List_of_American_and_Canadian_football_leagues

List of American and Canadian football leagues

List of American and Canadian football leagues

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This is a list of current and defunct leagues of American football and Canadian football.

Leagues in North America

Current professional leagues in North America

Professional outdoor leagues

Major:

Originally American Professional Football Association (1920–1921)
Merged with the All-America Football Conference (1946-1949) and with the American Football League (1960–69)
Formed from Interprovincial Rugby Football Union (1909) and Western Interprovincial Football Union (1936).
Grey Cup Canadian Football Championships since 1909

Minor:

Formed from merger of XFL (2020) and United States Football League (2022)

Professional arena/indoor leagues

Formed from Intense Football League (2004) and United Indoor Football (2005)
Originally Great Lakes Arena Alliance (2023)
  • United States United Indoor Football Association (UIFA), 2023–
Originally United Indoor Football League (2023)

Current Developmental leagues

Current semi-pro/amateur leagues

Current Flag football leagues

Pro

Other

Current Collegiate or Junior leagues

Current women's leagues

Outdoor leagues

Women's Indoor/Arena leagues

  • National Football Confederacy, 2024-[9]
  • United States X League, 2009–
Operated as the Lingerie Football League from 2009 to 2012 and then as the Legends Football League from 2013 to 2019.

Planned leagues in North America

Historical leagues in North America

Major outdoor leagues

The following leagues partly or fully merged with NFL:

Other notable major outdoor leagues:

Minor outdoor leagues

Became Interstate Football League in 1933
  • United States Greater New York League, 1934–1935
Originally the New Jersey Football Circuit (1934)
Low-level fall league that was fully organized in September 1959 with five independent teams who played the other teams sporadically. The original teams were Duquesne Ironmen (Pennsylvania), Melvindale Redskins (Michigan), Toledo Tornadoes, Dayton Triangles (Ohio) and Newark Rams (New Jersey). Players were from both pro and college teams.[28] Teams also end up play in Sarnia, Zaneville (Ohio Colts), Port Huron and Detroit,[29] while Toledo Tornadoes leave for the larger United Football League (1961–1964).[30]
Renamed North Atlantic Football League in 1967

Indoor leagues

Collegiate and amateur leagues

Women's leagues

Leagues outside North America

Current professional leagues outside North America

Current minor professional, semi professional and amateur leagues outside North America

Central and South America:

Europe:

Asia:

Oceania:

Defunct minor leagues around the world

Collegiate and amateur leagues

See also

Notes

  1. The league was in hiatus and re-branded as the NFL Europe League in 1995.

References

  1. Wallace, Scott (January 23, 2018). "Bulldawgs Join Gridiron Developmental Football League". The Tennessee Tribune. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
  2. Earlywine, Aaron (February 9, 2017). "A closer look at football developmental leagues". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
  3. Shea, Bill (March 23, 2014). "Spring football ... in Detroit? 2 groups think so". Crain's Detroit Business. Crain Communications, Inc. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  4. George M., Thomas (February 27, 2014). "Former Zip looks to bring pro football to University of Akron". Akron Beacon Journal. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  5. Davis, Jason Carmel (April 17, 2014). "Rivals football league provides athletes with chance to fulfill dream". Journal. C & G Publishing. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  6. "Acfafootball". Archived from the original on 2016-12-20. Retrieved 2016-12-14.
  7. Jones, Elane; Eagle, Daily Mountain. "P-Town Wreckaz switch leagues, tapped to host Kick-off Classic". Daily Mountain Eagle. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
  8. Davis, Josh (18 September 2021). "Semi-Pro Major League Football Team Looking to Launch in 2022". xflnewshub.com.
  9. Three teams merged into the NFL
  10. Founded with the aim, to force merger with NFL, which was agreed in 1966, the merger was completed in 1970.
  11. Informal association of teams
  12. Informal association of teams
  13. Merged to form the CFL in 1958
  14. Informal association of teams
  15. Merged to form the CFL in 1958
  16. American Association suspended operations for duration of U.S. involvement in World War II; in 1946 the AA was renamed American Football League
  17. Known as the American Professional Football Association in 1938; renamed American Football League in 1939; dissolution after 1939 season caused by formation of 1940–1941 AFL major league
  18. Merged with PCPFL in 1945
  19. "Ironmen Join Grid Conference". The Pittsburgh Press. September 9, 1959. p. 50. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
  20. "Sarnia Stays of Top with 8 Straight Wins". Hamilton Daily News Journal. Hamilton, Ohio. AP. October 30, 1961. p. 18. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
  21. Autullo, Ryan (April 3, 2014). "New league not coming to Toledo". The Blade. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  22. "So you want to start a pro football league? (side bar)". Sports Business Journal. January 29, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  23. Shea, Bill (March 23, 2014). "Passes at pro football league alternatives". Crain's Detroit Business. Crain Communications, Inc. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  24. "TPSFL Official Site". Archived from the original on 2018-01-05.
  25. Reformatted as the International Football Alliance in 2024
  26. Merged with the USFL to form the UFL in 2024
  27. Merged to with the XFL form the UFL in 2024
  28. "Women's Football League Association – About". Women's Football League Association. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  29. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-12-18. Retrieved 2011-05-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link), Origins of the WLAF.

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