The 2019 AAF season was the only season in the history of the Alliance of American Football (AAF), which began on February 9, 2019. A ten-week regular season was scheduled for each of the league's eight teams.
On April 2, multiple sources indicated that Thomas Dundon, the controlling owner of the AAF, had followed through on threats made in the previous week and suspended the AAF's operations, against the will of its founders. By the end of the week, the AAF front office had confirmed the suspension of operations and allowed players to opt-out of their contracts to sign with other leagues. The league filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on April 17, 2019.
At the time the season ended, eight out of ten scheduled weeks had been played, and the Orlando Apollos, with a league best 7–1 record two games ahead of its nearest competitors, had clinched no less than a share of the regular season's best record, regardless of how the rest of the schedule would have played out. A four-team playoff was scheduled to start on April 21, with a championship game on April 27. Initially scheduled for Sam Boyd Stadium on the outskirts of Las Vegas, Nevada, the title game was moved to the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, before the league ceased operations.
Teams
The Alliance of American Football had eight teams competing during its inaugural season.
ClubCityStadiumHead coach Atlanta Legends Atlanta, Georgia Georgia State Stadium Kevin Coyle Birmingham Iron Birmingham, Alabama Legion Field Tim Lewis Memphis Express Memphis, Tennessee Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Mike Singletary Orlando Apollos Orlando, Florida Spectrum Stadium Steve Spurrier Arizona Hotshots Tempe, Arizona Sun Devil Stadium Rick Neuheisel Salt Lake Stallions Salt Lake City, Utah Rice–Eccles Stadium Dennis EricksonSan Antonio Commanders San Antonio, Texas Alamodome Mike Riley San Diego Fleet San Diego, California SDCCU Stadium Mike Martz
Final standings The Orlando Apollos clinched a playoff berth on March 24, and top seed in the Eastern Conference on March 30. The Birmingham Iron clinched a playoff berth on March 31.
Schedule Each team had a ten-game regular season schedule, consisting of six in-conference games (home-and-away against each of the other three teams) and four out-of-conference games (one game against each of four teams; two home and two away). Weeks 2, 4, 6, and 9 were scheduled with out-of-conference games. Each team played one preseason exhibition game against an out-of-conference opponent. All of the preseason scrimmage games were held January 27–28 at the Alamodome, in conjunction with the league's training camp.
+ Week 1 Date and time Away team Result Home team Stadium Attendance Broadcast Viewership February 9, 8:00 p.m. ET Atlanta Legends 6-40 Orlando Apollos Spectrum Stadium 20,191 CBS 3.30 February 9, 8:00 p.m. ET San Diego Fleet 6-15 San Antonio Commanders Alamodome 27,857 CBS 3.30 February 10, 4:00 p.m. ET Memphis Express 0-26 Birmingham Iron Legion Field 17,039 CBSSN N/A February 10, 8:00 p.m. ET Salt Lake Stallions 22-38 Arizona Hotshots Sun Devil Stadium 11,751 NFL Network 0.60 + Week 2 Date and time Away team Result Home team Stadium Attendance Broadcast Viewership February 16, 2:00 p.m. ET Salt Lake Stallions 9-12 Birmingham Iron Legion Field 17,319 TNT 1.00 February 16, 8:00 p.m. ET Arizona Hotshots 20-18 Memphis Express Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium 11,980 NFL Network 0.40 February 17, 4:00 p.m. ET Orlando Apollos 37-29 San Antonio Commanders Alamodome 29,176 CBSSN N/A February 17, 8:00 p.m. ET Atlanta Legends 12-24 San Diego Fleet SDCCU Stadium 20,019 NFL Network 0.40 + Week 3 Date and time Away team Result Home team Stadium Attendance Broadcast Viewership February 23, 3:00 p.m. ET Arizona Hotshots 15-23 Salt Lake Stallions Rice-Eccles Stadium 10,412 B/R Live N/A February 23, 8:00 p.m. ET Memphis Express 17-21 Orlando Apollos Spectrum Stadium 20,394 NFL Network 0.50 February 24, 4:00 p.m. ET Birmingham Iron 28-12 Atlanta Legends Georgia State Stadium 10,717 CBSSN N/A February 24, 8:00 p.m. ET San Antonio Commanders 11-31 San Diego Fleet SDCCU Stadium 14,789 NFL Network 0.50 + Week 4 Date and time Away team Result Home team Stadium Attendance Broadcast Viewership March 2, 4:00 p.m. ET San Diego Fleet 23-26 Memphis Express Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium 13,621 B/R Live N/A March 2, 8:00 p.m. ET Orlando Apollos 20-11 Salt Lake Stallions Rice-Eccles Stadium 9,302 NFL Network 0.50 March 3, 4:00 p.m. ET San Antonio Commanders 12-11 Birmingham Iron Legion Field 6,539 CBSSN N/A March 3, 8:00 p.m. ET Atlanta Legends 14-11 Arizona Hotshots Sun Devil Stadium 8,865 NFL Network 0.40 + Week 5 Date and time Away team Result Home team Stadium Attendance Broadcast Viewership March 9, 2:00 p.m. ET Orlando Apollos 31-14 Birmingham Iron Legion Field 13,310 TNT 0.50 March 9, 8:00 p.m. ET Salt Lake Stallions 25-27 San Diego Fleet SDCCU Stadium 20,823 NFL Network 0.30 March 10, 4:00 p.m. ET Memphis Express 20-23 Atlanta Legends Georgia State Stadium 10,829 CBSSN N/A March 10, 8:00 p.m. ET San Antonio Commanders 29-25 Arizona Hotshots Sun Devil Stadium 9,351 NFL Network N/A + Week 6 Date and time Away team Result Home team Stadium Attendance Broadcast Viewership March 16, 4:00 p.m. ET Memphis Express 9-22 Salt Lake Stallions Rice-Eccles Stadium 8,150 B/R Live N/A March 16, 8:00 p.m. ET Arizona Hotshots 22-17 Orlando Apollos Spectrum Stadium 18,358 NFL Network 0.40 March 17, 4:00 p.m. ET San Antonio Commanders 37-6 Atlanta Legends Georgia State Stadium 10,619 CBSSN N/A March 17, 8:00 p.m. ET Birmingham Iron 32-29 San Diego Fleet SDCCU Stadium 20,986 NFL Network N/A + Week 7 Date and time Away team Result Home team Stadium Attendance Broadcast Viewership March 23, 2:00 p.m. ET Orlando Apollos 36-6 Atlanta Legends Georgia State Stadium 11,416 TNT 0.30 March 23, 8:00 p.m. ET Salt Lake Stallions 15-19 San Antonio Commanders Alamodome 30,345 NFL Network N/A March 24, 4:00 p.m. ET San Diego Fleet 15-32 Arizona Hotshots Sun Devil Stadium 9,760 CBSSN N/A March 24, 8:00 p.m. ET Birmingham Iron 25-31 (OT) Memphis Express Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium 13,758 NFL Network N/A + Week 8 Date and time Away team Result Home team Stadium Attendance Broadcast Viewership March 30, 2:00 p.m. ET Orlando Apollos 34-31 Memphis Express Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium 12,417 TNT 0.50 March 30, 8:00 p.m. ET San Diego Fleet 3-8 Salt Lake Stallions Rice-Eccles Stadium 8,405 NFL Network N/A March 31, 4:00 p.m. ET Atlanta Legends 9-17 Birmingham Iron Legion Field 17,328 CBSSN N/A March 31, 8:00 p.m. ET Arizona Hotshots 23-6 San Antonio Commanders Alamodome 23,504 NFL Network N/A + Week 9 Date and time Away team Result Home team Stadium Attendance Broadcast Viewership April 6, 12:00 p.m. ET Memphis Express ---- San Antonio Commanders Alamodome ----- CBS ---- April 6, 8:00 p.m. ET San Diego Fleet ---- Orlando Apollos Spectrum Stadium ----- NFL Network ---- April 7, 4:00 p.m. ET Salt Lake Stallions ---- Atlanta Legends Georgia State Stadium ----- B/R Live ---- April 7, 8:00 p.m. ET Birmingham Iron ---- Arizona Hotshots Sun Devil Stadium ----- NFL Network ---- + Week 10 Date and time Away team Result Home team Stadium Attendance Broadcast Viewership April 12, 8:00 p.m. ET San Antonio Commanders ---- Salt Lake Stallions Rice-Eccles Stadium ----- B/R Live ---- April 13, 8:00 p.m. ET Atlanta Legends ---- Memphis Express Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium ----- NFL Network ---- April 14, 3:30 p.m. ET Birmingham Iron ---- Orlando Apollos Spectrum Stadium ----- CBSSN ---- April 14, 8:00 p.m. ET Arizona Hotshots ---- San Diego Fleet SDCCU Stadium ----- NFL Network ----
Playoffs Following the 10-week regular season, the top two teams in each conference were due to face each other in conference championship games, hosted by the higher seeded team. These semifinals were scheduled for April 21. The winners would then meet in the league championship game on April 27 at a neutral site. Originally, the title game had been set for Sam Boyd Stadium near Las Vegas, Nevada announced October 23, 2018, but was changed to Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas on March 20, 2019, before the season was ended.
Attendance Announced attendance figures for each home game. In the weekly columns, dashes (—) indicate away games, while bold font indicates the highest attendance of each team. Games marked "N/A" were not played.
Team / Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Total AverageSan Antonio Commanders 27,857 29,176 — — — — 30,345 23,504 —Orlando Apollos 20,191 — 20,394 — — 18,358 — — San Diego Fleet — 20,019 14,789 — 20,823 20,986 — — — Birmingham Iron 17,039 17,319 — 6,539 13,310 — — 17,328 ——Memphis Express — 11,980 — 13,621 — — 13,758 12,417 — Atlanta Legends — — 10,717 — 10,829 10,619 11,416 — —Arizona Hotshots 11,751 — — 8,865 9,351 — 9,760 — —Salt Lake Stallions — — 10,412 9,302 — 8,150 — 8,405 — Total 76,838 78,494 56,312 38,327 54,313 58,113 65,279 61,654 Average 19,210 19,624 14,078 9,582 13,578 14,528 16,320 15,414
Source:
Awards
Players of the week Week Offensive Defensive Special teams Ref.PlayerPos.TeamPlayerPos.TeamPlayerPos.Team 1 John Wolford QB Arizona Hotshots Terence Garvin LB Orlando Apollos Nick Novak K Birmingham Iron 2 Garrett Gilbert QB Orlando Apollos Keith Reaser CB Orlando Apollos Jamar Summers CB Birmingham Iron 3 Ja'Quan Gardner RB San Diego Fleet A. J. Tarpley LB San Diego Fleet Colton Schmidt P Birmingham Iron 4 Kenneth Farrow RB San Antonio Commanders Drew Jackson LB Memphis Express Austin MacGinnis K Memphis Express 5 Logan Woodside QB San Antonio Commanders Kameron Kelly CB San Diego Fleet Younghoe Koo K Atlanta Legends 6 L'Damian Washington WR Birmingham Iron Karter Schult DE Salt Lake Stallions Greg Ward Jr. PR San Antonio Commanders 7 John Wolford QB Arizona Hotshots DeMarquis Gates OLB Memphis Express Joseph Zema P San Antonio Commanders
Statistical leaders Records reflect statistics through the eight regular season games played by all teams.
Type Statistic Qty Player TeamPassing Yards 2,152 Garrett Gilbert Orlando Apollos Touchdowns 14 John Wolford Arizona Hotshots Interceptions 9 Mike Bercovici San Diego FleetRushing Yards 431 Jhurell Pressley Arizona Hotshots Touchdowns 11 Trent Richardson Birmingham Iron Longest run 83 Ja'Quan Gardner San Diego Fleet Fumbles 6 Josh Woodrum Salt Lake StallionsReceiving Yards 687 Charles Johnson Orlando Apollos Touchdowns 7 Rashad Ross Arizona Hotshots Receptions 45 Charles Johnson Orlando Apollos Longest reception 83 L'Damian Washington Birmingham IronDefense Tackles 52 DeMarquis Gates Memphis Express Sacks 7.5 Jayrone Elliott San Antonio Commanders Interceptions 4 Ryan MoellerDe'Vante BausbyKameron Kelly San Diego FleetSan Antonio CommandersSan Diego FleetSpecial teams Field goals made 14 Nick RoseYounghoe KooDonny HagemanElliott Fry San Antonio CommandersAtlanta LegendsSan Diego FleetOrlando Apollos Longest field goal 55 Nick Folk Arizona Hotshots Punting yards 2,024 Colton Schmidt Birmingham Iron Longest punt 69 Joseph Zema San Antonio Commanders
Officials The league used the eight-official system (with the center judge), also seen in NCAA college football. There were six officiating crews, staffed with officials from FBS conferences.
+RefereesNo.NameFBS conference 2 Big 12 9 ACC 10 Big Ten 19 SEC 81 Big 12 84 ACC
The officiating crews included one former NFL official—Jimmy DeBell, a back judge on the Smith crew—and three former NFL players: Nate Jones (side judge, Cruse crew), Terry Killens (umpire, Blake crew), and Mike Morton (umpire, Cruse crew).
Broadcasting CBS Sports, Turner Sports and NFL Network served as the Alliance's broadcast partners for the 2019 season. The CBS Sports deal was announced at the time the league launched, while the Turner Sports and NFL Network contracts were announced less than two weeks before the season began.