The World Football League was a minor professional American football league which operated for three seasons, from 2008 through 2010. It was named for the short-lived World Football League which served as a competitor to the NFL in the mid-1970s.
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History
In 2007, the rights to the "World Football League" name and logo were purchased by Chip Pierce of Beaumont, Texas. The league was brought back to life as a minor league system that did not compete with the NFL, but gave players of a higher talent level than that of the many players involved in semi-pro football the opportunity to showcase their skills. Players like Willie Ponder who have exited the NFL but had aspirations of returning and players like Kejuan Jones or Prentiss Elliot who were looking to get a shot to make in the NFL. At the end of the season SiteInDeX, Inc., purchased the WFL from Pierce.
Play
The inaugural rebirth season of the WFL as a minor league system had 6 teams in Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. World Bowl II (continuing the number from the original league) was held at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana. The World Bowl matched the Oklahoma Thunder against the Austin Gamebreakers. The Thunder prevailed making them the first champion of the WFL in the minor league era. The Thunder also won WFL's World Bowl III (vs. Dallas Diesel) in 2009 and defeated the Des Moines Blaze in the World Bowl IV on July 31, 2010, in Tulsa. The Thunder won all 40 of their games in WFL history.
End
Before the 2011 season, most of the teams in the new WFL either folded or left for other leagues. In a key defection, three-time World Bowl winner Oklahoma Thunder left for the much larger Gridiron Developmental Football League. The new WFL merged with another league to become the Alliance Football League. The merged league began the 2011 season with six teams: the Texas Bulldogs, Dallas-Fort Worth Heat, Dallas Diesel, Central Texas Gorillas, Houston Pride of Texas, and Oklahoma City Wolverines. World Bowl V, scheduled for Tulsa, was moved to Shreveport, Louisiana, and renamed the National Championship. This merger and renaming ended the minor league rebirth of the WFL.