International Football Alliance
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2024 IFA season
SportAmerican football
Founded2023
Inaugural season2024
Owner(s)Collective Entertainment Group, LLC
CommissionerJuan Manuel Bladé Cavazos
No. of teams6 (planned)
CountryMexico and United States
HeadquartersCancun, Mexico
TV partner(s)
Related
competitions		Direct: FAM
Other: UFL, ELF
Official websitewww.ifa.football

The International Football Alliance (IFA) is a professional, outdoor, 11-man American football minor league. The IFA's inaugural season will commence in June 2024, with 6 teams, and will operate internationally in both Mexico and the United States.[2][3][4] The league is headquartered in Cancún, Mexico.

Premise

The IFA's aim is to "deliver the highest level of American football," and "build a unified and solid American football ecosystem in Mexico,"[3] while the league mission statement reads: "The International Football Alliance mission is bridging the gap in international professional football by delivering the highest level of American Football within the locations of Mexico and the United States, implementing NFL based standard rules of play, and creating an international alliance. Together with our team ownership, teams, players, and fans, we will work to build a unified and solid football ecosystem to grow American football in Mexico".[5]

History

The IFA was announced on January 25, 2023, in a press conference held by commissioner Juan Manuel Bladé.[3] Bladé revealed that the league will consist of six teams—three in Mexico and three in the United States (it was later revealed that four of them are derived from the now-defunct Fútbol Americano de México league). Dallas was the only American city announced, although the commissioner mentioned a potential additional team in El Paso.[4] In August 2023, ESPN reported that San Diego will be the sixth location, and that Art Briles and Noel Mazzone were the first coaches to be assigned to a team (Dallas Pioneers and Tequileros de Jalisco, respectively) while the league also hired Nick Rolovich and Hal Mumme.[6]

The league announced tryouts for its first season in San Diego, California (July 29, 2023); Melissa, Texas (August 20, 2023); Riviera Beach, Florida (September 9, 2023);[7] Fort Lauderdale, Florida (October 21, 2023);[8] Atlanta, Georgia (November 11, 2023);[9] and internationally, in Cologne, Germany, on December 10, 2023 (moved from Birmingham, England).[10] The IFA Mexico Combine will be held on December 3, 2023, in Mexico City, at Patriots Field. This will be open to all Mexican nationals.[11]

Teams

The IFA has announced 6 founding member cities, 4 of which are derived from the now-defunct Fútbol Americano de México league (with the Pioneros relocating to Dallas), one "El Paso team" and additional unspecified US-based team. Commissioner Juan Manuel Bladé Cavazos stated the IFA would like to have a team in Mexico City upon procurement of a suitable ownership group. Cavazos further stated the plan is to have 10 teams by 2025, split between the 2 countries, while California and Florida are states with prospective member cities.[12] In August 2023, an ESPN report indicated that that the IFA would have three US based teams, one in Dallas, one in San Diego, and an additional Texas based team.[6] In October 2023, El Paso, Texas, was removed from the official website. On November 29, 2023, the league announced Las Vegas as its second US location after the Las Vegas Kings joined from the American Indoor Football Alliance.[13][14]

Current teams

Team City Coach
Mexico
Guadalajara Tequileros Guadalajara, Jalisco Noel Mazzone
Chihuahua Rebellion Juárez City, Chihuahua
Cancun Sharks Cancún, Quintana Roo
United States
Dallas Pioneers[15] Dallas, Texas Art Briles
Las Vegas Kings[16] Las Vegas, Nevada Mike Tice
San Diego Team San Diego, California
Locations of teams for the 2024 IFA season. (Mexico – red; United States – blue)

Players

Each team will carry a 53-man roster and seven players on the practice squad, with a maximum of 20 American players (similar to the Canadian Football League),[17][4] with a goal of attracting international players. Salaries were first reported as "similar" to the ELF, XFL, and USFL.[3] The league later announced that "player pay will be determined per team, with league standards are $400–$1500 per game".[18] The players will be selected after participating in IFA-organized combine tryouts.[4]

Players with dual citizenship (United States + 1 country) may be submitted against either the 20 American player cap or the 33 International player cap (per team). Once the player has been submitted, his status may not change until the conclusion of that respective season.

The league plan is to hold a "Global Draft" on January 13, 2024, in Mexico City,[18] and a "Supplemental Draft" on May 8, 2024.[19] Training camp will start on May 15, 2024, with 75 players on each roster, which will be trimmed down to 55 a week later. Each team must carry two quarterback's on the active roster and one on the practice squad.[19] During training camp the players will make $100 per-week, plus room and board.[19]

Coaches

In August 2023, ESPN reported that the IFA hired former Baylor coach Art Briles as the head coach of Dallas Pioneers and the league confirmed that report later that day.[20] The same report also mentioned that Noel Mazzone will coach Tequileros de Jalisco, while Nick Rolovich will coach one of the American teams and Hal Mumme will coach one of the Mexican teams.[6] Rolovich later signed with the XFL's Seattle Sea Dragons.[21]

Personnel

Reference[22]

Former staff

  • Executive VP & Director of International Relations - Ric Serritella[15]

References

  1. ↑ "The International Football Alliance announces an Exciting Broadcasting Partnership with Hi Sports, Total Play Telecomunicaciones, and other streaming services". ifa.football.
  2. ↑ "IFA Kickoff (Press Conference)". YouTube.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Anuncian liga de futbol americano entre México y Estados Unidos". espn.com.ar (in Spanish). 15 May 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Announcement of new Footbal [sic] League with teams from the United States and Mexico". Marca. 15 May 2023. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  5. ↑ "Art Briles hired to coach Dallas team in International Football Alliance". On3.
  6. 1 2 3 "Dallas' new spring football team hires ex-Baylor coach Art Briles". ESPN.
  7. ↑ "IFA Official Contract Camps". International Football Alliance.
  8. ↑ "Florida Registration". International Football Alliance.
  9. ↑ "Atlanta Registration". International Football Alliance.
  10. ↑ "Cologne, Germany Registration". International Football Alliance.
  11. ↑ "Mexico National Combine Registration". International Football Alliance.
  12. ↑ "La International Football Alliance unirá a equipos de México y Estados Unidos". YouTube.com (in Spanish).
  13. ↑ https://twitter.com/TheIFAFootball/status/1729895920903623084
  14. ↑ "Las Vegas Kings Football Team Joins the International Football Alliance". PRLog.
  15. 1 2 "Episode 150 – XFL vs. USFL: Talent "Arms Race"!". TheMarkcast.com.
  16. ↑ "Las Vegas Kings Official website". Las Vegas Kings.
  17. ↑ "El Comisionado Juan Manuel Blade en Hi Sports (Parte 2)". YouTube.
  18. 1 2 "IFA Overview". International Football Alliance.
  19. 1 2 3 "Spring Football Returns To Las Vegas In 2024". youtube.com.
  20. ↑ Williams, Madison (August 13, 2023). "Ex-Baylor Coach Art Briles Hired by New Football League". SI.com.
  21. ↑ Lyons, Matt (2023-09-14). "Nick Rolovich Named Seattle Sea Dragons New OC". xflnewshub.com. Retrieved 2023-09-16.
  22. ↑ "Bridging The Gap Between Professional American Football United States + Mexico". ifa.football.
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