Indoor Football League adds four expansion teams as league targets 24 franchises
Todd Tryon during 2026 IFL Championship Media Day / Anthony Carter - Arena Insider
TUCSON, Ariz. — The Indoor Football League is continuing to expand its footprint, bringing in four new teams as it sets its sights on a goal of 24 franchises.
The league held a media day Saturday ahead of Sunday’s 2026 National Championship featuring the Arizona Rattlers and the 2025 IFL national championship runners-up, the Green Bay Blizzard.
During the event, IFL Commissioner Todd Tryon formally announced expansion teams in Austin, Texas, Athens, Georgia; Savannah, Georgia; and the Arkansas Diamonds, who currently compete in The Arena League. All four teams are expected to compete beginning in the 2027 season.
The additions, along with the Massachusetts Pirates’ relocation to Orlando, give the IFL a stronger presence in the Southeast and fulfill the league’s promise to build around Jacksonville.
“Last year when we stood here, we were at a 14-team league,” Tryon said. “We brought on Jacksonville a couple years ago, and our word to them was, ‘Hey, I know you’re on an island, but we’re going to build around you.’ … I’m proud to announce that we now have a southeastern division down there.”
Tryon emphasized that the league will continue to have Eastern and Western conferences next year, with nine teams in each, as it works toward its goal of 24 total teams.
“It’s not easy to get in our league. You come to us about eight to 10 months ahead of time, and you have to go through a huge process,” IFL President Jared Widman told Arena Insider. “We need to know you are able to run a team both financially and operationally. We’ve never had a team cancel the season midseason. We finish our season, we get good and strong ownership, and it’s helped this league succeed for 18 years.”
Green Bay Blizzard owner Kathy Treankler, who currently serves on the IFL executive committee, said the expansion process is strategic and involves more than simply adding teams.
“Historically, most of the arena leagues out there grow fast and then shrink fast and go away,” Treankler told Arena Insider. “We want to do this very methodically, and we want to do this with purpose, and I think that’s what makes us different. We really vet our new owners. We make sure they are in a demographic that we need and can sustain their growth in their community.”
With six spots remaining before the league reaches its 24-team goal, the IFL could turn its attention to the Northeast. During the IFL’s inaugural Cup series at American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Widman noted its eyeing a team specifically for that area.
“A really smart guy once told me the best way to predict a future is to create it. We didn’t come to New Jersey for no reason. I’m not saying it’s guaranteed, but coming real soon, American Dream is not the only place in this parking lot that you’re going to be able to see indoor football,” Widman said in May.
At the beginning of Saturday’s news conference, Tryon said more than 6 million people watched IFL games this season through the IFL’s streaming partners. He expects viewership to continue growing as the league adds new markets.
“The IFL is growing, and we’re heading in the right direction,” Tryon said. “It’s going to keep going. We’re a platform where you can build your brand, whether it’s on the field or off the field.
“It’s never been done in the history of our game.”
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