2013 Arena Football League season

The 2013 Arena Football League season was the 26th 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 kick off 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 kick off.[1][2] The Arizona Rattlers defeated the Philadelphia Soul by a 48–39 score in ArenaBowl XXVI to conclude the league's playoffs.[3]

2013 Arena Football League season
LeagueArena Football League
SportArena football
DurationMarch 23, 2013 – August 17, 2013
Regular season
Season championsArizona Rattlers
Season MVPErik Meyer, SPO
AFL Playoffs
American Conference championsPhiladelphia Soul
  American Conference runners-upJacksonville Sharks
National Conference championsArizona Rattlers
  National Conference runners-upSpokane Shock
ArenaBowl XXVI
ChampionsArizona Rattlers
  Runners-upPhiladelphia Soul
Finals MVPRod Windsor, ARZ

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 was scheduled to air the league's "game of the week" each Saturday. The main CBS network was to 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]

Key:  Conference and division champion  •  Division champion  •  Clinched playoff berth 

Tie-breakers
  • a Cleveland finished in second place in the East Division based on their greater point differential in head-to-head competition with Pittsburgh.
  • b Jacksonville clinched the American Conference's No. 1 seed based on their win over Philadelphia.
  • c Orlando clinched the American Conference's No. 3 seed based on a greater conference record than Tampa Bay.
  • d Chicago clinched the Central Division based on their greater point differential in games against common opponents with San Antonio.

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
  • Note: Due to "arena conflicts," the Chicago Rush did not host the playoff game.[8]

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]

All-Arena team
Offense
Position First team Second team
Quarterback Erik Meyer, Spokane Nick Davila, Arizona
Fullback Derrick Ross, Philadelphia Odie Armstrong, Arizona
Wide receiver Adron Tennell, Spokane
Joe Hills, Tampa Bay
Anthony Jones, Philadelphia		 Rod Windsor, Arizona
Reggie Gray, Chicago
Jeron Harvey, Jacksonville
Center Brennen Carvalho, Philadelphia Billy Eisenhardt, Arizona
Offensive lineman Christian Johnson, Philadelphia
Rich Ranglin, Arizona		 Michael Huey, Arizona
George Bussey, San Jose
Defense
Position First team Second team
Defensive end Joe Sykes, San Antonio
Bryan Robinson, Philadelphia		 Mike Lewis, Iowa
Jerry Turner, Jacksonville
Nose guard Tim McGill, San Antonio Jason Stewart, San Jose
Middle linebacker Francis Maka, San Jose Aaron Robbins, Jacksonville
Jack linebacker Jamar Ransom, San Antonio Huey Whittaker, San Jose
Defensive back Clevan Thomas, San Jose
Virgil Gray, Arizona
Terrance Smith, Jacksonville		 Rayshaun Kizer, Philadelphia
Arkeith Brown, Arizona
Fred Shaw, San Antonio
Special teams
Position First team Second team
Kicker Garrett Lindholm, Arizona Carlos Martinez, Philadelphia
Kick returner Terrance Sanders, Spokane Dominic Jones, Orlando
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References
  1. "AFL Announces 2013 Schedule". Arena Football League. November 13, 2012. Archived from the original on February 16, 2013. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
  2. "2013 AFL Schedule" (PDF). Arena Football League. November 13, 2012. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
  3. "AFL, CBS Sports Network Sign Two-Year TV Agreement". Arena Football League. November 13, 2012. Archived from the original on February 16, 2013. 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. Archived from the original on 2012-12-17. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
  7. "Playoff Qualification, Selection of Teams". Arenafootball.com. Archived from the original on 2013-08-07. 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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