2008 ArenaCup returns to highest seed format

Thursday March 20, 2008

af2 Championship to be hosted by participating team with best overall record

CHICAGO – The ArenaCup, the championship game of arenafootball2, will be held at the venue of the participating team with the best overall record in 2008, the af2 league office announced today. The af2’s decision to return to the highest seed as host format, which was utilized for the league’s first five seasons (2000-04), was made with one overriding factor in mind – the fan.

“Our fans are some of the very best in the world, so when they told us about their wishes to bring ArenaCup back to the site of the highest-seeded participating team, we listened,” af2 President Jerry Kurz said. “This year promises to be one of our most competitive ever and I believe ArenaCup9 will be our best attended championship ever.”

With the return to the previous format of having the highest seed play host to ArenaCup, the local fan base will not have to travel to the game, therefore significantly reducing their expenses associated with event. The local fan flavor will also add to the overall excitement of the game. 

The last three years (2005-07) the af2 held a neutral-site ArenaCup championship game. The 2006 ArenaCup was held in San Juan, Puerto Rico at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico and the 2005 and 2007 championships were held at the CenturyTel Center in Bossier City, La. While both destinations were tremendous hosts with top-notch facilities, history has shown that the ArenaCup’s best attended contests were held at the venue of the competing team with the best overall record.

ArenaCup history (2000-07)

Year                Winner                         Site (attendance)
2000                 Quad City                      Moline, Ill. (9,210)
2001                 Quad City                      Moline, Ill. (8,261)
2002                 Peoria                           Peoria, Ill. (7,552)
2003                 Tulsa                            Tulsa, Okla. (7,184)
2004                 Florida                          Estero, Fla. (6,491)
2005                 Memphis                       Bossier City, La. (6,236)
2006                 Spokane                        San Juan, Puerto Rico (5,658)
2007                 Tulsa                            Bossier City, La. (5,107)

Tickets for the 2008 ArenaCup will be available for purchase on the Monday following the American and National Conference Championship games set to take place on the weekend of August 15-17. ArenaCup Weekend promises to include an exciting calendar of fan-friendly events and activities.

About af2
With its ninth season set to kick off on March 28 with a 29-team membership, af2 serves as a vehicle to bring Arena Football to small-to-midsize cities and as a developmental league with an unmatched history of sending players, coaches and officials to major professional football leagues each year. af2 operates under the same Mission Statement and Fans’ Bill of Rights as the Arena Football League, which begins its 22nd season on February 29. Log on to www.af2.com for more information.