International Football Alliance

International Football Alliance
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2025 IFA season
SportAmerican football
Founded2023
First season2025
Owner(s)Jason Bradly Adams [1] [2] via Collective Entertainment Group, LLC (Inactive) [3]
CommissionerJuan Manuel Bladé Cavazos
No. of teams6 [4]
CountryMexico and United States
HeadquartersNampa, Idaho
Related
competitions		LFA, ELF, GFL, IFL, AF1, NAL, FCF, GDFL, AAL2
Official websitewww.ifa.football

The International Football Alliance (IFA) is represented to be a professional, outdoor, 11-man American football summer minor league that will operate internationally in both Mexico (1 team) and the United States (5 teams) in 2025 (postponed from 2024).[5][6][7]

IFA's disputed ambition to become the first "international" American football league, featuring a team in Mexico, has been dashed by Arena Football One's (AF1) recent announcement of a new arena team in Monterrey, Mexico, set to begin its season in March/April 2025 (prior to IFA's start), with plans of future expansion in Canada. [8]

Premise

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The IFA's aim is to "deliver the highest level of American football," and "build a unified and solid American football ecosystem in Mexico,"[6] while the league mission statement reads: "The International Football Alliance mission is bridging the gap in international professional football by delivering the highest level of American Football within the locations of Mexico and the United States, implementing NFL based standard rules of play, and creating an international alliance. Together with our team ownership, teams, players, and fans, we will work to build a unified and solid football ecosystem to grow American football in Mexico".[9]

History

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The IFA was announced on January 25, 2023, in a press conference held by commissioner Juan Manuel Bladé.[6] Bladé revealed that the league will consist of six teams—three in Mexico and three in the United States (it was later revealed that four of them are derived from the now-defunct Fútbol Americano de México league).

In January, 2024 the league announced their plans to push the inaugural season to 2025, after securing only five teams for 2024.[10] The IFA also announced four more teams for 2025 in Tampa Bay, Florida (Tampa Bay Tornadoes), Huntsville, Alabama (Alabama Beavers), Portland, Oregon (under the name PDX) and Louisiana (Gulf Coast Tarpons),[11] while the later two would be removed from the website on later date. The league also announced they reached broadcast agreement with Right Now TV for over-the-air and streaming broadcasts.[12]

Teams

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The IFA has announced 6 founding member cities, 4 of which are derived from the now-defunct Fútbol Americano de México league (with the Pioneros relocating to Dallas), one "El Paso team" and additional unspecified US-based team. Commissioner Juan Manuel Bladé Cavazos stated the IFA would like to have a team in Mexico City upon procurement of a suitable ownership group. Cavazos further stated the plan is to have 10 teams by 2025, split between the 2 countries, while California and Florida are states with prospective member cities.[13] In August 2023, an ESPN report indicated that that the IFA would have three US based teams, one in Dallas, one in San Diego,[14] and an additional Texas based team.[15] In October 2023, El Paso, Texas, was removed from the official website. On November 29, 2023, the league announced Las Vegas as its second US location after the Las Vegas Kings joined from the American Indoor Football Alliance.[16][17] On December 19, 2023 the league announced its sixth team - the Gulf Coast Tarpons,[18][19] but a month later the team was removed from the league website, while adding Mexico City as "targeted Location". In January, 2024 the league announced three more teams for 2025 in Tampa Bay, Florida (Tampa Bay Tornadoes), Huntsville, Alabama (Alabama Beavers), Portland, Oregon (under the name PDX).[11] In April 2024 IFA Portland were removed from the website. In June, 2024 San Antonio was announced as the league eighth team.[20]

3 U.S. Teams (LAS VEGAS, PORTLAND, GULF COAST) and 2 Mexico Teams (CANCUN and GUADALAJARA) teams have been removed from the IFA's website without explanation. [21]

Current teams

[edit]
Team City Stadium Capacity Coach
Mexico
Chihuahua Rebellion Juárez City, Chihuahua Estadio Olímpico Universitario 22,000 Mauricio Balderrama
United States
Alabama Beavers Huntsville, Alabama Joe W. Davis Stadium[22] 6,000
Dallas Pioneers[23] Dallas, Texas De Soto High School 11,000 Art Briles
Tampa Tornadoes Tampa, Florida Leto High School 5,000 Stevie Thomas
San Antonio Caballeros San Antonio, Texas Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium 6,000 Hal Mumme
Baltimore Lightning Baltimore, Maryland Eric Marty

Players

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Each team will carry a 53-man roster (40 active on game day) and seven players on the practice squad, with a maximum of 20 American players (similar to the Canadian Football League),[24][7] with a goal of attracting international players. The players will be selected after participating in IFA-organized combine tryouts.[7] Each team must carry two quarterbacks on the active roster and one on the practice squad.[25] Players with dual citizenship (United States + 1 country) may be submitted against either the 20 American player cap or the 33 International player cap (per team). For the 2025 season, each team will carry 53 man roster with a minimum of 5 international players.[26]

Compensation

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Salaries were first reported as "similar" to the ELF, XFL, and USFL.[6] The league later announced that "player pay will be determined per team, with league standards are $400–$1500 per game," but the league would later stated that all players will get paid $400 per game, while only active QB's making $1500 per game.[27] During training camp the players will make $100 per-week, plus room and board.[25]

Coaches

[edit]

In August 2023, ESPN reported that the IFA hired former Baylor coach Art Briles as the head coach of Dallas Pioneers and the league confirmed that report later that day.[28] In June 2024 Hal Mumme was announced as the head coach for IFA San Antonio.[29] In August 2024, Eric Marty announced he had accepted the head coaching position of a theretofore-unannounced IFA member, the Baltimore Lightning of Baltimore, Maryland, which had played the 2023 season in the Gridiron Developmental Football League.

Season structure

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As of June 2024 the league plan is that each team will play a ten-game schedule with no bye weeks, with the season starting on June 7, 2025.[26]

Media

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In September they announced that league games will be available in the US through Roku an Tubi.[30] In January 2024 the IFA announced they reached broadcast agreement with Right Now TV for over-the-air and streaming broadcasts.[12]

Personnel

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Reference[31]

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ https://idaho.arrests.org/Arrests/Jason_Adams_27685923/
  2. ^ https://portal-idaho.tylertech.cloud/odysseyportal/Home/Dashboard/29
  3. ^ https://wyobiz.wyo.gov/Business/FilingDetails.aspx?eFNum=150132145204249107016052093036250075202202070179
  4. ^ https://www.ifa.football/about-1
  5. ^ "IFA Kickoff (Press Conference)". YouTube.
  6. ^ a b c d "Anuncian liga de futbol americano entre México y Estados Unidos". espn.com.ar (in Spanish). 15 May 2023.
  7. ^ a b c "Announcement of new Footbal [sic] League with teams from the United States and Mexico". Marca. 15 May 2023. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  8. ^ https://406mtsports.com/extra/monterrey-kings-arena-football-one/article_c47e0a3e-714e-11ef-b66c-a7c9b83c29ec.html
  9. ^ "Art Briles hired to coach Dallas team in International Football Alliance". On3. 11 August 2023.
  10. ^ "Kickoff 2025". International Football Alliance.
  11. ^ a b "Meet The Teams". International Football Alliance.
  12. ^ a b "International Football Alliance Reaches Broadcast Agreement with Right Now TV". FOX40. 23 January 2024.
  13. ^ "La International Football Alliance unirá a equipos de México y Estados Unidos". YouTube.com (in Spanish).
  14. ^ "Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report December 4, 2023". OurSports Central. 4 December 2023.
  15. ^ "Dallas' new spring football team hires ex-Baylor coach Art Briles". ESPN. 10 August 2023.
  16. ^ https://twitter.com/TheIFAFootball/status/1729895920903623084
  17. ^ "Las Vegas Kings Football Team Joins the International Football Alliance". PRLog.
  18. ^ "International Football Alliance Announces New Expansion with Gulf Coast Tarpons for the 2025". PR.
  19. ^ "Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report January 15, 2024". OurSports Central. 15 January 2024.
  20. ^ "Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report". OurSports Central.
  21. ^ https://www.ifa.football/about-1
  22. ^ "Huntsville named official home of Alabama Beavers". WAAY31.
  23. ^ "Episode 150 – XFL vs. USFL: Talent "Arms Race"!". TheMarkcast.com.
  24. ^ "El Comisionado Juan Manuel Blade en Hi Sports (Parte 2)". YouTube.
  25. ^ a b "Spring Football Returns To Las Vegas In 2024". youtube.com.
  26. ^ a b "Hal Mumme - 6/12/2024". youtube.com.
  27. ^ "Frequently asked questions". International Football Alliance.
  28. ^ Williams, Madison (August 13, 2023). "Ex-Baylor Coach Art Briles Hired by New Football League". SI.com.
  29. ^ "Hal Mumme Set to Coach in the International Football Alliance (IFA)". Pro Football Newsroom.
  30. ^ "Our League is for the Players, Fans, and Communities...with that, we added two more American and International streaming platforms you can be seen on, watch on, and enjoy! Building an ecosystem of Professional International Football you players and fans can enjoy and be proud of!". IFA.
  31. ^ "Bridging The Gap Between Professional American Football United States + Mexico". ifa.football.
  32. ^ https://idaho.arrests.org/Arrests/Jason_Adams_27685923/
  33. ^ https://portal-idaho.tylertech.cloud/odysseyportal/Home/Dashboard/29
  34. ^ https://wyobiz.wyo.gov/Business/FilingDetails.aspx?eFNum=150132145204249107016052093036250075202202070179
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