The 2024 Arena League season was the inaugural season of The Arena League (The AL or TAL). The regular season began on June 1, 2024 and ended on July 27, 2024.
Background The Arena League was announced as a six-on-six indoor American football league with the intentions to launch in 2024 with four teams and with Pro Football Hall of Famer Tim Brown as the Commissioner. The league kicked off the regular season on June 1, 2024.
The AL's aim is to highlight the player's athleticism and increase the pace of play.
Teams The first city announced was Springfield with Duluth being the second city. Waterloo was announced as the third team on May 4, 2023. Kansas City was the fourth and final team announced for the inaugural 2024 season.
On October 19, 2023 the Waterloo Woo announced their owners and changed their team name to the Iowa Woo along with a logo redesign.
Team City Stadium Capacity Joined Head coach Duluth Harbor Monsters Duluth, Minnesota DECC Arena 5,333 2024 Tony O'Neil Iowa Woo Waterloo, Iowa The Hippodrome 5,155 2024 Mook Zimmerman Kansas City Goats Kansas City, Missouri Municipal Arena 9,987 2024 Dorsey Golston III Ozarks Lunkers Springfield, Missouri Wilson Logistics Arena 4,500 2024 Cam Bruffett
League finances Former IFL Commissioner, Tommy Benizio, an advisor for the league and his corporation operated and ran the teams, while J.R. Bond leads a small group financing the league; Bond is a political advisor in Kansas City and has served as owner of several professional sports teams including the Sioux City Bandits, Topeka Tropics, and Topeka Golden Giants. The league would later announce owners for all four locations.
Players Teams have a 15-player roster with the game being played with six offensive players against six defensive players. The league will follow a one-platoon system with offensive and defensive players playing both sides of the ball. There are no restrictions on defense.
On December 5, 2023, the Lunkers signed Matt Rush, the first player to sign with an AL team.
Season format The inaugural season of The Arena League had a nine-week regular season schedule with each team receiving one bye week with playoffs to follow. The season ran from June to August 2024. In September, the AL released the 2024 schedule.
Rules
The field is traditional arena football size, measuring 50 yards long and 85 feet wide enclosed by padded walls. Teams had 15-player rosters with the game being played with six offensive players against six defensive players. The league followed a one-platoon system with offensive and defensive players playing both sides of the ball. There are no restrictions on defense. Play clock is reduced to 20 seconds from the spotting of the ball, as in the Canadian Football League. No offensive huddles are allowed unless a timeout is called. All offensive players are eligible receivers with three players initially lined up in an offensive line position. The quarterback cannot run the ball past the line of scrimmage. All players and coaches communicated with helmet communication systems that fans will be able to listen to in real time. Kickoffs were replaced with a quarterback throwoff, with an onside conversion option. All forms of kicking the ball are prohibited, including punts and field goals. There was only one on-field official to mark and set the ball and make penalty announcements. There were sky judges watching live video feeds to decide penalties in real time. Coaches and fans will have access to the referee interactions. After each game, fans can give feedback on the referees performance.
Final standings Team (1)Kansas City Goats71–W3(2)Duluth Harbor Monsters532W3(3)Ozarks Lunkers354L3(4)Iowa Woo176L3 Legend(1) – Clinched 1 Seed(2) – Clinched 2 Seed(3) – Clinched 3 Seed(4) – Clinched 4 Seed
Season schedule The regular season schedule was released on September 6, 2023.
Regular season
Week 1 Date Time Away team Result Home team Stadium Notes Ref June 1 7:05 p.m. CT Duluth Harbor Monsters 52 77 Kansas City Goats Municipal Arena June 1 7:05 p.m. CT Iowa Woo 40 69 Ozarks Lunkers Wilson Logistics Arena
Week 2 Date Time Away team Result Home team Stadium Notes Ref June 8 2:05 p.m. CT Kansas City Goats 91 56 Iowa Woo The Hippodrome
Week 3 Date Time Away team Result Home team Stadium Notes Ref June 15 7:05 p.m. CT Duluth Harbor Monsters 44 38 Ozarks Lunkers Wilson Logistics Arena June 15 7:05 p.m. CT Iowa Woo 38 58 Kansas City Goats Municipal Arena
Week 4 Date Time Away team Result Home team Stadium Notes Ref June 22 7:05 p.m. CT Ozarks Lunkers 52 46 Iowa Woo The Hippodrome 2OT June 23 5:05 p.m. CT Kansas City Goats 58 57 Duluth Harbor Monsters DECC Arena
Week 5 Date Time Away team Result Home team Stadium Notes Ref June 29 7:05 p.m. CT Ozarks Lunkers 69 59 Kansas City Goats Wilson Logistics Arena Game originally scheduled to be held at Municipal Arena June 29 7:05 p.m. CT Iowa Woo 41 22 Duluth Harbor Monsters DECC Arena
Week 6 Date Time Away team Result Home team Stadium Notes Ref July 6 7:05 p.m. CT Duluth Harbor Monsters 67 60 Ozarks Lunkers Wilson Logistics Arena
Week 7 Date Time Away team Result Home team Stadium Notes Ref July 13 7:05 p.m. CT Kansas City Goats 78 45 Ozarks Lunkers Wilson Logistics Arena July 13 7:05 p.m. CT Iowa Woo 41 52 Duluth Harbor Monsters DECC Arena
Week 8 Date Time Away team Result Home team Stadium Notes Ref July 20 7:05 p.m. CT Ozarks Lunkers 18 51 Duluth Harbor Monsters DECC Arena July 20 7:05 p.m. CT Kansas City Goats 99 60 Iowa Woo The Hippodrome
Week 9 Date Time Away team Result Home team Stadium Notes Ref July 27 7:05 p.m. CT Duluth Harbor Monsters 45 21 Iowa Woo The Hippodrome July 27 7:05 p.m. CT Ozarks Lunkers 28 61 Kansas City Goats St. Pius X Football Stadium Inside Out Game
Postseason
Semi-finals Date Time Away team Result Home team Stadium Notes Ref August 3 7:05 p.m. CT Iowa Woo 59 58 Kansas City Goats St. Pius X Football Stadium August 3 7:05 p.m. CT Ozarks Lunkers 18 50 Duluth Harbor Monsters DECC Arena
ArenaMania I
Media + TAL team media deals Team TV Station(s) Radio Station(s) NotesDuluth Harbor Monsters Northland Fan 106.5 FM and 560AMIowa Woo KCRG-TV Kansas City Goats Ozarks Lunkers KYTV
See also 2024 American Indoor Football season 2024 Arena Football League season 2024 Indoor Football League season 2024 National Arena League season
References