2015 Arena Football League season
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The 2015 Arena Football League season was the 28th season in the history of the league. The regular season began on March 27, 2015 and ended on August 8, 2015.
League business
Teams
The city of Las Vegas, Nevada was awarded an expansion team on June 18, 2014. The team, named the Las Vegas Outlaws, was the first AFL team to call Las Vegas home since the Las Vegas Gladiators in 2007. Vince Neil, lead singer of the rock band Mötley Crüe, was the majority owner of the expansion franchise. The Outlaws' expansion draft took place on December 22, 2014.
Two teams that competed in 2014 suspended operations (Pittsburgh Power and San Antonio Talons), and their rosters became signable upon offseason assignment process held on December 23, 2014.
The Iowa Barnstormers were the third and final team to leave the AFL for the 2015 season when they joined the Indoor Football League (IFL) on August 27, 2014. In 2015 all games were televised, most on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, and especially on ESPN3 (available online through WatchESPN) and some on the CBS Sports Network.
On July 15, the league took over the daily operations of the Las Vegas Outlaws and New Orleans VooDoo after financial problems and declining attendance. As a result, their game against each other (which was set to be played on the 25th) was cancelled and declared a tie, only the 3rd in AFL history and the only cancellation in league history. The league ran both teams to the end of the season with the intent of looking for new ownership in the offseason but on August 9, the day following the conclusion of the regular season, both teams ceased operations. Las Vegas had qualified for a playoff spot, the final one in the National Conference, but the league's board of directors voted against their inclusion in the postseason, considering that with no team ownership, there was no funding for the team. The Outlaws were replaced in the playoffs by the Portland Thunder, who had finished last in their division but had the better record of the two remaining non-playoff National Conference teams, meaning that all teams in the Pacific Division made the playoffs.
Alignment
Regular season standings
| 2015 American Conference standingsviewtalkedit | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 American Conference standingsviewtalkedit Team Overall Points Records W L T PCT PF PA DIV CON Home Away East Division (1) Philadelphia Soul 15 3 0 .833 1060 823 6–0 11–3 9–0 6–3 (4) Cleveland Gladiators 8 10 0 .444 953 959 3–3 6–8 3–6 5–4 New Orleans VooDoo 3 14 1 .194 692 919 0–6 2–12 3–6 0–8–1 South Division (2) Orlando Predators 12 6 0 .667 1023 951 5–1 10–4 7–2 5–4 (3) Jacksonville Sharks 10 8 0 .556 971 901 2–4 8–6 7–2 3–6 Tampa Bay Storm 7 11 0 .389 820 942 2–4 5–9 5–4 2–7 | 2015 National Conference standingsviewtalkedit Team Overall Points Records W L T PCT PF PA DIV CON Home Away Pacific Division (1) San Jose SaberCats 17 1 0 .944 1061 662 6–0 13–1 8–1 9–0 (3) Spokane Shock 7 11 0 .389 847 971 2–4 6–8 4–5 3–6 (4) Portland Thunder 5 13 0 .278 819 908 1–5 4–10 5–4 0–9 West Division (2) Arizona Rattlers 14 4 0 .778 1003 825 5–1 10–4 8–1 6–3 Las Vegas Outlaws 5 12 1 .306 740 909 3–3 5–9 3–5–1 2–7 Los Angeles Kiss 4 14 0 .222 724 915 1–5 4–10 3–6 1–8 | |||||||||
| Team | Overall | Points | Records | |||||||
| W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | DIV | CON | Home | Away | |
| East Division | ||||||||||
| (1) Philadelphia Soul | 15 | 3 | 0 | .833 | 1060 | 823 | 6–0 | 11–3 | 9–0 | 6–3 |
| (4) Cleveland Gladiators | 8 | 10 | 0 | .444 | 953 | 959 | 3–3 | 6–8 | 3–6 | 5–4 |
| New Orleans VooDoo | 3 | 14 | 1 | .194 | 692 | 919 | 0–6 | 2–12 | 3–6 | 0–8–1 |
| South Division | ||||||||||
| (2) Orlando Predators | 12 | 6 | 0 | .667 | 1023 | 951 | 5–1 | 10–4 | 7–2 | 5–4 |
| (3) Jacksonville Sharks | 10 | 8 | 0 | .556 | 971 | 901 | 2–4 | 8–6 | 7–2 | 3–6 |
| Tampa Bay Storm | 7 | 11 | 0 | .389 | 820 | 942 | 2–4 | 5–9 | 5–4 | 2–7 |
| 2015 National Conference standingsviewtalkedit | ||||||||||
| Team | Overall | Points | Records | |||||||
| W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | DIV | CON | Home | Away | |
| Pacific Division | ||||||||||
| (1) San Jose SaberCats | 17 | 1 | 0 | .944 | 1061 | 662 | 6–0 | 13–1 | 8–1 | 9–0 |
| (3) Spokane Shock | 7 | 11 | 0 | .389 | 847 | 971 | 2–4 | 6–8 | 4–5 | 3–6 |
| (4) Portland Thunder | 5 | 13 | 0 | .278 | 819 | 908 | 1–5 | 4–10 | 5–4 | 0–9 |
| West Division | ||||||||||
| (2) Arizona Rattlers | 14 | 4 | 0 | .778 | 1003 | 825 | 5–1 | 10–4 | 8–1 | 6–3 |
| Las Vegas Outlaws | 5 | 12 | 1 | .306 | 740 | 909 | 3–3 | 5–9 | 3–5–1 | 2–7 |
| Los Angeles Kiss | 4 | 14 | 0 | .222 | 724 | 915 | 1–5 | 4–10 | 3–6 | 1–8 |
Playoffs
| Conference Semifinals | Conference Championships | ArenaBowl XXVIII | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Philadelphia | 47 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Cleveland | 35 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Philadelphia | 56 | ||||||||||||
| American Conference | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | Jacksonville | 61 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Orlando | 33 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Jacksonville | 55 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Jacksonville | 47 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | San Jose | 68 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | San Jose | 55 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Portland | 28 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | San Jose | 70 | ||||||||||||
| National Conference | ||||||||||||||
| 2 | Arizona | 67 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Arizona | 72 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Spokane | 41 |
Conference semifinals
| Conference | Date | Kickoff | Away | Score | Home | Game site | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National | August 14 | 11:00 p.m. EDT | Portland Thunder | 28–55 | San Jose Sabercats | SAP Center at San Jose | |
| American | August 15 | 5:00 p.m. EDT | Cleveland Gladiators | 35–47 | Philadelphia Soul | Wells Fargo Center | |
| American | August 15 | 7:30 p.m. EDT | Jacksonville Sharks | 55–33 | Orlando Predators | Amway Center | |
| National | August 15 | 9:00 p.m. EDT | Spokane Shock | 41–72 | Arizona Rattlers | Talking Stick Resort Arena |
Conference finals
| Conference | Date | Kickoff | Away | Score | Home | Game site | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National | August 22 | 8:00 p.m. EDT | Arizona Rattlers | 67–70 | San Jose SaberCats | Stockton Arena | |
| American | August 23 | 5:00 p.m. EDT | Jacksonville Sharks | 61–56 | Philadelphia Soul | Wells Fargo Center |
ArenaBowl XXVIII
| Date | Kickoff | Away | Score | Home | Game site | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 29 | 7:00 p.m. EDT | Jacksonville Sharks | 47–68 | San Jose SaberCats | Stockton Arena |