Post by fwp on Dec 15, 2009 18:46:25 GMT -5
www.tri-cityherald.com/1026/story/830425.html
KENNEWICK -- The Tri-Cities Fever was one of the last teams to join the Indoor Football League for the 2010 season, and now it will be one of the last teams to get its season started.
The Fever will start its inaugural season in the IFL with a bye week before opening its travel friendly schedule on the road March 8 at Fairbanks, Alaska, according to the schedule announced Monday by the league office.
"It's not ideal, because you feel like you are a week behind already," said Fever co-owner and general manager Teri Carr. "But I like it because it gives a chance to build some good rivalries."
The Fever will play 13 of its 14 games against Pacific North Division teams -- Billings, Mont., Kent, Alaska (Anchorage) and Fairbanks.
The team's lone out-of-division game is at Colorado on May 15.
Tri-Cities plays the first of its seven home games March 20 vs. Kent, the newest member of the IFL.
It is the first of four meetings between the two teams.
The 2010 IFL season gets under way Feb. 26 and runs until June 19. The 26-team league, which is split into six different divisions, is in its second season after the Intense Football League and the United Indoor Football league merged following the 2008 season.
The Fever has two plane trips to Alaska and one to Colorado. The team will bus to its other five road games.
Aside from the bye in the opening week, the Fever has one other big hiccup in its schedule. Tri-Cities is saddled with back-to-back bye weeks on March 27 and April 3. The Fever will play March 20 at home against Kent, and then is off until April 10 against Fairbanks.
Tri-Cities, which has played the past three seasons in the arenafootball2 league, will renew an old rivalry on March 14 at Billings, which won the IFL championship last season.
Tri-Cities and Billings were two of the top franchises in the National Indoor Football League in 2005-06. The Fever won the NIFL championship in 2005 and Billings in 2006.
MetraPark in Billings is also the site where the Fever had its 2006 season come to an end in the second round of the playoffs under then interim coach Ed Simmons.
Billings visits the Tri-Cities on April 24 -- the place where the Outlaws lost their only game of the 2006 season.
"I'm excited," Carr said.
-- The Fever had 14 players at Sunday's open tryout in Las Vegas. Coach Pat O'Hara said he has yet to sign anyone from the workout.
-- Pasco native Raul Vijil re-signed with the Spokane Shock last week. The receiver, who is the team's all-time leader in several offensive categories, will begin his fourth season with the Shock in March.
Fever 2010 schedule
@ Fairbanks, Monday, March 8
@ Billings, Sunday, March 14
Kent, Saturday, March 20
Fairbanks, Saturday, April 10
@ Kent, Sunday, April 18
Billings, Saturday, April 24
Alaska (Anchorage), Saturday, May 1
Kent, Saturday, May 8
@ Colorado, Saturday, May 15
@ Alaska, Sunday, May 23
Fairbanks, Saturday, May 29
@ Kent, Friday, June 4
Alaska, Saturday, June 12
@ Billings, Saturday, June 19
All home games start at 7:05 p.m.
IFL alignment
Intense Conference
Pacific North Division: Alaska (Anchorage), Billings, Fairbanks, Kent, Tri-Cities.
Lonestar West Division: Abilene, Amarillo, El Paso, Odessa.
Lonestar East Division: Arkansas, Austin, Corpus Christi, San Angelo.
United Conference
Atlantic East Division: Maryland, Richmond, Rochester, West Michigan.
Central North Division: Bloomington, Chicago, Green Bay, La Crosse.
Central West Division: Colorado, Omaha, Sioux City, Sioux Falls, Wichita.
KENNEWICK -- The Tri-Cities Fever was one of the last teams to join the Indoor Football League for the 2010 season, and now it will be one of the last teams to get its season started.
The Fever will start its inaugural season in the IFL with a bye week before opening its travel friendly schedule on the road March 8 at Fairbanks, Alaska, according to the schedule announced Monday by the league office.
"It's not ideal, because you feel like you are a week behind already," said Fever co-owner and general manager Teri Carr. "But I like it because it gives a chance to build some good rivalries."
The Fever will play 13 of its 14 games against Pacific North Division teams -- Billings, Mont., Kent, Alaska (Anchorage) and Fairbanks.
The team's lone out-of-division game is at Colorado on May 15.
Tri-Cities plays the first of its seven home games March 20 vs. Kent, the newest member of the IFL.
It is the first of four meetings between the two teams.
The 2010 IFL season gets under way Feb. 26 and runs until June 19. The 26-team league, which is split into six different divisions, is in its second season after the Intense Football League and the United Indoor Football league merged following the 2008 season.
The Fever has two plane trips to Alaska and one to Colorado. The team will bus to its other five road games.
Aside from the bye in the opening week, the Fever has one other big hiccup in its schedule. Tri-Cities is saddled with back-to-back bye weeks on March 27 and April 3. The Fever will play March 20 at home against Kent, and then is off until April 10 against Fairbanks.
Tri-Cities, which has played the past three seasons in the arenafootball2 league, will renew an old rivalry on March 14 at Billings, which won the IFL championship last season.
Tri-Cities and Billings were two of the top franchises in the National Indoor Football League in 2005-06. The Fever won the NIFL championship in 2005 and Billings in 2006.
MetraPark in Billings is also the site where the Fever had its 2006 season come to an end in the second round of the playoffs under then interim coach Ed Simmons.
Billings visits the Tri-Cities on April 24 -- the place where the Outlaws lost their only game of the 2006 season.
"I'm excited," Carr said.
-- The Fever had 14 players at Sunday's open tryout in Las Vegas. Coach Pat O'Hara said he has yet to sign anyone from the workout.
-- Pasco native Raul Vijil re-signed with the Spokane Shock last week. The receiver, who is the team's all-time leader in several offensive categories, will begin his fourth season with the Shock in March.
Fever 2010 schedule
@ Fairbanks, Monday, March 8
@ Billings, Sunday, March 14
Kent, Saturday, March 20
Fairbanks, Saturday, April 10
@ Kent, Sunday, April 18
Billings, Saturday, April 24
Alaska (Anchorage), Saturday, May 1
Kent, Saturday, May 8
@ Colorado, Saturday, May 15
@ Alaska, Sunday, May 23
Fairbanks, Saturday, May 29
@ Kent, Friday, June 4
Alaska, Saturday, June 12
@ Billings, Saturday, June 19
All home games start at 7:05 p.m.
IFL alignment
Intense Conference
Pacific North Division: Alaska (Anchorage), Billings, Fairbanks, Kent, Tri-Cities.
Lonestar West Division: Abilene, Amarillo, El Paso, Odessa.
Lonestar East Division: Arkansas, Austin, Corpus Christi, San Angelo.
United Conference
Atlantic East Division: Maryland, Richmond, Rochester, West Michigan.
Central North Division: Bloomington, Chicago, Green Bay, La Crosse.
Central West Division: Colorado, Omaha, Sioux City, Sioux Falls, Wichita.