 | |
| Founded | 2005 |
|---|---|
| Folded | 2019 |
| Team history |
|
| Based in | Grossinger Motors Arena inBloomington, Illinois |
| Home arena |
|
| Cheerleaders | Lady Edge |
| Mascot | Spike |
| League |
|
| Colors | Navy blue, red, silver, white |
| Personnel | |
| Head coach | John Johnson |
| General manager | Charles Welde |
| Owner | Sports Group Illinois |
| Chairman | Omar Khokhar |
| Championships | |
| Conference titles (1) |
|
| Playoff appearances (8) | |
| |
| Website | www.bloomingtonedge.net |
TheBloomington Edge was a professionalindoor football team based inBloomington, Illinois. While it was in operation, the team hosted home games atGrossinger Motors Arena. Originally named theBloomington Extreme, the team was a member ofUnited Indoor Football (UIF), and joined theIndoor Football League (IFL) in 2009 during the UIF andIntense Football League merger. They left the IFL for theChampions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL) in 2013, and in 2015 the CPIFL merged with theLone Star Football League (LSFL) to createChampions Indoor Football (CIF), where Bloomington did not follow and joinedX-League Indoor Football (X-League). Following the 2015 season the Edge joined the CIF. The Edge then announced it had rejoined the IFL for the 2018 season, but a court ruling prevented the team from joining the league until 2019, however, they were not included in that season's schedule.
TheBloomington Extreme began as an expansion team inUnited Indoor Football in 2006 led by head coach Ted Schmitz. They missed the playoffs in their first season, but improved to an 8–7 record in 2007 before losing to theLexington Horsemen in the Eastern Conference championship. Schmitz was then named an assistant general manager and Kenton Carr was hired as head coach for 2008.[1] The Extreme went 7–7, but were first place in a weak Eastern Conference. They won their first conference title and went on to the United Bowl where they lost to theSioux Falls Storm.
The UIF merged with the Intense Football League in the 2008 offseason to create newIndoor Football League (IFL) in 2009.
The Extreme were added to the United Conference following the merger. The Extreme signed formerFlorida State and NFL wide receiverPeter Warrick signed a one-year contract. The team went 10–4 and lost in the first round of the playoffs to theWichita Wild. In the2010 season, the Extreme started with a 3–5 record and fired head coach Kenton Carr. The team then finished the rest of the season undefeated under former coach Ted Schmitz before losing to Wichita again in the first round of the playoffs. In October 2010, team owner Ed Brady announced that Mike Murray was hired as the team's new head coach for the2011 Bloomington Extreme season.[2] Murray had been the Extreme offensive coordinator in 2006. The Extreme went 9–5 and lost to theOmaha Beef in the first round of the playoffs.
In November 2011, the team was purchased by Jim Morris, who had been a minority owner of the team.[3] The team agreed with change the name of the franchise to theBloomington Edge as a tie-in to theFord Edge.[3] Morris hired Kenton Carr as the head coach for the2012 Bloomington Edge season.[4] The Edge finished the regular season 10–4, earning the third seed in the United Conference playoffs. The Edge then ended with another first round loss in the playoffs theGreen Bay Blizzard, 30–51.[5]
For the2013 Bloomington Edge season, the team was owned byBloomington Blaze owner Sandra Hunnewell and played in theChampions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL).[6][7] The new ownership retained coach Carr and the team missed the playoffs for the first time since their inaugural season.
Just 12 days after the conclusion of the 2013 season, Edge owner and team president, David Holt and head coach Kenton Carr mutually agreed to part ways.[8] Holt replaced Carr with John Johnson, who had been the team's offensive coordinator under Carr.[9] Under Johnson for the2014 Bloomington Edge season, the team went 5–7 and still missed the playoffs.
The Edge announced they were joiningX-League Indoor Football in October 2014.[10] The Edge were acquired by Omar Khokhar at the end of the 2015 season.[11] The team's season was abruptly ended and the league's X Bowl II championship game advanced to June 6 after theCape Fear Heroes were suspended by the league.[12]
On August 19, 2015, the Edge announced that they were moving toChampions Indoor Football (CIF).[13] The Edge returned to the postseason for the first time in four seasons, going 7–5. The Edge won their first round playoff game against theSioux City Bandits 65–45, but lost in the North Division Championship 51–52 to theWichita Force.
On September 9, 2016, it was announced that head coach John Johnson and the Edge had mutually agreed to part ways.[14] On September 13, 2016, the Edge announced that former Extreme linebacker andSpokane Empiredefensive coordinator, Ameer Ismail was named the team's new head coach.[15] Ismail lead the Edge to another 7–5 season, clinching another playoff berth. The Edge lost 30–43 to theOmaha Beef.[16] Twelve days later, Ismail and the Edge agreed to part ways citing "different visions."[17]
On August 23, 2017, Nick Ruud was named the next Edge head coach.[18] On September 12, 2017, the Edge announced that they were moving back to the Indoor Football League.[19]
However, the CIF then attempted to sue the IFL and the Edge for leaving the CIF after the Edge had already signed league affiliation agreements with the CIF for 2018. While the CIF did drop the lawsuit against the IFL due to legal retaliation,[20][21] it filed for an injunction against the Edge from participating in the IFL for breaking the terms of their signed affiliation agreement. A temporary injunction from participation was granted on January 31, 2018, with the court ruling determining that the Edge had been in violation of their CIF league affiliation agreement.[22][23]
On February 6, the Edge announced that it would continue to operate independently of a league for the season.[24] In the same press release, the Edge also announced that John Johnson would return as head coach.[25] However, the court ruling prevented the Edge from playing any games during the spring of 2018 as long as the CIF season length, forcing the Edge to only schedule exhibition games during the summer.[26] After their summer season, Edge owner Omar Khokhar announced the franchise was for sale and could relocate.[27]
In 2019, the Wells Sports Group signed a letter of intent to purchase the Edge franchise. On October 22, 2019, they announced their intentions to join theAmerican Arena League (AAL) for the 2020 season and were still in negotiations withGrossinger Motors Arena for a lease.[28] However, the arena instead agreed to a lease with the semiprofessional indoor football team,Midway Marauders, as the Marauders had been in negotiations with the arena before Wells had initiated any conversations, thereby halting the sale of the franchise.[29]
From the team's inception until 2011, the team was known as theBloomington Extreme, with the having been derived from anaming rights deal with local auto dealer Extreme Motors. In the 2011–12 offseason, the team was sold to Jim Morris (owner of a localSonic Drive-In franchise and of thePremier Basketball League'sCentral Illinois Drive), with a naming rights deal with another auto dealer; this time Heller Ford would acquire said rights, giving the team its new Edge nickname (derived from theFord Edge automobile).
| League Champions | Conference Champions | Division Champions | Playoff berth | League leader |
| Season | Team | League | Conference | Division | Regular season | Postseason results | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | Wins | Losses | |||||||
| 2006 | 2006 | UIF | Central | 2nd | 5 | 10 | |||
| 2007 | 2007 | UIF | Eastern | 4th | 8 | 7 | Won Round 1 (Rock River) 43–30 Lost Divisional Championship (Lexington) 49–67 | ||
| 2008 | 2008 | UIF | Eastern | 1st | 7 | 7 | Won Divisional Finals (River City) 57–23 Lost United Bowl IV (Sioux Falls) 35–40 | ||
| 2009 | 2009 | IFL | United | Central | 2nd | 10 | 4 | Lost Divisional Round 1 (Wichita) 37–46 | |
| 2010 | 2010 | IFL | United | Central North | 2nd | 9 | 5 | Lost Round 1 (Wichita) 48–61 | |
| 2011 | 2011 | IFL | United | Great Lakes | 3rd | 9 | 5 | Lost Round 1 (Omaha) 34–39 | |
| 2012 | 2012 | IFL | United | 3rd | 10 | 4 | Lost United Conference Semifinal (Green Bay) 30–51 | ||
| 2013 | 2013 | CPIFL | 6th | 5 | 7 | ||||
| 2014 | 2014 | CPIFL | 6th | 5 | 7 | ||||
| 2015 | 2015 | X-League | 5th | 5 | 3 | ||||
| 2016 | 2016 | CIF | Northern | 2nd | 7 | 5 | Won Northern Round 1 (Sioux City) 65–45 Lost Division Championship (Wichita) 51–52 | ||
| 2017 | 2017 | CIF | Northern | 3rd | 7 | 5 | Lost Northern Conference Semifinal (Omaha) 30–43 | ||
| Totals | 87 | 69 | All-time regular season record | ||||||
| 3 | 8 | All-time postseason record | |||||||
| 90 | 77 | All-time regular season and postseason record | |||||||
