The ArenaBowl was the championship game of the Arena Football League (AFL). Originally hosted at Pittsburgh's Civic Arena based on home attendance during the inaugural 1987 season, save four years (2005–2008) the game was hosted by the team with the higher seed based on regular season performance. In 2005–2006 the league staged the game in Las Vegas, and in 2007–2008 New Orleans hosted the event. For the series final two games, regular season home attendance between the competing teams determined which would host.
Originally using year-based nomenclature ("ArenaBowl '87"), the league would begin consistently referring to the game using roman numerals beginning in 1994 ("ArenaBowl VIII"). The original Arena Football League's 2009 bankruptcy liquidation brought the league's existence to a close, but ArenaBowl XXIII would be staged in 2010 as the championship game of a new league which assumed the AFL's intellectual properties. The final ten games of the series would be staged under the "new" Arena Football League, concluding with ArenaBowl XXXII between the Albany Empire and Philadelphia Soul. The second AFL ultimately had the same fate as the first, ceasing operations after its 2019 season and undergoing Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation.
The intellectual property rights to the names of the Arena Football League and the ArenaBowl were sold through the league's bankruptcy proceeding in 2020. The ArenaBowl name was used in 2024 for ArenaBowl XXXIII.
Results Game Date Winning team Losing team MVP Site Attendance ArenaBowl I August 1, Denver Dynamite 45 Pittsburgh Gladiators 16 Gary Mullen Pittsburgh Civic Arena 13,232 ArenaBowl II July 30, Detroit Drive 24 Chicago Bruisers 13 Steve Griffin Rosemont Horizon 15,018 ArenaBowl III August 18, Detroit Drive 39 Pittsburgh Gladiators 26 George LaFrance Joe Louis Arena 12,046 ArenaBowl IV August 11, Detroit Drive 51 Dallas Texans 27 Art Schlichter Joe Louis Arena 19,875 ArenaBowl V August 17, Tampa Bay Storm 48 Detroit Drive 42 Stevie Thomas Joe Louis Arena 20,357 ArenaBowl VI August 22, Detroit Drive 56 Orlando Predators 38 George LaFrance (2) Orlando Arena 13,680 ArenaBowl VII August 21, Tampa Bay Storm 51 Detroit Drive 31 Jay Gruden Joe Louis Arena 12,989 ArenaBowl VIII September 2, Arizona Rattlers 36 Orlando Predators 31 Sherdrick Bonner Orlando Arena 14,368 ArenaBowl IX September 1, Tampa Bay Storm 48 Orlando Predators 35 George LaFrance (3) ThunderDome 25,087 ArenaBowl X August 26, Tampa Bay Storm 42 Iowa Barnstormers 38 Stevie Thomas (2) Iowa Veterans Memorial Auditorium 11,411 ArenaBowl XI August 25, Arizona Rattlers 55 Iowa Barnstormers 33 Donnie Davis America West Arena 17,436 ArenaBowl XII August 23, Orlando Predators 62 Tampa Bay Storm 31 Rick Hamilton Ice Palace 17,222 ArenaBowl XIII August 21, Albany Firebirds 59 Orlando Predators 48 Eddie Brown Pepsi Arena 13,652 ArenaBowl XIV August 20, Orlando Predators 41 Nashville Kats 38 Connell Maynor TD Waterhouse Centre 15,989 ArenaBowl XV August 19, Grand Rapids Rampage 64 Nashville Kats 42 Terrill Shaw Van Andel Arena 11,217 ArenaBowl XVI August 18, San Jose SaberCats 52 Arizona Rattlers 14 John Dutton HP Pavilion at San Jose 16,942 ArenaBowl XVII June 22, Tampa Bay Storm 43 Arizona Rattlers 29 Lawrence Samuels St. Pete Times Forum 20,469 ArenaBowl XVIII June 27, San Jose SaberCats 69 Arizona Rattlers 62 Mark Grieb America West Arena 17,391 ArenaBowl XIX June 12, Colorado Crush 51 Georgia Force 48 Willis Marshall Thomas & Mack Center* 10,822 ArenaBowl XX June 11, Chicago Rush 69 Orlando Predators 61 Matt D'Orazio Thomas & Mack Center* 13,476 ArenaBowl XXI July 29, San Jose SaberCats 55 Columbus Destroyers 33 Mark Grieb (2) New Orleans Arena* 17,056 ArenaBowl XXII July 27, Philadelphia Soul 59 San Jose SaberCats 56 Matt D'Orazio (2) New Orleans Arena* 17,244 ArenaBowl XXIII August 20, Spokane Shock 69 Tampa Bay Storm 57 Kyle Rowley Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena 11,017 ArenaBowl XXIV August 12, Jacksonville Sharks 73 Arizona Rattlers 70 Aaron Garcia US Airways Center 14,320 ArenaBowl XXV August 10, Arizona Rattlers 72 Philadelphia Soul 54 Nick Davila New Orleans Arena* 13,648 ArenaBowl XXVI August 17, Arizona Rattlers 48 Philadelphia Soul 39 Rod Windsor Amway Center* 12,039 ArenaBowl XXVII August 23, Arizona Rattlers 72 Cleveland Gladiators 32 Nick Davila (2) Quicken Loans Arena 18,410 ArenaBowl XXVIII August 29, San Jose SaberCats 68 Jacksonville Sharks 47 Reggie Gray Stockton Arena 9,115 ArenaBowl XXIX August 26, Philadelphia Soul 56 Arizona Rattlers 42 Shaun Kauleinamoku Gila River Arena 13,390 ArenaBowl XXX August 26, Philadelphia Soul 44 Tampa Bay Storm 40 Darius Prince Wells Fargo Center 13,648 ArenaBowl XXXI July 28, Washington Valor 69 Baltimore Brigade 55 Arvell Nelson Royal Farms Arena 8,183 ArenaBowl XXXII August 11, Albany Empire 45 Philadelphia Soul 27 Tommy Grady Times Union Center 12,042 * Neutral site The first seven ArenaBowls were known by the year in which they were played (i.e. ArenaBowl I was called ArenaBowl '87). ArenaBowl VIII was the first to carry a roman numeral, and all previous games were retconned to have roman numerals as well. The number in parentheses indicates the amount of ArenaBowl MVPs that player won. The Pittsburgh Gladiators relocated in 1991 to become the Tampa Bay Storm. The Nashville Kats relocated in 2002 to become the Georgia Force. The Kats were brought back as an expansion team in 2005 and assumed all former team history up to the point when the original Kats relocated to Georgia. The Force were regarded as a completely separate team and kept records from their establishment in 2002 to the team's demise in 2012, similar to the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens situation in the NFL.
Most championships won Team Championships Winning years Arizona Rattlers 5 1994, 1997, 2012, 2013, 2014 Tampa Bay Storm 5 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 2003 Detroit Drive 4 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992 San Jose SaberCats 4 2002, 2004, 2007, 2015 Philadelphia Soul 3 2008, 2016, 2017 Orlando Predators 2 1998, 2000 Albany Firebirds 1 1999 Chicago Rush 1 2006 Colorado Crush 1 2005 Denver Dynamite 1 1987 Grand Rapids Rampage 1 2001 Jacksonville Sharks 1 2011 Spokane Shock 1 2010 Washington Valor 1 2018 Albany Empire 1 2019
Standings Team W L PCT. PF PA Last appearance Arizona Rattlers 5 5 .500 500 482 2016 Tampa Bay Storm* 5 5 .500 402 434 2017 San Jose SaberCats 4 1 .800 300 215 2015 Detroit Drive 4 2 .667 243 203 1993Philadelphia Soul 3 3 .500 279 303 2019 Orlando Predators 2 5 .286 316 337 2006Albany Empire 1 0 1.000 45 27 2019Albany Firebirds 1 0 1.000 59 48 1999 Chicago Rush 1 0 1.000 69 61 2006 Colorado Crush 1 0 1.000 51 48 2005 Denver Dynamite 1 0 1.000 45 16 1987 Grand Rapids Rampage 1 0 1.000 64 42 2001 Spokane Shock 1 0 1.000 69 57 2010Washington Valor 1 0 1.000 69 55 2018 Jacksonville Sharks 1 1 .500 120 138 2015Baltimore Brigade 0 1 .000 55 69 2018 Chicago Bruisers 0 1 .000 13 24 1988 Cleveland Gladiators 0 1 .000 32 72 2014 Columbus Destroyers 0 1 .000 33 55 2007 Dallas Texans 0 1 .000 27 51 1990 Georgia Force 0 1 .000 48 51 2005 Iowa Barnstormers 0 2 .000 71 97 1997 Nashville Kats 0 2 .000 80 105 2001
*Includes two appearances as Pittsburgh Gladiators (0–2, 42 points, 84 points allowed).
Coaching records Coach G W L PCT. Team(s) Appearance(s)Darren Arbet 5 4 1 San Jose SaberCats 2002, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2015Fran Curci 1 1 0 Tampa Bay Storm 1991Mike Dailey 2 2 0 Albany Firebirds, Colorado Crush 1999, 2005Clint Dolezel 4 2 2 Philadelphia Soul 2013, 2016, 2017, 2019John Gregory 2 0 2 Iowa Barnstormers 1996, 1997Jay Gruden 4 2 2 Orlando Predators 1998, 1999, 2000, 2006Kevin Guy 5 3 2 Arizona Rattlers 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016Joe Haering 1 0 1 Pittsburgh Gladiators 1987*Mike Hohensee 1 1 0 Chicago Rush 2006Darrel Jackson 1 0 1 Pittsburgh Gladiators 1989*Ron James 1 0 1 Tampa Bay Storm 2017Doug Kay 1 0 1 Columbus Destroyers 2007Rob Keefe 2 2 0 Spokane Shock, Albany Empire 2010, 2019Lary Kuharich 1 1 0 Tampa Bay Storm 1993Tim Marcum 11 7 4 Denver Dynamite, Detroit Drive, Tampa Bay Storm 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2003, 2010Benji McDowell 1 1 0 Washington Valor 2018Les Moss 2 1 1 Jacksonville Sharks 2011, 2015Perry Moss 5 1 4 Chicago Bruisers, Detroit Drive, Orlando Predators 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995Bret Munsey 1 1 0 Philadelphia Soul 2008Doug Plank 2 0 2 Georgia Force, Philadelphia Soul 2005, 2012Omarr Smith 1 0 1 Baltimore Brigade 2018Pat Sperduto 2 0 2 Nashville Kats 2000, 2001Ernie Stautner 1 0 1 Dallas Texans 1990Steve Thonn 1 0 1 Cleveland Gladiators 2014Michael Trigg 1 1 0 Grand Rapids Rampage 2001Danny White 5 2 3 Arizona Rattlers 1994, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2004
*Both Haering and Jackson coached the 1989 Pittsburgh Gladiators, but Jackson is credited with the postseason games.
See also List of ArenaBowl broadcasters List of Arena Football League seasons
References
External links ArenaBowl.com Arena Football League