Mid Continental Football League

Infobox sports league
title = Mid Continental Football League

current_season =
pixels = 200px
sport = American football
founded = 1991
fame =
motto =
teams = 12
country = USA
champion = Detroit Seminoles
most_champs = Detroit Seminoles (3), Kane County Eagles (3), and Southern Michigan Timberwolves (3)
website = [http://www.mcfl.org MCFL Homepage]
ceo = Ted R. Serama (President)
TV =

The Mid Continental Football League (MCFL) is a semi-professional football league formed in 1991. Teams usually consist of unpaid athletes and volunteer staff working together to field a competitive and professional product both on and off the field.

Overview

The league currently consisting of 12 teams in the Kentucky (3), Indiana (1), Ohio (4), and Michigan (4) areas.

The MCFL operates under the guidance of an executive committee. This committee is made up of different people from various teams within the league. There is also a Board of Directors, consisting of the general managers from each member team. These board members represent the one vote per team in the league.

The MCFL is a member of the American Football Association, which serves as the national organization for non-professional leagues and teams from coast-to-coast.

The regular season is a nine-week schedule during which each team has one bye week and plays eight.

At the end of each regular season, eight teams, form an eight-team single-elimination tournament that culminates with the MCFL Championship game. This game is held at the home stadium of the team with the highest seed remaining at the end of the playoffs. During the spring, following the championship game, selected all-star players from all teams meet in the MCFL All-Star game, held in various locations in past years.

League History

The MCFL began play in 1991. The founding four members were the Cleveland Falcons, Dayton Steelers, Wyandot Chiefs, and Shenango Valley Blasters. The Cleveland Falcons defeated the Dayton Steelers 7-0 to win the first MCFL Championship game.

As of 2008, the MCFL has a presence Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio. The MCFL once had a presence in Illinois, Missouri, New York, Ontario, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The New York teams split off in 1997 and became the New York Amateur Football League.Fact|date=April 2008

2008

The Cleveland Lions will not play in 2008, the team will take a leave of absence.

The West Michigan Force have joined the United States Football Alliance for 2008.

The Central Kentucky Studs (later renamed the Chargers) were admitted to the MCFL by the Expansion Committee on February 24, 2008 by a vote of 5-4. They are currently the only team admitted for the 2008 Season.

The league has now converted to two divisions for teams. The National Division and American Division.

Teams

Championship Teams

*1991 - Cleveland Falcons
*1992 - Cleveland Falcons
*1993 - Toronto Athletics
*1994 - Toledo Thunder
*1995 - Racine Raiders
*1996 - Southern Michigan Timberwolves
*1997 - Southern Michigan Timberwolves
*1998 - Kane County Eagles
*1999 - Southern Michigan Timberwolves
*2000 - Kane County Eagles
*2001 - Kane County Eagles
*2002 - Cleveland Lions
*2003 - Detroit Seminoles
*2004 - Cleveland Lions
*2005 - Detroit Seminoles
*2006 - West Michigan Force
*2007 - Detroit Ravens
*2008 - Detroit Seminoles

Former/Defunct Teams

*Buffalo Gladiators
*Buffalo Lancers
*Canton Hurricanes
*Central Ohio Lions
*Chicago Panthers
*Cincinnati Chargers
*Cincinnati Cowboys
*Cincinnati Falcons
*Cleveland Falcons
*Cleveland Lions
*Columbus Sharks
*Cook County Cardinals
*Dayton Drive
*Dayton Steelers
*Detroit Panthers
*Erie Hawks
*Evansville Vipers
*Fort Wayne/River City Rhinos
*Genesee Bandits
*Hornell Dragons
*Illinois Flying Tigers
*Jackson Bombers
*Kalamazoo Tornadoes
*Kane County Eagles
*Lafayette Generals
*Lafayette Lions
*Lockport Invaders

*Lorian County Rebels
*Lorian County Steelmen
*Michigan Bearcats
*Michigan Renegades
*Michigan Twisters
*Milwaukee Marauders
*Monroe County Wildcats
*North Coast Rebles
*Northern Kentucky Raiders
*Pontiac Chargers
*Racine Raiders
*Rochester Warriors
*Sangamo Express
*Shenango Valley Blasters
*Springfield Buccaneers
*St. Louis Bulldogs
*St. Louis Outlaws
*Stark County Wolfpack
*Syracuse Express
*Toledo Thunder
*Toronto Athletics
*West Michigan Force
*Will County Buccaneers
*Will County Force
*Wyandot Chiefs

USA Bowl

At the end of each season, the winner of the MCFL Championship game has the option to travel to Miami, Florida to compete in the USA Bowl against another semi-pro team who has won their league's championship game. The winning team is given the title of National Champions. However, this title is often disputed because the title is not official. Fact|date=April 2007 The game has been typically held in the Miami Orange Bowl.

With the destruction of the Miami Orange Bowl, it is unknown if the USA Bowl will continue at this venue or at all.

All-Star Series

MCFL All-Star Game

Up until the 2006 season, the MCFL held a traditional all-star game. The league would be split up into two teams (red and blue) and pit the best players of the league against the other.

MCFL vs AFL All-Star Game

In 2006, the MCFL agreed to send their best players to compete in an annual all-star game against the Alliance Football League.

On Saturday May 27th, 2006. The MCFL played the AFL all-stars in Bluefield, West Virginia.

The MCFL All-Stars hosted the AFL All-Stars on May 26th, 2007 in Kings Mills, OH. However, at the time, the AFL had folded with most of the teams forming the United South Football League. The remaining teams, the Bluefield Barrons and the Knoxville Knights, played independent schedules for the rest of the season. With the AFL only being made of two teams, the AFL sent the Barrons and other select players from the AFL to compete in the All-Star game. Effectively making the game the MCFL All-Stars vs the Bluefield Barrons with all-star caliber players from other AFL teams. The MCFL won by a score of 40-7.

The AFL will continue in 2008, but the series between the AFL and MCFL has been discontinued in favor of replacing the AFL with the Mid Ohio Football League.

MCFL vs MOFL All-Star Game

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Name=Mid Continental Football League vs. Mid Ohio Football League All-Star Game
Date=May 10, 2008
Year=2008
Visitor School=Mid Ohio Football League
Visitor Name Short=MOFL
Visitor Nickname=
Visitor Record=0-1
Visitor TSN=
Visitor FBS=
Visitor Coach=
Visitor1=0
Visitor2=0
Visitor3=0
Visitor4=0
Visitor Total=0
Home School=Mid Continental Football League
Home Name Short=MCFL
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Home Record=1-0
Home

Home Coaches=
Home Coach=
Home1=7
Home2=17
Home3=7
Home4=27
Home Total=58
Type=All-Star Game
Stadium=Withrow High School
City=Cincinnati, Ohio
Referee=
Attendance=
US Network=
US Announcers=

On May 10th, 2008, the MCFL played the Mid Ohio Football League in an All-Star game in Cincinnati, Ohio. The MCFL won by a score of 58 to 0.

Logo

This logo, depicting the flags of the United States and Canada, was possibly first used by the league in 1993, when Canadian teams entered the league. Fact|date=February 2007

The current logo contains an image of the American flag, a football, and a red helmet with a white facemask with 'MCFL' in white letters on the side. The logo also contains ten stars. There is not specific reasoning for the number of stars.

External links

* [http://www.mcfl.org/ Official Website]
* [http://www.mcfl.org/smf/ Official Messageboard]
* [http://www.semiprofootball.org/ Semi-pro Football Headquarters]
* [http://www.mghelmets.com/ MG's Helmets, creator of page's helmets]