Note: The Indoor Football League is the longest-running continuously operating indoor football league in the United States and the second-longest-running professional football league overall, behind only the NFL. Founded in 2009, the IFL will enter its 18th consecutive season in 2026, firmly established as the sport’s top indoor league.
Howie Hanson is editor & publisher of 50-Yard Football, a national publication that covers arena/indoor football leagues.
THE MOST IMPRESSIVE THING about the Indoor Football League as it lines up another season in 2026 isn’t what it promises. It’s what it doesn’t.
The IFL doesn’t sell dreams of inevitable national relevance. It doesn’t lean on breathless talk about television saving the business. It doesn’t pretend that arena football is something it isn’t. And after watching this corner of the sports world churn through optimism cycles for decades, that restraint stands out.
Indoor football is a specialty product. Short season. Niche audience. Heavy travel. Real operating costs. That math has humbled more leagues than any lack of fan interest ever has. The IFL survives because it treats those constraints as fixed realities, not temporary inconveniences.
That mindset runs through everything the league does.
Its media deal isn’t framed as a savior. It’s framed as infrastructure. Visibility that helps teams sell sponsorships, justify local partnerships and show credibility without pretending the checks will be transformational. In a space where television is often treated like a lottery ticket, the IFL understands it as plumbing.
Functional. Necessary. Not magical.
The league’s discipline on expansion matters just as much. Teams come and go — that’s unavoidable at this level — but the IFL has largely resisted the temptation to chase scale for its own sake. It prefers markets that can survive quietly over markets that look good on a map. That decision alone has probably saved the league multiple times.
Travel costs, housing, staffing and venue expenses are the real killers in arena football, not a lack of enthusiasm. The IFL doesn’t eliminate those pressures, but it manages them. Regional clustering helps. Schedule planning helps. Modest expectations help even more.
Most importantly, the league is honest with its owners.
It doesn’t promise franchise appreciation. It doesn’t sell the idea that today’s losses automatically become tomorrow’s payday. Ownership in the IFL is not pitched as a speculative investment. It’s pitched as participation in a controlled, limited-scale business that can work if it’s handled carefully.
That clarity filters out the most dangerous kind of owner — the one waiting for a miracle.
The IFL has also benefited from institutional memory. Arena football has lived through enough boom-and-bust cycles to fill a bookshelf. Many leagues fail not because they’re poorly run, but because they convince themselves they’ve outgrown the fundamentals. The IFL hasn’t made that mistake. It doesn’t confuse survival with destiny.
As the 2026 season approaches, there’s a noticeable lack of drama. Schedules are out. Media arrangements are announced. Teams are preparing. The league is doing what leagues are supposed to do.
That may not generate viral buzz. It does generate continuity.
In an industry obsessed with the next big thing, the IFL’s greatest competitive advantage is that it doesn’t need one. It just needs to keep operating inside the reality of what indoor football actually is.
That’s not flashy. It’s not romantic. And it’s why the league is still here.
Sometimes the smartest move in sports isn’t reaching for the future. It’s refusing to lie about the present.
2026 Indoor Football League Week-by-Week Schedule
Week 1
Saturday, March 14
Quad City at Fishers — TBA, Fishers Event Center, Fishers, Ind.
Sunday, March 15
Vegas at Green Bay — TBA, Resch Center, Green Bay, Wis.
Week 2
Saturday, March 21
Fishers at Green Bay — TBA, Resch Center, Green Bay, Wis.
Iowa at Quad City — TBA, Vibrant Arena at The Mark, Moline, Ill.
Sunday, March 22
Orlando at New Mexico — TBA, Tingley Coliseum, Albuquerque, N.M.
Monday, March 23
Northern Arizona at San Diego — 8 p.m. CT, Frontwave Arena, San Diego
Week 3
Saturday, March 28
San Diego at Arizona — TBA, Desert Diamond Arena, Glendale, Ariz.
Jacksonville at Northern Arizona — 8 p.m. CT, Findlay Toyota Center, Prescott Valley, Ariz.
Sunday, March 29
Tulsa at San Antonio — TBA, Freeman Coliseum, San Antonio
Vegas at Tucson — TBA, Tucson Arena, Tucson, Ariz.
Week 4
Saturday, April 4
Tucson at New Mexico — TBA, Tingley Coliseum, Albuquerque, N.M.
Green Bay at Iowa — TBA, Casey’s Center, Des Moines, Iowa
Sunday, April 5
Arizona at Fishers — TBA, Fishers Event Center, Fishers, Ind.
Quad City at Orlando — TBA, Kia Center, Orlando, Fla.
Week 5
Saturday, April 11
Iowa at Fishers — TBA, Fishers Event Center, Fishers, Ind.
Green Bay at Quad City — TBA, Vibrant Arena at The Mark, Moline, Ill.
San Antonio at Arizona — TBA, Desert Diamond Arena, Glendale, Ariz.
San Diego at Tucson — TBA, Tucson Arena, Tucson, Ariz.
Northern Arizona at New Mexico — 5 p.m. CT, Tingley Coliseum, Albuquerque, N.M.
Sunday, April 12
Tulsa at Orlando — TBA, Kia Center, Orlando, Fla.
Jacksonville at Vegas — TBA, Lee’s Family Forum, Henderson, Nev.
Week 6
Friday, April 17
Orlando at Jacksonville — TBA, VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, Fla.
Quad City at San Diego — TBA, Frontwave Arena, San Diego
Saturday, April 18
Iowa at Green Bay — TBA, Resch Center, Green Bay, Wis.
Fishers at Tulsa — TBA, BOK Center, Tulsa, Okla.
Vegas at San Antonio — TBA, Freeman Coliseum, San Antonio
Sunday, April 19
New Mexico at Tucson — TBA, Tucson Arena, Tucson, Ariz.
Arizona at Northern Arizona — 3 p.m. CT, Findlay Toyota Center, Prescott Valley, Ariz.
Week 7
Friday, April 24
Orlando at Green Bay — TBA, Resch Center, Green Bay, Wis.
Saturday, April 25
Tulsa at Arizona — TBA, Desert Diamond Arena, Glendale, Ariz.
Fishers at Iowa — TBA, Casey’s Center, Des Moines, Iowa
New Mexico at Vegas — TBA, Lee’s Family Forum, Henderson, Nev.
Northern Arizona at San Antonio — 4 p.m. CT, Freeman Coliseum, San Antonio
Sunday, April 26
Tucson at San Diego — TBA, Frontwave Arena, San Diego
Jacksonville at Quad City — TBA, Vibrant Arena at The Mark, Moline, Ill.
Week 8
Saturday, May 2
New Mexico at Jacksonville — TBA, VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, Fla.
Quad City at Iowa — TBA, Casey’s Center, Des Moines, Iowa
San Diego at Tulsa — TBA, BOK Center, Tulsa, Okla.
Green Bay at Fishers — TBA, Fishers Event Center, Fishers, Ind.
San Antonio at Tucson — TBA, Tucson Arena, Tucson, Ariz.
Sunday, May 3
Arizona at Vegas — TBA, Lee’s Family Forum, Henderson, Nev.
Week 9
Friday, May 8
Quad City at Green Bay — TBA, Resch Center, Green Bay, Wis.
Saturday, May 9
Fishers at Orlando — TBA, Kia Center, Orlando, Fla.
San Antonio at Northern Arizona — 8 p.m. CT, Findlay Toyota Center, Prescott Valley, Ariz.
Sunday, May 10
Tucson at Arizona — TBA, Desert Diamond Arena, Glendale, Ariz.
Tulsa at Jacksonville — TBA, VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, Fla.
Week 10
Friday, May 15
Tucson at Quad City — TBA, Vibrant Arena at The Mark, Moline, Ill.
Saturday, May 16
Green Bay at Tulsa — TBA, BOK Center, Tulsa, Okla.
Jacksonville at Fishers — TBA, Fishers Event Center, Fishers, Ind.
San Diego at San Antonio — TBA, Freeman Coliseum, San Antonio
Sunday, May 17
Iowa at Northern Arizona — 6:30 p.m. CT, Findlay Toyota Center, Prescott Valley, Ariz.
Monday, May 18
Vegas at Orlando — TBA, Kia Center, Orlando, Fla.
Arizona at New Mexico — TBA, Tingley Coliseum, Albuquerque, N.M.
Week 11
Friday, May 22
Jacksonville at Iowa — TBA, Casey’s Center, Des Moines, Iowa
Saturday, May 23
Tulsa at San Antonio — TBA, Freeman Coliseum, San Antonio
Northern Arizona at San Diego — 9 p.m. CT, Frontwave Arena, San Diego
Week 12
Friday, May 29
San Antonio at Green Bay — TBA, Resch Center, Green Bay, Wis.
Saturday, May 30
Fishers at Jacksonville — TBA, VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, Fla.
Quad City at Vegas — TBA, Lee’s Family Forum, Henderson, Nev.
Orlando at Tucson — TBA, Tucson Arena, Tucson, Ariz.
Iowa at Tulsa — TBA, BOK Center, Tulsa, Okla.
Northern Arizona at Arizona — 9 p.m. CT, Desert Diamond Arena, Glendale, Ariz.
Sunday, May 31
San Diego at New Mexico — TBA, Tingley Coliseum, Albuquerque, N.M.
Week 13
Saturday, June 6
Green Bay at Quad City — TBA, Vibrant Arena at The Mark, Moline, Ill.
Tulsa at Fishers — TBA, Fishers Event Center, Fishers, Ind.
Iowa at Orlando — TBA, Kia Center, Orlando, Fla.
San Antonio at Jacksonville — TBA, VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, Fla.
Sunday, June 7
New Mexico at Tucson — TBA, Tucson Arena, Tucson, Ariz.
Vegas at Northern Arizona — 6:30 p.m. CT, Findlay Toyota Center, Prescott Valley, Ariz.
Week 14
Friday, June 12
Jacksonville at Green Bay — TBA, Resch Center, Green Bay, Wis.
Saturday, June 13
Quad City at Iowa — TBA, Casey’s Center, Des Moines, Iowa
Orlando at Tulsa — TBA, BOK Center, Tulsa, Okla.
New Mexico at San Antonio — TBA, Freeman Coliseum, San Antonio
Tucson at Vegas — TBA, Lee’s Family Forum, Henderson, Nev.
Sunday, June 14
Fishers at Arizona — TBA, Desert Diamond Arena, Glendale, Ariz.
San Diego at Northern Arizona — 3 p.m. CT, Findlay Toyota Center, Prescott Valley, Ariz.
Week 15
Friday, June 19
Vegas at San Diego — TBA, Frontwave Arena, San Diego
Saturday, June 20
Iowa at Fishers — TBA, Fishers Event Center, Fishers, Ind.
Arizona at Tucson — TBA, Tucson Arena, Tucson, Ariz.
San Antonio at Tulsa — TBA, BOK Center, Tulsa, Okla.
Sunday, June 21
Jacksonville at Orlando — TBA, Kia Center, Orlando, Fla.
Northern Arizona at New Mexico — 3 p.m. CT, Tingley Coliseum, Albuquerque, N.M.
Week 16
Saturday, June 27
San Antonio at Vegas — TBA, Lee’s Family Forum, Henderson, Nev.
Tulsa at Iowa — TBA, Casey’s Center, Des Moines, Iowa
New Mexico at Arizona — TBA, Desert Diamond Arena, Glendale, Ariz.
Fishers at Green Bay — TBA, Resch Center, Green Bay, Wis.
Sunday, June 28
San Diego at Jacksonville — TBA, VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, Fla.
Orlando at Quad City — TBA, Vibrant Arena at The Mark, Moline, Ill.
Tucson at Northern Arizona — 6:30 p.m. CT, Findlay Toyota Center, Prescott Valley, Ariz.
Week 17
Saturday, July 4
Vegas at New Mexico — TBA, Tingley Coliseum, Albuquerque, N.M.
Sunday, July 5
Green Bay at Orlando — TBA, Kia Center, Orlando, Fla.
Monday, July 6
Arizona at San Diego — TBA, Frontwave Arena, San Diego
Week 18
Saturday, July 11
Tucson at Arizona — TBA, Desert Diamond Arena, Glendale, Ariz.
Green Bay at Iowa — TBA, Casey’s Center, Des Moines, Iowa
Fishers at Quad City — TBA, Vibrant Arena at The Mark, Moline, Ill.
Orlando at San Antonio — TBA, Freeman Coliseum, San Antonio
Jacksonville at Tulsa — TBA, BOK Center, Tulsa, Okla.
Sunday, July 12
San Diego at Vegas — TBA, Lee’s Family Forum, Henderson, Nev.
New Mexico at Northern Arizona — 3 p.m. CT, Findlay Toyota Center, Prescott Valley, Ariz.
Week 19
Saturday, July 18
New Mexico at San Diego — TBA, Frontwave Arena, San Diego
Iowa at Jacksonville — TBA, VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, Fla.
Quad City at Tulsa — TBA, BOK Center, Tulsa, Okla.
Arizona at San Antonio — TBA, Freeman Coliseum, San Antonio
Sunday, July 19
Northern Arizona at Tucson — 6:30 p.m. CT, Tucson Arena, Tucson, Ariz.
Week 20
Friday, July 24
Tucson at San Diego — TBA, Frontwave Arena, San Diego
San Antonio at Iowa — TBA, Casey’s Center, Des Moines, Iowa
Saturday, July 25
Tulsa at Quad City — TBA, Vibrant Arena at The Mark, Moline, Ill.
Sunday, July 26
Green Bay at Jacksonville — TBA, VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, Fla.
Orlando at Fishers — TBA, Fishers Event Center, Fishers, Ind.
Northern Arizona at Vegas — 8 p.m. CT, Lee’s Family Forum, Henderson, Nev.
