Southern Division (AFL)

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The Southern Division is one of four divisions of the Arena Football League. It's also one of two divisions within the "National Conference". It consists of the Georgia Force, the New Orleans VooDoo, the Orlando Predators, and the Tampa Bay Storm. The Wranglers were formed as a 2004 expansion team. The Force were originally the Nashville Kats from 1998-2004, when the Kats were reformed and claimed their 1998-2001 history, making the Force a 2002 expansion team. The VooDoo, formed in 2004 as an expansion team, temporarily suspended operations in 2006 following Hurricane Katrina, but returned to play in the 2007 AFL season. The Predators were formed in 1992 as an expansion team. The Storm were originally a charter member known as the Pittsburgh Gladiators, who then moved to the Tampa Bay Area in Florida and became the Storm in 1991.

The Southern Division has been marked for its entire existence as being the most brutal and competitive division in the AFL. The Southern Division was formed in 1992 when the AFL first split into three divisions. The League used only conferences in 1993 and 1994, but returned to division play in 1995. The Southern Division has produced 10 ArenaBowl teams and 5 champions. Rivalries such as the Tampa Bay Storm and Orlando Predators, known as the "War On I-4," used to define this division, but the newer teams (New Orleans VooDoo and Georgia Force) have risen to the top in recent years.

[edit] Former Southern Division teams

[edit] Division Champions

  • 1992: Orlando Predators (9-1)
  • 1995: Tampa Bay Storm (10-2)
  • 1996: Tampa Bay Storm (12-2)
  • 1997: Orlando Predators (10-4)
  • 1998: Tampa Bay Storm (12-2)
  • 1999: Tampa Bay Storm (11-3)
  • 2000: Orlando Predators (11-3)
  • 2001: Nashville Kats (10-4)
  • 2002: Orlando Predators (7-7)
  • 2003: Tampa Bay Storm (12-4)
  • 2004: New Orleans VooDoo (11-5)
  • 2005: Georgia Force (11-5)
  • 2006: Orlando Predators (10-6)
  • 2007: Georgia Force (13-3)