The Sioux City Bandits are a professional indoor football team based in Sioux City, Iowa, and compete as a member of National Arena League (NAL). The team was founded in 1999 as the Sioux City Attack. In 2001, the team assumed their current name of the Bandits. The Bandits play their home games at the Tyson Events Center.

History In 2000, the Sioux City Attack joined the original Indoor Football League (IFL). After this season concluded, the Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League bought out all but two of the league's teams. Once they were founded, the Sioux City Bandits assumed identity of the Attack. The organization has played in eight different leagues including the original IFL (as the Attack), the National Indoor Football League (NIFL), United Indoor Football (UIF), the new Indoor Football League (IFL), American Professional Football League (APFL), the Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL), and then Champions Indoor Football (CIF).

Notable early team accomplishments include former Sioux City running back Fred Jackson being signed by the Buffalo Bills of the NFL. Jackson, out of Coe College, was the 2005 United Indoor Football's league leading rusher in which he set an indoor football record for most yards in a single season with more than 1,700. That year the Bandits hosted the championship game facing their rival Sioux Falls Storm. Sioux City had beaten Sioux Falls three times during the regular season but lost the championship game, 40–38.

After owning the team for 20 years, owner Bob Scott sold the Bandits to Missouri businessman J. R. Bond on 20 January 2021. After the 2021 season, Don Belson came on as the minority co-owner of the team. Belson had been associated with the team for nearly 20 years working in game day operations.

In July 2023, the Bandits announced they were leaving the CIF for a new league along with the Omaha Beef and the Topeka Tropics, the last of which would ultimately fold before the 2024 season. On August 8, 2023, the team announced they had joined the National Arena League (NAL) beginning with the 2024 season.

Notable games DateInformationFriday, 31 March 2000This was the date of the first indoor football game in franchise history. The Sioux City Attack traveled to Lincoln, Nebraska, but lost, 40–27.Saturday, 8 April 2000This date marks the first time that the Attack won a game, a 47–31 victory over the Sioux Falls Cobras at the Sioux Falls Arena. This was the beginning of the Sioux City/Sioux Falls indoor football rivalry.Friday, 21 April 2000This was the first home game in franchise history, a 59–27 victory over the Wichita Warlords at the Sioux City Municipal Auditorium.Sunday, 14 August 2005This date marked Sioux City's first championship game. They played their arch rival, Sioux Falls Storm in which they lost a thrilling heartbreaker, 40–38 in front of 6,840 fans.Saturday, 5 April 2008This date marked a regular season game for Sioux City, in which they hosted the Colorado Ice. It is notable for being the highest attendance ever recorded at a Sioux City Bandits/Attack home game, at 5,956.Sunday, 29 May 2011Sioux City defeated the Kansas City Matadors, 112–0. This was the first time in franchise history in which they did not allow any points. It was also the first time the franchise scored over 100 points. It is still their highest score to date.Saturday, 9 July 2011After they finished the regular season 12-0 and won in the semi-finals, Sioux City defeated the Iowa Blackhawks, to claim their first championship. The final score was 69–28, capping off a perfect 14–0 season.Saturday, 14 July 2012Sioux City won their second championship in a row, beating the Council Bluffs Express, 56–34, to earn yet another 14–0 season.Friday, 22 March 2013Sioux City won their 30th straight game. The milestone occurred over a 38–26 victory in a contest against the Kansas City Renegades. The streak would end at 31 with a loss at Omaha.Saturday, 21 June 2014Sioux City played in their fourth franchise championship game overall against the Wichita Wild in the CPIFL's Champions Bowl II. They lost 46–41.Saturday, 20 June 2015For the fourth time in five years, and fifth time overall, Sioux City played in their league's championship game. This year, it was the CIF's Champions Bowl I, as they hosted the Texas Revolution. They won 76–61, clinching their third franchise championship. All of these titles have come in a span of five years.

Notable players See :Category:Sioux City Bandits players

Bandits Ring of Honor #PlayerPositionTenureHonored60Darwin BishopOL/DL2000–0320033Erv WhiteheadWR2000–02200342Matt HughesLB2000–02200464Carl ReinhardtDL/Coach2000–03200412Jarrod DeGeorgiaQB/Coach2000, 2002–03, 2005200640Jesse WavrunekDL2000–0520065Fred JacksonRB2004–05200815John OstermeyerWR2002–03, 2005–08201068Steve SchmidtOL/DL2000–09, 2013–14201055Art MaulupeDL2000–07201073Erv StrohbeenOL2000–08201051Spetlar TongaLB2004–08, 2010–1320151Alex ArdleyDB2004–05, 2007–1220165Scott JensenQB2009–14201710Damon MothersheadWR2007–16201724Johnny BentleyRB201823Jon SmithDB2011–1720193Rahn Franklin, JrDB20196Marlon LobbanLB2011–172019

Season-by-season League championsConference championsDivision championsPlayoff berthLeague leader

Season Team League Conference Division Regular season Postseason results Finish Wins LossesSioux City Attack 2000 2000 IFL Western Southern 3rd 9 5 Won First Round (Lincoln) 52–38 Lost Quarterfinal (Bismarck) 14–30Sioux City Bandits 2001 2001 NIFL Central 6th 4 10 Did not qualify 2002 2002 NIFL Pacific Northern 3rd 9 5 Did not qualify 2003 2003 NIFL Pacific Northern 3rd 6 8 Did not qualify 2004 2004 NIFL Pacific Northern 3rd 8 6 Lost First Round (Omaha) 40–46 2005 2005 UIF Northern 1st 13 2 Won Quarterfinal (Ohio Valley) 52–17 Won Semifinal (Tennessee Valley) 42–37 Lost United Bowl I (Sioux Falls) 38–40 2006 2006 UIF Western 3rd 6 9 Lost Quarterfinal (Rock River) 33–37 2007 2007 UIF Western 5th 3 12 Did not qualify 2008 2008 UIF Eastern 3rd 4 10 Lost Quarterfinal (RiverCity) 33–37 2009 2009 IFL United Central 5th 4 10 Did not qualify 2010 2010 IFL United Central West 4th 4 10 Did not qualify 2011 2011 APFL 1st 12 0 Won Semifinal (Kansas) 54–20 Won APFL Championship (Iowa) 69–28 2012 2012 APFL 1st 12 0 Won Semifinal (Mid-Missouri) 61–28 Won APFL Championship (Council Bluffs) 56–34 2013 2013 CPIFL 3rd 10 2 Lost Semifinal (Salina) 28–29 2014 2014 CPIFL 2nd 9 3 Won Semifinal (Salina) 66–37 Lost Champions Bowl II (Wichita) 41–46 2015 2015 CIF 1st 9 3 Won Semifinal (Amarillo) 83–52 Won Champions Bowl I (Texas) 76–61 2016 2016 CIF Northern 3rd 7 5 Lost First Round (Bloomington) 45–65 2017 2017 CIF North 1st 9 3 Won Quarterfinal (Bismarck) 82–43 Lost Conference Championship (Omaha) 45–55 2018 2018 CIF North 2nd 9 3 Won Conference Semifinal (Quad City) 54–46 Won Conference Championship (Salina) 45–39 Lost Champions Bowl (Duke City) 27–31 2019 2019 CIF North 3rd 8 5 Lost Quarterfinal (Omaha) 50–60 2020 2020 CIF North Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic 2021 2021 CIF 3rd 5 6 Lost Semifinal (Omaha) 39–40 2022 2022 CIF 1st 9 1 Lost Semifinal (Omaha) 45–49 2023 2023 CIF 5th 5 5 Lost Quarterfinal (Billings) 39–31 2024 2024 NAL 2nd 5 3 NAL Championship (Omaha)Totals 179 126 All-time regular season record 13 14 All-time postseason record 192 140 All-time regular season and postseason record

Head coaches Name Tenure Regular season Playoffs AwardsWLWin%WLJim Anderson20009511Phil Karpuk20010400Carl Reinhardt2001–2003191900Art Haege20044400 Ervin Bryson20044201Jose Jefferson2005–2006191122 Richard Britt20070100 Roger Jansen20073600Tom Luxford/Pat Arens20070500Jarrod DeGeorgia2008–200982001Tommie Williams20104800 Jarrod DeGeorgia/Erv Strohbeen20100200 Butch Faulkenberry201112020 APFL Coach of the Year (2011)Erv Strohbeen2012–present923689APFL Coach of the Year (2012) CPIFL Coach of the Year (2014) CIF Coach of the Year (2015)

References

External links

All-Time stats