifinals

Conference Date Kickoff Away Score Home Game site Recap
American August 2 7:00 p.m. EDT Philadelphia Soul 37-39 Cleveland Gladiators Quicken Loans Arena [7]
National August 2 10:00 p.m. EDT Spokane Shock 28-55 San Jose SaberCats SAP Center at San Jose [8]
American August 3 2:00 p.m. EDT Pittsburgh Power 48-56 Orlando Predators CFE Arena [9]
National August 3 6:00 p.m. EDT Portland Thunder 48-52 Arizona Rattlers US Airways Center [10]

Conference finals

Conference Date Kickoff Away Score Home Game site Recap
American August 10 3:00 p.m. EDT Orlando Predators 46-56 Cleveland Gladiators Quicken Loans Arena [11]
National August 10 8:00 p.m. EDT San Jose SaberCats 56-72 Arizona Rattlers US Airways Center [12]

ArenaBowl XXVII

Date Kickoff Away Score Home Game site Recap
August 23 8:00 p.m. EDT Arizona Rattlers 72–32 Cleveland Gladiators Quicken Loans Arena

References

  1. "Arena Football League, KISS Bring Pro Football Back to Los Angeles". Arena Football League. August 15, 2013. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
  2. Richard Obert (September 7, 2013). "Rattlers bolster pass rush with addition of Alex Magee in dispersal draft Friday". www.azcentral.com. azcentral.com. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
  3. Don Walker (October 2, 2013). "Milwaukee Mustangs bound for Portland". www.jsonline.com. Journal Sentinel, Inc. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
  4. "ESPN Acquires Rights to Arena Football Starting in 2014". arenafootball.com. Arena Football League. December 17, 2013. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  5. "With Rush gone, AFL sets realignment for 2014 season". www.dailyherald.com. Paddock Publications, Inc. October 29, 2013. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
  6. "Playoff Qualification, Selection of Teams". Arenafootball.com. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
  7. "Gladiators Beat Soul on Last Play, Again". Cleveland Gladiators. Arenafan.com. August 3, 2014. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  8. Aseltine, Griffin (August 3, 2014). "San Jose Shocks Spokane in Playoff Blowout, 55-28". Arenafan.com. ArenaFan. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
  9. Sims, Jeff (August 4, 2014). "Morris and KEEFENSE Surge Power". Arenafan.com. ArenaFan. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
  10. Loeschman, Matt (August 4, 2014). "Snakes alive -- Floyd interception saves Rattlers' season". Arenafan.com. ArenaFan. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
  11. Rosenblum, Jonah (August 10, 2014). "Steady Gladiators Best Orlando, Advance to ArenaBowl". Arenafan.com. ArenaFan. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
  12. Loeschman, Matt (August 11, 2014). "Rattlers show championship form in dominating Cats". Arenafan.com. ArenaFan. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
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