Rookie Watch: Making an Immediate Impact
By Matthew Slinn "Knerrves? What Knerrves?" You know how it is before the first game of the season. The anticipation. The sleepless nights. The butterflies trying to burst out of…
In 2013, the WAFL dropped down to 15 franchises and failed to complete its third season, as enthusiasm over NCAA’s product decreased. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise and with All-Pro Football 2K8, the SFL was born later that year, taking the best ownership groups from the WAFL with it.
In the summer of 2013, everything changed and the SFL became a success story. The league’s first season had seven teams: The Dallas Stars, Grand Rapids Rollers, Kailua Wyverns, New York Knights, Oklahoma City Renegades, Orlando Intimidators and the San Francisco Bulldogs. New York defeated Oklahoma City 45-41 in the first SFL Championship Game in Orlando in front of a then-record 32 viewers on the SFL Network on Twitch.
In the summer of 2013, everything changed and the SFL became a success story. The league’s first season had seven teams: The Dallas Stars, Grand Rapids Rollers, Kailua Wyverns, New York Knights, Oklahoma City Renegades, Orlando Intimidators and the San Francisco Bulldogs. New York defeated Oklahoma City 45-41 in the first SFL Championship Game in Orlando in front of a then-record 32 viewers on the SFL Network on Twitch.
The SFL returned the same seven teams for the league’s second season. This time, the Orlando Intimidators defeated Oklahoma City in New York, 42-24. While the season had it’s high points, it served as a transitional year for a bigger and brighter future, which started to unfold towards the end of the regular season.
In the league’s third season, the Baltimore Crabs joined as the league’s first expansion team since the initial launch, plus the SFL returned all seven members from the first two campaigns. The SFL partnered with CAG NFL, a user-vs-user sim football experience, which also utilized All-Pro Football 2k8 to broaden each league’s horizon, helping 2k8 league’s remain alive and prosperes. The New York Knights won their second title, a 22-20 triumph over San Francisco (the game was played in Kailua).
The SFL’s Dallas Stars relocated to Cleveland and was renamed the Vipers while the Grand Rapids Rollers were relocated to Minneapolis with a new owner (Thomas Paterniti) and a new name (Maulers), staying with 8 teams. The season’s popularity was boosted by the interest of Damon Grow, who was working on a Joe Montana Football game for Android and iOS systems. The league hit an all-time record for live viewership — 79 — towards the end of the regular season. The Minneapolis Maulers won the SFL Championship Game in their first year, 42-24 over the Orlando Intimidators in Baltimore.
The league had 10 applicants for expansion teams and chose four new members, growing the league to a high of 12 teams with the additions of the D.C. Dragons, Louisville Wolfpack, Santa Fe Gorillas and Tallahassee Pride. For the first time, the SFL split into conferences. The league announced a documentary was in the works about Commissioner Cameron Irvine’s journey as the Commissioner of the league. The Dragons took the title over the Gorillas 31-30 in what is widely considered the greatest SFL game ever played.
Season 6 brought another wave of expansion, as the league grew from 12 to 16 teams, adding the Dallas Law, Sioux Falls Sparrows, NYC Sailors and Houston Hyenas. The Honolulu Legends moved under new ownership and became the Carolina SkyHawks.
The league adopted a new broadcast structure, airing multiple games a night across the SFL family of networks, creating the true NFL Sunday experience three nights a week. Leading into Season 6, the SFL established new user players with an official SFL Rookie Draft for the first time.
After the most competitive postseason in professional football history, the Queen City Corsairs topped Houston for the franchise’s third title.
In Season 7, the Los Angeles Sharks became California’s new team after the San Francisco Sharks folded and the Dallas Law rebranded to the Dallas Ruffnecks. Louisville became the first team to finish a regular season undefeated in a 12-game campaign, but lost in the Championship to Minneapolis, which won its second title.
Season 8 brought the requirement that all teams carry user players throughout their lineups, prompting ownership exits of NYC, Orlando, Minneapolis and Louisville. The league added new franchises in Alaska, Atlanta and Saint Louis to reach 14 teams. Cleveland moved to Las Vegas to become the Gamblers and the Santa Fe Gorillas rebranded to the Mexico City Aztecs, remaining in the capital city.
In the postseason, it was Queen City continuing to shatter records with its fourth championship, this time with a win over Dallas.
The league also got its first chance to showcase its product in front of an international audience, landing its Championship Game on the Twitch Front Page. The event was such a hit, the league inked five more broadcasts for the following season.
Mexico City claimed its first title in the Championship, beating Chicago. Los Angeles folded, Las Vegas moved back to Cleveland, the league expanded to Chicago (Wildcats), San Antonio (Vaqueros) and Vancouver (Legion) to get back to 16 teams.
2018 began the player progression era, where league players could improve their player from week to week for the first time. The league grew to a record 18 teams with the additions of Indianapolis (Red Devils), London (Knights), Tulsa (Desperados) and San Francisco (Sharks). Cleveland and Baltimore folded.
Tallahassee became the second team to finish 12-0 in the regular season but were dethroned by the Alaska Storm, who won its first title. The Championship Game was the first game to be broadcasted live on location, at MediaTech Institute.
The Alaska Storm became the first team to win back-to-back SFL titles in Season 11 and also became the second team to finish an entire season undefeated. The inaugural SFL Convention was held in Dallas at Showbusiness Studios – a three-day event that included the induction of the league’s first Hall-of-Fame class, 10 live-on-location games and gave league members a chance to all meet each other for the first time.
Rapid expansion continued as Baltimore returned under the same ownership, but a different name (Vultures) plus additions in Las Vegas (Fury) and New Orleans (Pharaohs). San Antonio became the first franchise in league history to be sold, and was sold to the ownership group of the Denver Nightwings.
Alaska – now a three-time Champion – defeating the Denver Nightwings in a 37-35 thriller in the snow, the first SFL Championship played in inclement weather. The league completed its rebranding vision it started in Season 10 by inking a two-year agreement with Matt Doyle Designs, who was responsible for unique league and team branding across the league. Four different nationally recognized brands – Harry’s, Quip, MeUndies and MVMT - joined as sponsors for the season. The Red Devils rebranded to the Spitfire.
For the first time, the league maintained the same franchises from the previous season and stayed at 21 teams. The SFL held its second convention, this time in Atlanta.
Television came calling in August and the SFL landed it's first television partnership with Eleven Sports and For the Fans networks, bringing SFL football into 65 million homes.
That season, the Nightwings earned their first title completing their ascent. The league would sever ties with San Francisco and go with 20 teams to finish out the year.
In December, the league held its first in-studio Rookie Draft at FTF studios in Massachusetts where players got to hear their names called on television and even got to get selected live and in-person.
A year of massive growth and exposure, the SFL navigated through the COVID-19 pandemic without a single reschedule or cancellation. TV ratings rose and exposure followed, with local and national press intrigued by the stay-at-home, interactive product.
On the field, the Atlanta Swarm knocked off the Sioux Falls Sparrows to claim their first title as the league grew with additions of the Portland Fleet and Fort Worth Toros. Seattle was sold to an ownership group that would bring the team back to Texas under the Lone Star Glory and the New Orleans was sold and rebranded to the Louisiana Revolution. Alaska left for Fort Lauderdale and Tallahassee moved to Jacksonville, capitalizing on available major markets for local ownership.
With more players than ever, the Minor League - SFLm - was established with eight teams to help develop players before they entered the league through the Rookie Draft. Spring's Draft set records, going seven rounds as rosters expanded to 20 users per team. The Madison Lynx defeated the Ottawa Cavalry in the first SFLm Championship Game. The league would grow to nine teams for its second season in the fall.
Sioux Falls would make the Championship Game again but would be ousted this time by the Baltimore Vultures, the fourth different team to win a league title in the last four seasons.
Heading into 2021, the league grew to 24 teams, returning all of its previous franchises and adding the D.C. Dragons and the San Diego Fleet. Chicago was sold and rebranded in Los Angeles as the Lycans.
Denver claimed its second championship, topping the Florida Storm in a title game rematch. In the summer, Baltimore got its second title by also beating the Storm, who were unable to win their elusive fourth trophy.
Charleston was sold but remained in South Carolina, but in totality the SFL has stood pat at 24 teams, finding complete stability. Team rosters continue to grow and heading into 2022 are now up to 23 user players per team.
After a cancelled 2020 Convention due to COVID, the SFL landed in League City, TX for a record setting 2021 Convention with nearly 100 attendees.
The SFLm completed its third and fourth seasons with Salt Lake City winning its first title and Madison claiming their second.
