2013 Arena Football League season

The 2013 Arena Football League season was the 26th season in the history of the league. The regular season began on March 23, 2013, with a five-game slate, the first of which to kick off being between the Utah Blaze and the Pittsburgh Power, and ended on July 27, 2013, with the Utah Blaze and Cleveland Gladiators as the last game to kick off.[1][2] The Arizona Rattlers defeated the Philadelphia Soul by a 48–39 score in ArenaBowl XXVI to conclude the league's playoffs.[3]

2013 Arena Football League season
LeagueArena Football League
SportArena football
DurationMarch 23, 2013 – August 17, 2013
Regular season
Season championsArizona Rattlers
Season MVPErik Meyer, SPO
AFL Playoffs
American Conference championsPhiladelphia Soul
  American Conference runners-upJacksonville Sharks
National Conference championsArizona Rattlers
  National Conference runners-upSpokane Shock
ArenaBowl XXVI
ChampionsArizona Rattlers
  Runners-upPhiladelphia Soul
Finals MVPRod Windsor, ARZ
AFL seasons
2013 Arena Football League season is located in the United States
Gladiators
Gladiators
Power
Power
Soul
Soul
Predators
Predators
Sharks
Sharks
Storm
Storm
VooDoo
VooDoo
Barnstormers
Barnstormers
Rush
Rush
Talons
Talons
Blaze
Blaze
Rattlers
Rattlers
SaberCats
SaberCats
Shock
Shock
American: East, South
National: West, Central

League business

Teams

The league dropped to 14 teams during the offseason. The Kansas City Command ceased operations on August 23, 2012,[4] as well as the Georgia Force on October 14, 2012.[5] The Milwaukee Mustangs suspended operations for 2013, eyeing a return to play in the 2014 season.[6]

Television

It was announced on November 13, 2012, that the league had reached an agreement with CBS Sports Network to air 19 regular-season games, as well as two playoff games. The network was scheduled to air the league's "game of the week" each Saturday. The main CBS network was to televise ArenaBowl XXVI on August 17, 2013.[3]

Regular season standings

American Conference
East Division
TeamWLPCTPFPADIVCONHomeAway
(2) Philadelphia Soul126.66710528392–26–35–47–2
Cleveland Gladiators[a]414.22284710472–23–73–61–8
Pittsburgh Power414.22272610142–24–81–83–6
South Division
TeamWLPCTPFPADIVCONHomeAway
(1) Jacksonville Sharks[b]126.6679418836–011–06–36–3
(3) Orlando Predators[c]711.38996510322–45–74–53–6
(4) Tampa Bay Storm711.3899599802–44–62–75–4
New Orleans VooDoo513.27883310692–44–63–62–7
National Conference
Central Division
TeamWLPCTPFPADIVCONHomeAway
(2) Chicago Rush[d]108.5569739472–25–53–57–3
San Antonio Talons108.5567828842–23–84–56–3
Iowa Barnstormers612.3338279132–23–72–74–5
West Division
TeamWLPCTPFPADIVCONHomeAway
(1) Arizona Rattlers153.83312038664–29–38–17–2
(3) Spokane Shock144.77811988964–28–27–27–2
(4) San Jose SaberCats135.72210338773–36–48–25–3
Utah Blaze711.3898969881–53–84–53–6

Eight teams qualify for the playoffs: four teams from each conference, of which two are division champions and the other two have the best records of the teams remaining.[7]

Key:  Conference and division champion  Division champion  Clinched playoff berth 

Tie-breakers

  • a Cleveland finished in second place in the East Division based on their greater point differential in head-to-head competition with Pittsburgh.
  • b Jacksonville clinched the American Conference's No. 1 seed based on their win over Philadelphia.
  • c Orlando clinched the American Conference's No. 3 seed based on a greater conference record than Tampa Bay.
  • d Chicago clinched the Central Division based on their greater point differential in games against common opponents with San Antonio.

Playoffs

Conference SemifinalsConference ChampionshipArenaBowl XXVI
         
1Jacksonville69
4Tampa Bay62
1Jacksonville59
American Conference
2Philadelphia75
2Philadelphia59
3Orlando55
A2Philadelphia39
N1Arizona48
1Arizona59
4San Jose49
1Arizona65
National Conference
3Spokane57
2Chicago47
3Spokane69
  • Note: Due to "arena conflicts," the Chicago Rush did not host the playoff game.[8]

Conference semifinals

ConferenceDateKickoffAwayHomeFinal scoreGame siteRecap
NationalAugust 110:00 p.m. EDTChicago RushSpokane ShockSpokane, 67–49Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena[9]
AmericanAugust 37:00 p.m. EDTTampa Bay StormJacksonville SharksJacksonville, 69–62Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena[10]
AmericanAugust 37:05 p.m. EDTOrlando PredatorsPhiladelphia SoulPhiladelphia, 59–55Wells Fargo Center[11]
NationalAugust 48:00 p.m. EDTSan Jose SaberCatsArizona RattlersArizona, 59–49US Airways Center[12]

Conference championships

ConferenceDateKickoffAwayHomeFinal scoreGame siteRecap
AmericanAugust 107:00 p.m. EDTPhiladelphia SoulJacksonville SharksPhiladelphia, 75–59Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena[13]
NationalAugust 109:00 p.m. EDTSpokane ShockArizona RattlersArizona, 65–57US Airways Center[14]

ArenaBowl XXVI

DateKickoffAwayHomeFinal scoreGame siteRecap
August 171:00 p.m. EDTPhiladelphia SoulArizona RattlersArizona, 48–39Amway Center[15]

All-Arena team

Offense
PositionFirst teamSecond team
QuarterbackErik Meyer, SpokaneNick Davila, Arizona
FullbackDerrick Ross, PhiladelphiaOdie Armstrong, Arizona
Wide receiverAdron Tennell, Spokane
Joe Hills, Tampa Bay
Anthony Jones, Philadelphia
Rod Windsor, Arizona
Reggie Gray, Chicago
Jeron Harvey, Jacksonville
CenterBrennen Carvalho, PhiladelphiaBilly Eisenhardt, Arizona
Offensive linemanChristian Johnson, Philadelphia
Rich Ranglin, Arizona
Michael Huey, Arizona
George Bussey, San Jose
Defense
PositionFirst teamSecond team
Defensive endJoe Sykes, San Antonio
Bryan Robinson, Philadelphia
Mike Lewis, Iowa
Jerry Turner, Jacksonville
Nose guardTim McGill, San AntonioJason Stewart, San Jose
Middle linebackerFrancis Maka, San JoseAaron Robbins, Jacksonville
Jack linebackerJamar Ransom, San AntonioHuey Whittaker, San Jose
Defensive backClevan Thomas, San Jose
Virgil Gray, Arizona
Terrance Smith, Jacksonville
Rayshaun Kizer, Philadelphia
Arkeith Brown, Arizona
Fred Shaw, San Antonio
Special teams
PositionFirst teamSecond team
KickerGarrett Lindholm, ArizonaCarlos Martinez, Philadelphia
Kick returnerTerrance Sanders, SpokaneDominic Jones, Orlando

References