National Gridiron League (United States)

The National Gridiron League (NGL) is a proposed gridiron football league. Prior to the postponed 2019 season, the league logo used was a near copy of the former United Football League, while many of the team names and logos are also copies of former football teams. League chairman McClendon said that those trademarks had expired and it makes good business sense to recycle them in an attempt to capture the already existing fan-bases.[1]

This article is about the proposed indoor American football league. For the Australia-based gridiron league, see National Gridiron League (Australia).
National Gridiron League
SportIndoor football
Founded2017
FounderJoe E. McClendon, III
PresidentJoe E. McClendon, III
No. of teams12
CountryUnited States
Official websitewww.nationalgridiron.com

History

Initially the league announced that it had planned to start play as an indoor football league in spring 2019, with 12 teams aligned in two divisions[2] starting on March 30, 2019, and conclude with the inaugural Gridiron Bowl game on August 10, 2019, in Biloxi, Mississippi.[3] However, the league pushed back the announced start of the inaugural season to May 2019 amid reports the league has not had finalized leases for many of its teams.[4][5][6]

By April 2, team coaches informed the players the season was canceled as the league was not going to be able to honor their original contracts and that none of the team staff or coaches had ever been paid.[7][8] League chairman Joe McClendon announced the following day that league had postponed its inaugural season to 2020 citing organizational changes in personnel and the suspension of operations of the Alliance of American Football.[9] Its personnel later sued the league over their claims of non-payment for their work.[10]

The league continued pursuits of a 2020 season including announcing player signings and scheduled Organized Team Activities (OTAs) for January 24–26, 2020.[11] However, all OTAs were canceled the evening of January 24 after players had started arriving.[12] The league then announced that teams would be allowed to play outdoors.[13] The 2020 season was postponed amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.[14]

Teams

Announced 2019 teams

As of February 21, 2019. Cities in italics were locations identified by the league website, but no leases for an arena were confirmed to have been signed in the listed location.[15] Since the postponement, all arena references on the league website have been removed and most coaches have either been changed or moved on to other leagues.

TeamLocationArenaHead coachFounded
Eastern Conference
Georgia WildcatsAlbany, GeorgiaAlbany Civic CenterSanto Stephens2018
Indiana Blue BombersFort Wayne, IndianaAllen County War Memorial Coliseum[16]Kelvin Kinney2018
Indiana FirebirdsEvansville, IndianaFord CenterNick Hart2018
Pennsylvania PioneersWilkes-Barre, PennsylvaniaMohegan Sun Arena at Casey PlazaRyan Lingenfelder2018
Virginia DestroyersHampton, VirginiaHampton ColiseumDurwood Roquemore2018
Virginia Iron HorsesRoanoke, VirginiaBerglund CenterJermaine Hampton2018
Western Conference
Arkansas TwistersLittle Rock, ArkansasVerizon Arena[17]Matt Diniak2018
Baton Rouge RedsticksBaton Rouge, LouisianaRaising Cane's River CenterDamon Mason2018
Kansas Kapitals[18]Topeka, KansasKansas ExpocentreCarlos Cavanaugh2018
Mississippi MudcatsJackson, MississippiMississippi ColiseumB. J. Cohen2018
Saint Louis StampedeSt. Charles, MissouriFamily ArenaPat Pimmel[lower-alpha 1]2018
Texas BighornsBeaumont, TexasFord Arena[20]Josh Bush2018
  1. Resigned in 2019.[19]

2020 teams

As of March 26, 2020.[21] No home venues are confirmed to have been signed in any listed location although they are listed on the posted schedule.[22]

DivisionTeamLocationVenueHead coach
Eastern Conference
NorthDayton FirebirdsDayton, OhioRoger Glass StadiumQuentin Jones[lower-alpha 1][23]
Indiana Blue BombersFort Wayne, IndianaBishop John M. D'Arcy StadiumMicheal Coleman[24]
Pittsburgh PioneersGreensburg, PennsylvaniaHempfield Area StadiumVacant[25]
SouthAtlanta WildcatsClarkston, GeorgiaJames R. Hallford StadiumJulius Gant[26]
Virginia Beach Destroyers[27]Virginia Beach, VirginiaVirginia Beach Sportsplex StadiumVacant[27]
Virginia Iron HorsesSalem, VirginiaSalem Football StadiumJermaine Hampton
Western Conference
NorthArkansas TwistersLittle Rock, ArkansasWar Memorial StadiumMatt Diniak
Kansas City KapitalsKansas City, MissouriKansas City Municipal AuditoriumAdrian Perez[28]
Saint Louis StampedeSauget, IllinoisGCS Credit Union BallparkJeffery Hunt[29]
SouthBaton Rouge RedsticksBaker, LouisianaBaker StadiumB. J. Cohen[30]
Houston BighornsCypress, TexasCy-Fair FCU StadiumJerrian James[31]
Mississippi MudcatsJackson, MississippiMississippi Veterans Memorial StadiumChristopher Parker[32]
  1. Nick Hart resigned in 2020.[12]

Personnel
  • Chairman and president: Joe E. McClendon, III
  • Chief operating officer: Larry Barlow
  • Director of football development: Eddie Brown

References
  1. "New Roanoke arena football league tells city leaders league is still on track". WSLS-TV. March 22, 2019.
  2. "About Us". National Gridiron League. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  3. "Events". National Gridiron League. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  4. "Indiana Firebirds to play shorter schedule than originally planned". TristateHomepage.com. March 12, 2019.
  5. "Will arena football actually come to Roanoke?". WSLS-TV. March 12, 2019.
  6. "Arena football could return to region". The Citizens' Voice. March 2, 2019.
  7. "Letter: Blue Bombers inaugural season canceled". WANE-TV. April 2, 2019.
  8. "Blue Bombers coaches not paid a cent, amidst potential folding of NGL". WPTA. April 3, 2019.
  9. "Arkansas Twisters return pushed back to 2020". KATV. April 3, 2019.
  10. "Former Indiana Firebirds president Jim Riggs sues National Gridiron League in federal court". Evansville Courier & Press. June 25, 2019.
  11. "OTAS NEXT ON TAP FOR TEAMS". NGL. December 20, 2019.
  12. "National Gridiron League, Evansville indoor football team leave players stranded". Evansville Courier & Press. January 31, 2020.
  13. "NGL APPROVES TEAMS TO PLAY IN OUTDOOR VENUES". NGL. February 28, 2020.
  14. "NGL TO DELAY 2020 START DUE TO HEALTH CONCERNS". NGL. March 12, 2020.
  15. "Indoor football team still hasn't returned lease agreement". The Journal Gazette. October 17, 2018.
  16. "Coliseum OKs indoor football". The Journal Gazette. December 6, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  17. "Arkansas Twisters to be part of National Gridiron League, play games at Verizon Arena". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. January 31, 2019.
  18. "Indoor arena football team coming to Topeka in 2019". WIBW. June 21, 2018.
  19. "Pat Pimmel Facebook post on March, 24, 2019". Facebook. March 24, 2019.
  20. Gibson, Raegan (February 19, 2019). "Beaumont to welcome arena football, Bighorns team to Ford Park". KBMT. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  21. "Teams". NGL. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  22. "2020 schedule". NGL. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  23. "Dayton Firebirds – Stats". NGL. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  24. "Indiana Blue Bombers– Stats". NGL. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  25. "Pittsburgh Pioneers – Stats". NGL. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  26. "Atlanta Wildcats – Stats". NGL. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  27. "Virginia Beach Destroyers – Stats". NGL. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  28. "Kansas City Kapitals – Stats". NGL. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  29. "Saint Louis Stampede – Stats". NGL. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  30. "Baton Rouge Redsticks – Stats". NGL. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  31. "Houston Bighorns – Stats". NGL. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  32. "Mississippi Mudcats – Stats". NGL. Retrieved March 26, 2020.


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