Mid Continental Football League

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Mid Continental Football League
Current season or competition: 2008 Mid Continental Football League season
Sport	American football
Founded	1991
Commissioner	Ted R. Serama (President)
No. of teams	12
Country(ies)	United States
Most recent champion(s)	Detroit Black Ravens
Official website	MCFL Homepage

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.

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] 2008

Main article: 2008 Mid Continental Football League season

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 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.

[edit] Teams

States that host MCFL teams. Red = states that currently have MCFL teams. Blue = states that have defunct teams or teams no longer part of MCFL. *Canada not included.

Helmet	Team	Location	Founded	Joined MCFL
American Division
	Central Kentucky Studs	Danville, Kentucky	2008	2008
	Columbus Fire	Bexley, Ohio	1997	2007
	Detroit Seminoles	Detroit, Michigan	1994	2003
	Flint Fury	Flint, Michigan	2003	2005
	Hardin County Wolverines	Elizabethtown, Kentucky	2003	2007
	Kings Comets	Sharonville, Ohio	1998	1999
National Division
	Detroit Ravens	Berkley, Michigan	2004	2007
	Indiana Mustangs	Noblesville, Indiana	1991	1993
	Louisville Bulls	Louisville, Kentucky	1988	1992
	Kentucky/Ohio Xtreme	Cincinnati, Ohio	2007	2007
	Ohio Swarm	Dublin, Ohio	1993	1994
	Southern Michigan Timberwolves	Monroe, Michigan	1994	1994

[edit] Championship Teams

Main article: Mid Continental Football League Championship game

• 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

[edit] Former/Defunct Teams

[edit] USA Bowl

Further information: 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.^{[citation needed]} The game has been typically held in the Miami Orange Bowl.

The Detorit Ravens are the 2007 MCFL champs, they won the USA Bowl on January 19, 2008.

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

[edit] All-Star Series

[edit] 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.

[edit] MCFL vs AFL All-Star Game

Further information: Alliance Football League

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.

[edit] MCFL vs MOFL All-Star Game

Further information: Mid Ohio Football League

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.

[edit] 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.^{[citation needed]}

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.

[edit] External links

• Official Website
• Official Messageboard
• Semi-pro Football Headquarters
• MG's Helmets, creator of page's helmets