What is the Indoor Football League?

 The Cedar Rapids Titans this afternoon plan to announce their team and entry into the Indoor Football League for the 2012 season. Here is some information about the league and the Titans:

League:  Indoor Football League, 22 teams divided into six divisions (Atlantic, Great Lakes, Great Plains, Lonestar, Mountain West, Pacific).

Great Lakes Division:  The Titans will be a member in this division along with the Bloomington (Ill.) Extreme, Chicago Slaughter, Green Bay Blizzard and LaCrosse Spartans.

Season:  The 2012 schedule is not available, but the 2011 season ran from February through June. The Titans are scheduled to play seven regular-season home games at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena in 2012, moving to the U.S. Cellular Center in 2013.

Tickets:  Start at $10, with season ticket packages at $210, $140, $112 and $56.

IFL mission statement:  "To consistently serve our Guests (ticket holders), Partners (sponsors), and our Homes (teams cities) at the highest possible level and to do so with integrity, kindness, affordability, and passion on the field, in our front offices, and around the communities in which we play."

IFL history:  A developmental league designed to get players to the National Football League or Canadian Football League according to the Cedar Rapids Titans website.  "Our team will be made up of D1 & D2 college graduates along with players who played in the NFL looking to get back to that level."

According to the IFL, the league started "in 2003, two businessmen in Texas launched the game and the six-team Intense Football league was born all over Texas. The league grew from six to eight, to 10 teams without ever having a game go unplayed for five seasons. A year later, several veteran team operators in the Midwest formed a league titled the United Indoor Football Association and for four years enjoyed ... and really earned ... the same success over the coming four years. During this period, league executives from both sides admired the others success and a friendship was developed.

"In 2008, the suggestion of merger became reality as the two leagues agreed to dissolve their former affiliations to become the new Indoor Football League. Shortly after, the young league began receiving inquiries from teams in other leagues across American and granted entry to several solid teams to grow to 19 teams for the 2009 inaugural season.

"In 2009, the league competes with 19 active teams in it's inaugural season. The Billings Outlaws defeat the RiverCity Rage and are crowned the first United Bowl Champion in August.

"In 2010, the IFL expanded to 25 teams in its second active season. The Billings Outlaws defeated the Sioux Falls Storm to become repeat United Bowl Champions.

"(The) 2011 (season) brings in new faces and new places to the Indoor Football League. With the addition of new teams in markets such as Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Wyoming, the IFL is sure to give its fans another great year of fast paced, hard hitting entertainment."

On the Web:  www.goifl.com or www.cedarrapidstitans.com