| Sport | Gridiron football |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2025 |
| First season | 2026 (planned) |
| Commissioner | Mike Kelly |
| No. of teams | 8 (planned) |
| Country | United States |
| Headquarters | Wheeling, West Virginia |
| Official website | www |
TheContinental Football League (COFL) is an upcoming professional gridiron footballminor league set to launch in the summer of 2026. It is arevival of the originalContinental Football League that operated from 1965 to 1969, with no direct organizational lineage from that league.
The new COFL is positioned as a third tier[nb 1] minor professional league (similar toMiLB classAA orUSL League One), aimed at smaller markets and providing opportunities for overlooked talent, playing under a hybrid ofAmerican football andCanadian football rules.[1]
The COFL sees itself as complementary to leagues like the UFL, rather than a direct competitor, and intends to work within the broader alt-football ecosystem rather than challenge it.[2] The league aims to fill a strategic summer football gap, offering competitive professional football outside of the NFL and UFL calendar. Its mission includes:[1][2]
The league plan to be a launch pad to younger players, and it does not plan on providing experienced talent a place to continue their pro career, with Kelly describing such players as "mercenaries."[3]
The original Continental Football League operated as a minor professional league during the late 1960s, with teams across the United States, Canada and Mexico. It disbanded after the 1969 season, with its eastern teams merging into theAtlantic Coast Football League and select constituent teams and conferences such as theTrans-American Football League continuing into the early 1970s.
During summer 2025,Manny Matsakis, a fan of the original Ohio Valley Ironmen of the original Continental Football League, launched a revival of the team.[4] It initially played in theInternational Football Alliance before multiple issues with that league led to a collapse early in its inaugural season.[5] The revived Ironmen dominated its competition in its abbreviated 2025 season, which eventually led to the team's schedule being cut short after three games.[6] Compared to many of its erstwhile IFA rivals,[7][8][9][10] the Ironmen were relatively well-operated, with no known financial issues and its own television contract with local broadcast stationWTRF.[11]
On September 9, 2025, the Ironmen announced the relaunch of the Continental Football League, with formerWinnipeg Blue Bombers head coachMike Kelly named as commissioner. Kelly, like Matsakis, had been a fan of the original league, in Kelly's case theWaterbury Orbits.[3] The new league is headquartered inWheeling, West Virginia, and plans to emphasize community ownership, grassroots operations, and summer scheduling to avoid competition with the NFL and other fall football leagues.[1][2]
The league is planning to launch with eight franchises divided into two divisions (North and South). As of December 2025, six franchises have been officially announced:
The Ironmen name is a nod to the former Wheeling Ironmen, who competed in the original COFL from 1965 to 1969.[15] The Toros are named in homage to theTexas Football League (and briefly COFL) team of the same name that operated from 1968 to 1975, and were established as a replacement for theSan Antonio Brahmas, a United Football League team that had suddenly been relocated by its new ownerMike Repole in 2025.[12] The Dukes were an established semi-pro team moving up to the professional ranks after previously facing the Ironmen in 2025.[16] The Sidewinders were a prospective indoor football team forced to adopt an outdoor schedule due to renovations at San Angelo's main indoor arena.[17]
The CoFL will implement a structured and sustainable approach to roster management, aiming to ensure competitive balance and long-term player development across all franchises.[18]
Each team is allowed to invite up to 50 players to training camp. Of these, at least 25 players must be between the ages of 18 and 25.[19] This policy is designed to encourage youth participation and the development of emerging talent rather than overreliance on veteran players.[18] The league plan to attractstudent-athletes who entered theNCAA transfer portal but couldn't find new opportunities and allow them to be seen by pro scouts or return to the NCAA.[3]
Following training camp, team rosters are trimmed to a 36-player active roster and 4 additional practice squad members. The system mirrors professional roster structures while allowing smaller-market teams to manage player expenses responsibly.[18]
Every CoFL franchise must include at least five local athletes on its final roster. Eligible players are defined as those who either played high school or small-college football within the team’s home region. The rule aims to strengthen community ties and foster fan loyalty through local representation, as each franchise will be granted exclusive regional rights to players from nearby FBS, FCS, and small college programs.[18]
The plan for the 2026 season is for 6-week regular season beginning mid-May (around Memorial Day), ending early July, with a championship game tentatively scheduled around July 4. The league will feature North and South divisions, and teams will play only against their divisions rivals (home and away):[2]
The CoFL plan is to play under a hybrid of American football and Canadian football rules:
The reason behind the adoption of Canadian rules is to giveCanadian Football League scouts an opportunity to "evaluate the skill sets that suit their style of play",[3] and comes after CFL commissionerStewart Johnston announced the elimination or reduction of many of the rules unique to that code beginning with its own2026 CFL season.[21]
On September 11, 2025 commissioner Mike Kelly revealed that the COFL blueprint for its 2026 season:[1][2]
The league’s national headquarters is based in Wheeling, West Virginia, where it also has its first franchise (Ohio Valley Ironmen). City officials and league leaders have described the headquarters decision as a strategic move to reinvest in a region with a rich football legacy.[15][23]
As of late 2025, the league is in discussions with broadcast and streaming partners for its 2026 debut season.[1] It also plans to announce the remaining five franchises in phases throughout late 2025 and early 2026. Tryouts, mini-camps, and fan-ownership investment rounds are expected to begin in early 2026.[2]
