Pro football headed to C.R.

What: Cedar Rapids Titans

League: Indoor Football League (eight-on-eight), 23 teams in six divisions (Atlantic, Great Lakes, Great Plains, Lonestar, Mountain West, Pacific).

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

IFL mission statement: “To consistently serve our (ticket holders), (sponsors), and our (team 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.”

Style: Chris Kokalis, co-owner and Titans general manager, said at a news conference Tuesday the style of football is similar to the Arena Football League but features more running plays. Also, there's no net so more footballs fly into the stands. Kokalis was an owner and general manager of the LaCrosse franchise. He said that franchise still exists with other owners.

Season: No 2012 schedule is available but the 2011 season was February through June. 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. No lease agreement exists for either season.

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

Quotable: “On a Friday or Saturday night, folks have the football itch in February or March. We hope to fulfill that and give fans a reason to come out and support something they can believe in.” - Kokalis.

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

IFL history

It's a developmental league designed to get players to the National Football League or Canadian Football League, according to the 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,” the site states.

According to the IFL, it formed in 2008 as a merger between the Intense Football League in Texas and the United Indoor Football Association in the Midwest. Shortly after the merger, the league added franchises and had 19 teams for its first season in 2009. The IFL expanded to 25 teams in 2010. Teams from Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Wyoming joined in 2011.

With the addition of Cedar Rapids - and if the LaCrosse operation continues - league membership now stands at 23 franchises.