2024 The Arena League season

The 2024 Arena League season is the inaugural season of The Arena League (TAL). The regular season began on June 1, 2024, with the regular season scheduled to end on July 27, 2024.[1][2][3][4]

2024 The Arena League season
LeagueThe Arena League
SportArena football
DurationJune 1 - August 10, 2024 [1]
Number of games16
Number of teams4
TV partner(s)YouTube

Background

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 TAL 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.[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
Locations of teams in The Arena League for 2024 season.

League finances

Former IFL Commissioner, Tommy Benizio, an advisor for the league and his corporation will operate and run 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 a TAL team.[14]

Season format

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

Rules

Reference[16]

  • The field will be traditional arena football size, measuring 50 yards long and 85 feet wide enclosed by padded walls.
  • Teams will have 15-player rosters 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.
  • 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 will communicate with helmet communication systems that fans will be able to listen to in real time.
  • Kickoffs will be replaced with a quarterback throwoff, with an onside conversion option.
  • All forms of kicking the ball are prohibited, including punts and field goals.
  • There will only be one on-field official to mark and set the ball and make penalty announcements. There will be 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.

Standings
TeamWLPCTGBPFPASTK
Kansas City Goats 4 0 1.000 – 284 203 W4
Ozarks Lunkers 2 1 .667 1.5 159 130 W1
Duluth Harbor Monsters 1 2 .333 2.5 153 173 L1
Iowa Woo 0 4 .000 4 180 270 L4
Legend
(1) – Clinched 1 Seed
(2) – Clinched 2 Seed
(3) – Clinched 3 Seed
(4) – Clinched 4 Seed
Notes[lower-alpha 1]
  1. The procedure used to determine tiebreakers is Head-to-head record. The next tiebreaker, point differential, cannot be used due to some teams playing three times in the season as well as the two game pairs resulting in sweeps. (Kansas City 2–0 Duluth, Ozarks 2–0 Iowa)

Season schedule

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

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 LunkersKansas City GoatsWilson Logistics ArenaGame originally scheduled to be held at Municipal Arena[18]
June 297:05 p.m. CTIowa WooDuluth Harbor MonstersDECC Arena

Week 6
Date Time Away team Result Home team Stadium Notes Ref
July 67:05 p.m. CTDuluth Harbor MonstersOzarks LunkersWilson Logistics Arena

Week 7
Date Time Away team Result Home team Stadium Notes Ref
July 137:05 p.m. CTKansas City GoatsOzarks LunkersWilson Logistics Arena
July 137:05 p.m. CTIowa WooDuluth Harbor MonstersDECC Arena

Week 8
Date Time Away team Result Home team Stadium Notes Ref
July 207:05 p.m. CTOzarks LunkersDuluth Harbor MonstersDECC Arena
July 207:05 p.m. CTKansas City GoatsIowa WooThe Hippodrome

Week 9
Date Time Away team Result Home team Stadium Notes Ref
July 277:05 p.m. CTDuluth Harbor MonstersIowa WooThe Hippodrome
July 277:05 p.m. CTOzarks LunkersKansas City GoatsMunicipal Arena

[19]

Postseason
Semi-final ArenaMania
      
1 TBD
4 TBD
 
 
2 TBD
3 TBD

Semi-finals
Date Time Away team Result Home team Stadium Notes Ref
August 3TBD4 Seed1 SeedTBD
August 3TBD3 Seed2 SeedTBD

ArenaMania
Date Time Away team Result Home team Stadium Notes Ref
August 10TBATBDTBDHigher seed

Awards

Players of the Week

The following were named the top performers during the 2024 season:

Week Offensive
Player of the Week		 Defensive
Player of the Week		 Returner
of the Week		 Fans
of the Week
1 Boo Smith
(Kansas City) [20]		 Brock Carter
(Ozarks)		 Terrance Wenzel
(Duluth)		 Ozarks Lunkers
2 - - - -
3 Moe Strong
(Duluth)		 Boo Smith
(Kansas City) [20]		 - -
4 Dejonte Skie
(Duluth)		 Josh Evans
(Ozarks)		 - -
5
6
7
8
9

Media
TAL team media deals
TeamTV Station(s)Radio Station(s)Notes
Duluth Harbor Monsters Northland Fan 106.5 FM and 560AM[21]
Iowa Woo KCRG-TV[22] [lower-alpha 1]
Kansas City Goats
Ozarks Lunkers KYTV[23]
  1. The team is partnered with KWWL as the exclusive news source.

See also

References
  1. McClure, Jeffrey F. (6 September 2023). "The Arena League releases schedule for 2024 season". Northern News Now. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  2. Vierzba, Neil (6 September 2023). "The Arena League Reveals 2024 Schedule, Duluth Harbor Monsters to Open Year on Road". FOX21. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  3. Tipcke, Alicia (6 September 2023). "The Arena League reveals Duluth Harbor Monsters schedule". WDIO. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  4. "Schedule". The Arena League. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  5. Wheeler, Wyatt D. (9 March 2023). "'The Arena League' football is coming to Springfield in 2024. Here's what to know". Springfield News-Leader. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  6. Malcomb, Jamey (6 April 2023). "NFL Hall of Famer Tim Brown announces Duluth to receive Arena League team". Duluth News Tribune. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  7. Brown, Chelsie (4 May 2023). "The Arena League bringing a professional football team to Waterloo in inaugural season". KCRG. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  8. "New owners and name announced for Waterloo's arena football league". KWWL. 19 October 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  9. Wheeler, Wyatt D. (9 March 2023). "'The Arena League' football is coming to Springfield in 2024. Here's what to know". Springfield News-Leader. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  10. Cullinan, Mike (17 March 2023). "Arena football league selects Springfield for first team". Springfield Business Journal. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  11. "Duluth arena football team names owner". Duluth News Tribune. 28 July 2023.
  12. Young, Mason (July 18, 2023). "The Arena League brings Kansas City Goats, unique indoor football experience to town". The Kansas City Star.
  13. "Owner reveals name for Springfield's new Arena League football team". KY3. June 14, 2023.
  14. Pinson, Chris (5 December 2023). "Lunkers reel in Springfield native Rush". Ozarks First. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  15. "Our 2024 Regular Season Schedule is here!". Facebook.
  16. "Rules". The Arena League. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  17. "The Arena League Referees". youtube.com.
  18. "Schedule Change: Ozarks Lunkers playing at home Saturday against the Kansas City Goats". KY3. 25 June 2024. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  19. "Schedule - The Arena League". thearenaleague.football.
  20. Goldman, Charles (18 June 2024). "Former Kansas City Chiefs tryout emerging as superstar two-way player in fledgling Arena League". A to Z Sports. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  21. Cooper, Nick (24 January 2024). "Duluth Harbor Monsters arena football team partners with The FAN 106.5 as exclusive radio home". Northland FAN. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  22. "KCRG to air Arena League Football". KCRG. 21 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  23. "KY3 broadcasting Ozarks Lunkers Arena League Football games".
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