Conference National Conference Sport Arena Football | League Arena Football League | |
Founded 1995 (as the Central Division, as a member of the American Conference) No. of teams Portland Thunder
San Jose SaberCats Most recent Pacific champion(s) San Jose SaberCats (2nd title) | ||
The Pacific Division, formerly the Central Division, is one of four divisions that make up the Arena Football League. It's also one of two divisions that make up the "American Conference", now part of the "National Conference". The division was first formed in 1995 when expansion teams were formed and put into the current divisions.
Contents
Division lineups
1995 and 1996
Creation of the Central Division as part of the American Conference. Iowa, St. Louis, and Memphis are enfranchised for this division.
1997
Memphis moved to Portland as the Forest Dragons. St. Louis Stampede folded. Texas Terror moved in from National Conference's Southern Division.
1998-2000
Grand Rapids Rampage enfranchised. Portland moved to American Conference's Western Division. Texas Terror renamed Houston Thunderbears.
2001
Albany from National Conference's Eastern Division moved into this division as Indiana Firebirds, relocated in Indianapolis. Chicago Rush and Detroit Fury enfranchised. Houston moved to Western Division. Iowa moved to Uniondale, New York as New York Dragons.
2002
Milwaukee Mustangs folded.
2003
Dallas moved in from Western Division. Detroit Fury moved to Eastern Division.
2004
Colorado moved in from Western Division. Dallas moved to Eastern Division. Detroit moved back from Eastern Division.
2005 and 2006
Detroit and Indiana folded. Nashville Kats (not to be confused with Georgia Force of the Southern Division which are the original Kats team) enfranchised.
2007
Kansas City moved in from Southern Division.
2008
Nashville folded. Kansas City suspended. The AFL has been put on a one-year hiatus in 2009.
2010
Central Division moved to National Conference as Midwest Division. Cleveland moved in from Eastern Division (which is moved to the American Conference for this season as the Southwest Division). Milwaukee Iron as well as the second Iowa Barnstormers franchise (not to be confused with the original one known as the New York Dragons) moved in from the now-defunct af2.
2011
The Midwest Division changed its name back to Central Division. Dallas and Tulsa moved in from Southwest Division (now Eastern Division). Cleveland and Milwaukee moved to the Eastern Division. Kansas City reactivated.
2012
Dallas suspended, Tulsa relocated to San Antonio.
2013
Kansas City folded.
2014 and 2015
Central Division becomes Pacific Division. Portland enfranchised, Chicago folded, Iowa was moved to the East Division & San Antonio was moved to the West Division.
After 2015 Both conferences no longer have divisions, though Portland remain in the National Conference, alongside Arizona and Los Angeles. San Jose and Spokane folded.