The 2020 LFA season was the fifth season of the Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional (LFA), the top American football league in Mexico. The regular season began on February 8 and was to conclude on April 26, with the playoffs beginning on May 1 and ending with the Tazón México V on May 17. Nevertheless, after week 5, on March 16, the LFA announced the suspension of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and on 29 March 2020 the league confirmed that the season was cancelled.
Preseason events
Expansion and stadium changes One new team joined the league: Pioneros, based in Querétaro City. Due to Pioneros joining the LFA and the league failing to secure a tenth expansion team, thus raising the number of teams to nine, the LFA took the decision that the Mayas would not participate in the season, returning in 2021. This decision was also made taking in consideration the change of ownership in the team.
Four teams switched stadiums: Artilleros, previously playing at Estadio Templo del Dolor (with capacity of 4,500 spectators), moved to the Estadio Universitario BUAP, that can accommodate 19,283 spectators. The stadium, originally built from 1997 to 1999, was renovated in 2012 and used to host Lobos BUAP, Liga MX matches until 2019, when the club was dissolved. Fundidores moved to Estadio Borregos, with a capacity of 10,057 spectators. The stadium is owned by the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education and it is used by college football team Borregos Salvajes Monterrey. Before, Fundidores played at the Estadio Nuevo León Unido, that could only accommodate 1,500 people. Mexicas, formerly playing at Casco de Santo Tomás Field (with capacity of 2,000 spectators), moved to the Estadio Perros Negros in Naucalpan. The stadium can accommodate 2,500 spectators. Raptors, previously playing at FES Acatlán (with capacity of 2,500 spectators), moved to the Estadio José Ortega Martínez, with a capacity of 3,700 seated spectators. The team already played at the stadium during the 2018 season.
Coaching changes Fundidores: Carlos Strevel replaced Israel González as head coach of the team. González previously coached the team for two seasons (2018 and 2019) reaching playoffs once. Mexicas: Héctor Toxqui was chosen to replace Enrique Zárate as head coach of the team. As of the 2020 season, Mexicas is the only team in the league to have had a different coach for each one of its five seasons.
Draft The 2020 draft was the largest so far, declaring more than 70 senior players from ONEFA, CONADEIP and FADEMAC for the first time. The draft was held on January 11 at the FES Acatlán facilities.
Draft 2020 Rd Sel. LFA Team Player Pos. University Conf. SP1Pioneros José Pablo Morales DB Borregos ITESM Querétaro Liga Mayor ONEFA2CondorsCésar Pérez Durán DL Águilas Blancas IPN Liga Mayor ONEFA 11Pioneros Edgar Padilla LB Águilas Blancas IPN Liga Mayor ONEFA2MexicasJerónimo Arzate CB Pumas CU UNAM Liga Mayor ONEFA3Osos Daniel Rubio RB Potros Salvajes UAEM Liga Mayor ONEFA4Dinos Carlos Mercado OL Borregos Salvajes Monterrey Liga Premier CONADEIP5Artilleros Diego Bedolla OL Aztecas UDLAP Liga Premier CONADEIP6Fundidores Martín Maldonado DL Borregos Salvajes Monterrey Liga Premier CONADEIP7RaptorsRicardo Sainz WR/DB Pumas CU UNAM Liga Mayor ONEFA8Condors Luis Adán Ochoa DL Águilas Blancas IPN Liga Mayor ONEFA 29Pioneros Saúl Aguilar OL Auténticos Tigres UANL Liga Mayor ONEFA10Mexicas Daniel Concepción OL Águilas Blancas IPN Liga Mayor ONEFA11OsosCarlos Garza LB Leones Anáhuac Norte Liga Mayor ONEFA12Fundidores vía DinosJosué Antonio López OL Águilas Universidad Autónoma de ChihuahuaLiga Mayor ONEFA13ArtillerosOsvaldo Zumalacarregui DB Aztecas UDLAP Liga Premier CONADEIP14FundidoresCosme Lozano DB Borregos Salvajes Monterrey Liga Premier CONADEIP15RaptorsAlfonso Trejos DL Burros Blancos IPN Liga Mayor ONEFA16CondorsLuis Canela LB Pumas CU UNAM Liga Mayor ONEFA317PionerosRicardo ServínRBPumas UNAM AcatlánLiga Mayor ONEFA18MexicasGerardo RarmírezCBPumas CU UNAMLiga Mayor ONEFA19OsosHanscel LópezQBPotros Salvajes UAEMLiga Mayor ONEFA20Fundidores vía DinosEdgar CortezOLAuténticos Tigres UANLLiga Mayor ONEFA21ArtillerosDiego TorresLBAztecas UDLAPLiga Premier CONADEIP22FundidoresEnrique ZepedaLBAuténticos Tigres UANLLiga Mayor ONEFA23RaptorsMarco CamachoWRBorregos Salvajes MéxicoLiga Premier CONADEIP24CondorsDaniel MurilloDLPumas CU UNAMLiga Mayor ONEFA425Mexicas vía PionerosBrandon LópezQBToros Salvajes ChapingoLiga Mayor ONEFA26MexicasRicardo RazoSSLeones Anáhuac NorteLiga Mayor ONEFA27Raptors vía OsosGustavo OrosticoDBBurros Blancos IPNLiga Mayor ONEFA28Fundidores vía DinosPatricio GarzaWRLobos UAdeCLiga Mayor ONEFA29ArtillerosJorge Eduardo RetanaWRAztecas UDLAPLiga Premier CONADEIP30FundidoresItan SalasLBAuténticos Tigres UANLLiga Mayor ONEFA31RaptorsRodrigo AquinoWRBurros Blancos IPNLiga Mayor ONEFA32CondorsJorge SámanoLBLeones Anáhuac NorteLiga Mayor ONEFA533Mexicas vía PionerosMario OrtizWRLeones Anáhuac NorteLiga Mayor ONEFA34MexicasEduardo JiménezWRBurros Blancos IPNLiga Mayor ONEFA35OsosAlejandro SánchezOLPotros Salvajes UAEMLiga Mayor ONEFA36Fundidores vía DinosMarco SantanaQBLobos UAdeCLiga Mayor ONEFA37ArtillerosMarco CovarrubiasOLAztecas UDLAPLiga Premier CONADEIP38FundidoresPick declined39RaptorsJulio VillarrealDLLeones Anáhuac NorteLiga Mayor ONEFA40CondorsAlberto GonzálezKPumas CU UNAMLiga Mayor ONEFA641PionerosJorge ContrerasOLPumas UNAM AcatlánLiga Mayor ONEFA42MexicasFernando HernándezToros Salvajes ChapingoLiga Mayor ONEFA43Raptors vía OsosLuis GonzálezOLPumas UNAM AcatlánLiga Mayor ONEFA44DinosÁngel MartínezDLLobos UAdeCLiga Mayor ONEFA45ArtillerosJorge BravoWRAztecas UDLAPLiga Premier CONADEIP46RaptorsSean MuzquizDLLeones Anáhuac NorteLiga Mayor ONEFA47CondorsMario Alberto HernándezWRPumas CU UNAMLiga Mayor ONEFA749PionerosPick declined50MexicasEmmanuel VargasDLÁguilas Blancas IPNLiga Mayor ONEFA51Raptors vía OsosJorge GuzmánDEPumas CU UNAMLiga Mayor ONEFA52DinosAndrés CastroDBLobos UAdeCLiga Mayor ONEFA53ArtillerosDiego VásquezWRLobos BUAPLiga Mayor ONEFA54RaptorsEric RemigioWRBúhos IPNLiga Mayor FADEMAC55CondorsYannic HernándezDBBurros Blancos IPNLiga Mayor ONEFA857MexicasRaymundo MoraOLFrailes UTLiga Mayor ONEFA58OsosPick declined59DinosFernando GómezWRAuténticos Tigres UANLLiga Mayor ONEFA60ArtillerosGeovanni GómezCBLobos BUAPLiga Mayor ONEFA61RaptorsMiguel RíosDLLeones Anáhuac NorteLiga Mayor ONEFA62CondorsYair Alejandro MárquezQBÁguilas Blancas IPNLiga Mayor ONEFA963MexicasSergio SorianoOLÁguilas Blancas IPNLiga Mayor ONEFA64ArtillerosBrandon BarriosDBLobos BUAPLiga Mayor ONEFA65RaptorsOzdi Nimrod BaronaQBPumas UNAM AcatlánLiga Mayor ONEFA66CondorsGustavo Aguilar RBPumas UNAM AcatlánLiga Mayor ONEFA1067MexicasCarlos ClimacoRBBurros Blancos IPNLiga Mayor ONEFA68ArtillerosDiego RuízQBAztecas UDLAPLiga Premier CONADEIP69RaptorsCésar Iván AlanísOLFrailes UTLiga Mayor ONEFA70CondorsJavier Arceo RBLinces UVMLiga Mayor ONEFA1171ArtillerosKevin Brian CorreaRBAztecas UDLAPLiga Premier CONADEIP72Artilleros Diego HuertaLBAztecas UDLAPLiga Premier CONADEIP73ArtillerosAlberto Adduci BelliziOLAztecas UDLAPLiga Premier CONADEIP
*In exchange for draft selection in the Mayan draft, Dinos gave Fundidores selections in the second, third, fourth, and fifth round of the 2020 draft. ** In exchange for WR Aldo Narvaes and Josep Acosta, Pioneers gave Mexica selections in the fourth and fifth round of the 2020 draft. *** In exchange for Mayan draft picks, Osos gave Raptors selections in the fourth, sixth, and seventh round of the 2020 draft.
Mayas draft For the 2020 season, the 8 teams of the LFA made a draft of the Mayas' players who declared themselves eligible to play the 2020 season with some other team in the league, with the intention to continue playing and not lose the pace of competition. Artilleros declined participation by arguing not to be interested in any Mayas' players. Mayas draft Rd Sel. LFA Team Player Pos. 1 1 MexicasIsaac Medina DL 2 Fundidores*Marco García QB 3 Dinos Omar Cojolum RB 4 Osos Leonel Ramírez OL 5 RaptorsEdgar White LB 6 PionerosRamiro Pruneda OL 7 Condors Josué Martínez WR 2 8 MexicasDiego Magaña DL 9 Dinos vía FundidoresMariano Vargas OL 10 Dinos Lennin Ortiz RB 11 Osos Jonathan Segura OL 12 RaptorsJesús Sosa Piña RB 13 PionerosÁlvaro Camacho QB 14 Condors Luis David Martínez WR 3 15 MexicasUriel Ávalos DE 16 Osos Juan Vázquez DB 17 RaptorsAdan Hernández SS 18 Pioneros**Jordi Saldaña FS 19 Condors Ricardo Espinoza CB 4 20 MexicasUriel López LB 21 Osos José Falcón CB 22 RaptorsChristian Gómez WR 24 Condors Luis Zárate LB 5 20 MexicasCarlos Díaz TE 21 Osos Sebastián Baig LB 22 RaptorsEdgar Arroyo RB 24 Condors Marco Morales WR 6 25 MexicasJonathan García LB 26 Osos Gustavo Ramos WR 27 RaptorsJosé Garatachea SS 28 Condors Fernando Aguirre DL 7 29 RaptorsArturo Callejos QB *He declined his hiring for labor reasons | **Hired by the Raptors
Teams TeamCityStadiumCapacityHead coach North DivisionDinosSaltillo, CoahuilaEstadio Olímpico Francisco I. Madero8,000 Javier AdameFundidoresMonterrey, Nuevo LeónEstadio Borregos10,057 Carlos StrevelPionerosQuerétaro City, QuerétaroUnidad Deportiva El Pueblito4,000 Rassielh LópezRaptorsNaucalpan, State of MexicoEstadio José Ortega Martínez3,700 Guillermo Gutiérrez Central Division ArtillerosPuebla City, PueblaEstadio Universitario BUAP19,283 Gustavo TorresCondorsMexico CityEstadio ITESM Santa Fe2,500 Félix BuendíaMexicasMexico CityEstadio Perros Negros2,500 Héctor ToxquiOsosToluca, State of MexicoEstadio Fortaleza Siglo XXI4,000 Horacio García
Season structure The training camp began in the first week of November 2019, some teams started early, as the case of Condors and Dinos that began at the end of October. The regular season is played from February to April. Each team faces each of the teams of their respective division twice, once at home and once as a visitor. There will also be 4 games between conferences, each team will have two home games and two visiting. There will be three bye weeks: one between week 5 and 6 and also for teams that enter playoffs between week 10 and the conference finals, and one week before the Tazón México V.
Suspension On March 16, after Week 5, the league announced the indefinite suspension of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was informed that none of the eight team players were affected by the virus. It was also announced that all the foreign players participating in the league as part of the LFA-CFL agreement would return immediately to their countries.
Cancellation On April 29, Alejandro Jaimes, the LFA commissioner, announced that the season would be cancelled and that the league would return until 2021.
Regular season
Standings Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, PF = Points for, PA = Points against
North DivisionTeam Raptors 5 4 1 112 44 2–1 W2 Dinos 5 3 2 93 89 2–1 L2 Fundidores 5 3 2 77 81 1–2 L1 Pioneros 5 1 4 40 103 1–2 L1
Central DivisionTeam Condors 5 4 1 121 82 2–1 L1 Mexicas 5 2 3 86 82 2–1 W1 Artilleros 5 2 3 107 107 1–2 W2 Osos 5 1 4 68 116 1–2 L2
Results Week 1 Away Score Home Venue Date Time TV Raptors 13–5 Mexicas Estadio Perros Negros February 7 20:00 Claro Sports Condors 29–7 Pioneros Unidad Deportiva El Pueblito February 8 12:00 TUDN, Claro Sports Artilleros 10–12 Dinos Estadio Olímpico Francisco I. Madero February 8 18:30 Claro Sports, Multimedios, RCG TV, Televisa Fundidores 20–14 Osos Fortaleza Siglo XXI February 9 12:00 Claro Sports, Nuestra Visión (USA)
Week 2 Away Score Home Venue Date Time TV Dinos 23–15 Fundidores Estadio Borregos February 14 20:00 Multimedios, Claro Sports, Nuestra Visión (USA) Mexicas 26–24 Artilleros Estadio Universitario BUAP February 15 12:00 TUDN, Televisa, Claro Sports Pioneros 2–19 Raptors Estadio José Ortega Martínez February 15 17:00 Claro Sports Osos 10–27 Condors Estadio ITESM Santa Fe February 16 12:00 Claro Sports