The American Professional Football League (APFL) was an indoor football league that was founded in 2003. After the 2012 season, most of the teams left to start the Champions Professional Indoor Football League. The league consisted of professional and semi-professional teams, with a few core teams that played a full 10 game schedule and other teams that played partial schedules. At the end of each season, the playoffs were contested between the league's core teams. The first few years of league play were dominated by the Kansas Koyotes, but in later years the league had more parity and more stable members, resulting in the first championship won by another team, the Iowa Blackhawks (in 2009), and the first championship game not involving the Koyotes, when the Iowa Blackhawks defended their championship against the Mid-Missouri Outlaws in the 2010 APFL season. Former Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl champion Clayton Holmes played for the Kansas Koyotes and former Kansas State star QB Jonathan Beasley played for the Wichita Aviators.
League membership
Beaumont Drillers (2008) Cheyenne Warriors (2012) Chillicothe Lumberjacks (2003, never played) Colorado Lightning (2012) Colorado Stars (2004, never played) Conroe Storm (2007–2008) Council Bluffs Express (2012) Denver Titans (2009) Florida Scorpions (2008–2009, 2011) Iowa Blackhawks (2004–2011) Kansas City Matadors (2011) Kansas Koyotes (2003–2012) Kansas/St. Joseph Storm (2005)a Mid-Missouri Outlaws (2010–2012) Missouri Minutemen (2003–2008) Nebraska Bears (2005) Nebraska Extreme/Tornadoes (2008–2009) Nebraska Wildcats (2006) North Texas Crunch (2013–2014) Oklahoma Defenders (2012) Sioux City Bandits (2011–2012) Springfield Shield (2008, never played) St. Joseph Explorers (2003) Springfield Wolfpack (2007–2012) Texas Regulators (2007–2008) Texas Thunder (2004) Wichita Aviators (2005–2006) Wichita Falls Diablos (2008) Wisconsin Locomotives (2004, never played)
a. St. Joseph Storm was suspended from the league before the 2006 season began. Kansas City Thunderstorm and Columbia Outlaws played in their place. b. This team only played road games and a reduced schedule.
Timeline
APFL Bowl champions
{ | width=900
|- bgcolor="#b89d5f" !width=5%|Year !width=10%|Title !width=20%|Champion !width=10%|Score !width=20%|Runner-up !width=45%|Semi-finalist(s) |- | 2003 | APFL Bowl I| Kansas Koyotes | 59-29 | Missouri Minutemen | N/A |- bgcolor=#e8e8e8 | 2004 | APFL Bowl II| Kansas Koyotes | 64-6 | Missouri Minutemen | N/A |- | 2005 | APFL Bowl III| Kansas Koyotes | 26-24 | Iowa Blackhawks | Wichita Aviators |- bgcolor=#e8e8e8 | 2006 | APFL Bowl IV| No Winner | 0-0*| Wichita Aviators-Kansas Koyotes | Iowa Blackhawks |- | 2007 | APFL Bowl V| Kansas Koyotes | 39-15 | Iowa Blackhawks | Conroe Storm |- bgcolor=#e8e8e8 | 2008 | APFL Bowl VI| Kansas Koyotes | 62-36 | Beaumont Drillers | Iowa Blackhawks (North), Conroe Storm (South) |- | 2009 | APFL Bowl VII| Iowa Blackhawks | 63-17 | Kansas Koyotes | Springfield Wolfpack |- bgcolor=#e8e8e8 | 2010 | APFL Bowl VIII| Iowa Blackhawks | 31-28 | Mid-Missouri Outlaws | Springfield Wolfpack, Kansas Koyotes |- | 2011 | APFL Bowl IX| Sioux City Bandits | 69-28 | Iowa Blackhawks | Mid-Missouri Outlaws, Kansas Koyotes |- bgcolor=#e8e8e8 | 2012 | APFL Bowl X| Sioux City Bandits | 56-34 | Council Bluffs Express | Oklahoma Defenders, Mid-Missouri Outlaws |- | 2013 | APFL Bowl XI| North Texas Crunch | N/A | N/A | N/A |}*''' = forfeit
History
2003
Early in 2003, the APFL started as a regional league with the Kansas Koyotes, Missouri Minutemen, St. Joseph Explorers, and Chillicothe Lumberjacks. However, the Lumberjacks didn't make it to opening day and as a result the league played on with three teams while Chillicothe was replaced on the schedule. The Koyotes went undefeated in the league's first season and won the championship game in a rout against Missouri, their 4th victory over the Minutemen that season.
2004
Kansas and Missouri returned and the league added the Iowa Blackhawks and Texas Thunder. The Colorado Stars and Wisconsin Locomotives were originally scheduled to compete, but neither played a down of football in the APFL. The Blackhawks were previously the River City Redemption, who had competed in an exhibition match against the Koyotes the season before. Texas only played a partial schedule. The Koyotes and Minutemen both made it back to the championship, and the Koyotes rolled to a second championship and undefeated season.