The 2016 Arena Football League season was the 29th season in the history of the Arena Football League. Prior to the start of the season, the league contracted to eight teams. The 16-game regular season then began on April 1, 2016 and ended on August 1, 2016. The league, however, kept its eight-team playoff format, which meant that every club qualified for the postseason.
League business Teams The Las Vegas Outlaws and the New Orleans VooDoo were dropped from the league at the end of the 2015 season because new ownership groups could not be found for either team. The Spokane Shock jumped to the Indoor Football League on September 1, 2015. The AFL claimed ownership of the Shock name, forcing the team to rename itself the Spokane Empire. On October 30, 2015, the league announced that there would not be any expansion teams for the 2016 season; this event occurred just under three hours before what had been slated to be the expected announcement of an expansion franchise in San Antonio to be owned by the ownership group of the San Antonio Spurs. The group owning the 2015 league champion San Jose SaberCats returned the franchise to the league on November 12, 2015 for "reasons unrelated to League operations". Commissioner Scott Butera said the league would try to find new ownership, but this was not forthcoming in time for the team to operate during the 2016 season to defend its championship. Because the league was now down to eight teams for the 2016 season, there were still the American and National Conferences but no divisional play. The Cleveland Gladiators were moved to the National Conference to maintain a balance between the conferences. The league took over operations of the former Portland Thunder in January 2016 and rebranded it as the Portland Steel. The 2016 schedule was announced on December 10, 2015.
ArenaBowl Playoffs All teams from both conferences qualified for the playoffs. As in the prior season, there were the Conference Semifinals, the Conference Championships, and ArenaBowl XXIX.
In the American Semifinals, the Soul beat the Storm 63–41 in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The Sharks beat the Predators 69–68 in overtime; the National Semifinals saw the Rattlers beat the Steel 84–40 and the Gladiators beat the Kiss 56–52 in San Diego, California.
The Rattlers doubled up the Gladiators 82–41 in the National Conference title game. In the American Conference title game, the Soul edged the Sharks by a score of 55–50.
The Philadelphia Soul upset the heavily-favored Arizona Rattlers 56–42 in ArenaBowl XXIX in Glendale, Arizona for their second AFL title.
Alignment Conference Teams American Jacksonville Sharks, Orlando Predators, Philadelphia Soul, Tampa Bay Storm National Arizona Rattlers, Cleveland Gladiators, Los Angeles Kiss, Portland Steel
Regular season standings
x - Clinched conference title.
Playoffs
Conference semifinals Conference Date Kickoff Away Score Home Game site Recap American August 6 7:00 p.m. EDT Jacksonville Sharks 69–68 (OT) Orlando Predators Amway Center National August 6 10:00 p.m. EDT Portland Steel 40–84 Arizona Rattlers Talking Stick Resort Arena American August 7 6:00 p.m. EDT Tampa Bay Storm 41–63 Philadelphia Soul PPL Center National August 7 6:00 p.m. EDT Cleveland Gladiators 56–52 Los Angeles Kiss Valley View Casino Center
Conference finals Conference Date Kickoff Away Score Home Game site Recap National August 13 9:30 p.m. EDT Cleveland Gladiators 41–82 Arizona Rattlers Talking Stick Resort Arena American August 14 6:00 p.m. EDT Jacksonville Sharks 50–55 Philadelphia Soul PPL Center
ArenaBowl XXIX
Date Kickoff Away Score Home Game site Recap August 26 7:00 PM EDT Philadelphia Soul 56–42 Arizona Rattlers Gila River Arena
All-Arena team
OffensePositionFirst teamSecond teamQuarterbackNick Davila, ArizonaDan Raudabaugh, PhiladelphiaFullbackMykel Benson, ArizonaJeramie Richardson, PhiladelphiaWide receiverJoe Hills, JacksonvilleRod Windsor, ArizonaBrandon Thompkins, OrlandoDonovan Morgan, Los AngelesT. T. Toliver, Tampa BayCollin Taylor, ClevelandCenterJordan Mudge, Arizona (tie)Joe Madsen, Cleveland (tie)Wayne Tribue, PhiladelphiaOffensive linemanAdam Smith, PhiladelphiaCornelius Lewis, JacksonvilleNeal Tivis, PhiladelphiaD. J. Brandel, Cleveland DefensePositionFirst teamSecond teamDefensive linemanJake Metz, PhiladelphiaDamien Borel, ArizonaTeddy Jennings, PhiladelphiaDarryl Cato-Bishop, OrlandoNose guardRandy Colling, ClevelandDimetrio Tyson, ArizonaMiddle linebackerTyre Glasper, ArizonaDexter Jackson, JacksonvilleJack linebackerJoe Goosby, PhiladelphiaTerence Moore, OrlandoDefensive backTracy Belton, PhiladelphiaGreg Reid, JacksonvilleVarmah Sonie, OrlandoDwayne Hollis, PhiladelphiaMarvin Ross, ClevelandFred Obi, Los Angeles Special teamsPositionFirst teamSecond teamKickerTommy Frevert, PhiladelphiaMark Lewis, OrlandoKick returnerBrandon Thompkins, OrlandoLarry Beavers, Cleveland
References