# 2014 Arena Football League season

The 2014 Arena Football League season was the 27th season in the history of the league. The regular season began on March 14, 2014 and ended on July 26, 2014.

## League business
### Teams

The city of Anaheim, California was awarded an expansion team on August 15, 2013. The team, named the Los Angeles Kiss, was the first AFL team to call Los Angeles home since the Los Angeles Avengers in 2008. Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, members of the rock band Kiss, were the owners of the expansion franchise.
Two teams that competed in 2013 suspended operations, (Chicago Rush & Utah Blaze) and their rosters were dispersed throughout the league during a dispersal draft on September 6, 2013.
The Milwaukee Mustangs sold their league membership to Terry Emmert, who then started a new franchise in Portland, Oregon named the Portland Thunder.

### Television

On December 17, 2013 it was announced that ESPN had agreed to a multi-year deal in televising several games, including the ArenaBowl. Additionally, at least 75 games during the season were to be aired on ESPN3, the network's online streaming service. ESPN had owned an equity interest in the former league organization prior to its bankruptcy, and had previously aired games as recently as the 2008 season, prior to the league's hiatus that resulted in the canceled 2009 season.

### Realignment

With teams expanding, relocating and suspending operations, the AFL announced the divisional alignment for 2014 on October 29, 2013. The two conferences had an even number of teams, and were placed in two divisions.
| Conference | Division | Teams |
| American | East | Cleveland Gladiators, Iowa Barnstormers, Philadelphia Soul, Pittsburgh Power |
| American | South | Jacksonville Sharks, New Orleans VooDoo, Orlando Predators, Tampa Bay Storm |
| National | Pacific | Portland Thunder, San Jose SaberCats, Spokane Shock |
| National | West | Arizona Rattlers, Los Angeles Kiss, San Antonio Talons |

## Regular season standings

American Conference :
| East Division ||||||||||
| Team | W | L | PCT | PF | PA | DIV | CON | Home | Away |
| $^{(1)}$ Cleveland Gladiators | 17 | 1 | .944 | 991 | 782 | 7–1 | 12–1 | 9–0 | 8–1 |
| $^{(3)}$ Pittsburgh Power | 15 | 3 | .833 | 1015 | 778 | 6–2 | 11–2 | 8–1 | 7–2 |
| $^{(4)}$ Philadelphia Soul | 9 | 9 | .500 | 1021 | 949 | 2–5 | 7–7 | 7–2 | 2–7 |
| Iowa Barnstormers | 6 | 12 | .333 | 848 | 1046 | 0–7 | 2–10 | 3–6 | 3–6 |
| South Division ||||||||||
| Team | W | L | PCT | PF | PA | DIV | CON | Home | Away |
| $^{(2)}$ Orlando Predators | 11 | 7 | .611 | 1005 | 957 | 7–2 | 8–6 | 7–2 | 4–5 |
| Tampa Bay Storm | 8 | 10 | .444 | 904 | 953 | 4–3 | 7–6 | 5–4 | 3–6 |
| Jacksonville Sharks | 7 | 11 | .389 | 879 | 862 | 2–5 | 3–8 | 4–5 | 3–6 |
| New Orleans VooDoo | 3 | 15 | .167 | 770 | 1011 | 2–5 | 2–12 | 1–8 | 2–7 |
National Conference :
| Pacific Division ||||||||||
| Team | W | L | PCT | PF | PA | DIV | CON | Home | Away |
| $^{(2)}$ San Jose SaberCats | 13 | 5 | .722 | 999 | 723 | 5–1 | 9–3 | 7–2 | 6–3 |
| $^{(3)}$ Spokane Shock | 11 | 7 | .588 | 957 | 843 | 4–2 | 8–4 | 6–3 | 5–4 |
| $^{(4)}$ Portland Thunder | 5 | 13 | .278 | 816 | 965 | 0–6 | 2–11 | 3–6 | 2–7 |
| West Division ||||||||||
| Team | W | L | PCT | PF | PA | DIV | CON | Home | Away |
| $^{(1)}$ Arizona Rattlers | 15 | 3 | .833 | 1151 | 905 | 4–0 | 11–2 | 9–0 | 6–3 |
| San Antonio Talons | 3 | 15 | .167 | 743 | 1017 | 1–3 | 1–5 | 0–9 | 3–6 |
| Los Angeles Kiss | 3 | 15 | .167 | 633 | 957 | 1–3 | 3–9 | 2–7 | 1–8 |
Eight teams qualify for the playoffs: four teams from each conference, of which two are division champions and the other two have the best records of the teams remaining.
* Green indicates clinched playoff berth
* Blue indicates division champion
* Gray indicates division champion and conference's best record

### Tie-breakers

* $^a$ San Antonio finished in second place in the West Division based on their greater point differential in head-to-head competition with Los Angeles.

## Playoffs

| Conference Semifinals | Conference Semifinals | Conference Semifinals | Conference Championship | Conference Championship | Conference Championship | ArenaBowl XXVII | ArenaBowl XXVII | ArenaBowl XXVII |
| 1 | Cleveland | 39 | | | | | | |
| 4 | Philadelphia | 37 | | | | | | |
| 4 | Philadelphia | 37 | 1 | Cleveland | 56 | | | |
| American Conference | American Conference | American Conference | 1 | Cleveland | 56 | | | |
| American Conference | American Conference | American Conference | 2 | Orlando | 46 | | | |
| 2 | Orlando | 56 | 2 | Orlando | 46 | | | |
| 3 | Pittsburgh | 48 | | | | | | |
| 3 | Pittsburgh | 48 | | | | A1 | Cleveland | 32 |
| | | | | | | N1 | Arizona | 72 |
| 1 | Arizona | 52 | | | | | | | N1 | Arizona | 72 |
| 4 | Portland | 48 | | | | | | |
| 4 | Portland | 48 | 1 | Arizona | 72 | | | |
| National Conference | National Conference | National Conference | 1 | Arizona | 72 | | | |
| National Conference | National Conference | National Conference | 2 | San Jose | 56 | | | |
| 2 | San Jose | 55 | 2 | San Jose | 56 | | | |
| 3 | Spokane | 28 | | | | | | |

### Conference semifinals

| Conference | Date | Kickoff | Away | Score | Home | Game site |
| American | August 2 | 7:00 p.m. EDT | Philadelphia Soul | 37–39 | Cleveland Gladiators | Quicken Loans Arena |
| National | August 2 | 10:00 p.m. EDT | Spokane Shock | 28–55 | San Jose SaberCats | SAP Center at San Jose |
| American | August 3 | 2:00 p.m. EDT | Pittsburgh Power | 48–56 | Orlando Predators | CFE Arena |
| National | August 3 | 6:00 p.m. EDT | Portland Thunder | 48–52 | Arizona Rattlers | US Airways Center |

### Conference finals

| Conference | Date | Kickoff | Away | Score | Home | Game site | Recap |
| American | August 10 | 3:00 p.m. EDT | Orlando Predators | 46–56 | Cleveland Gladiators | Quicken Loans Arena | |
| National | August 10 | 8:00 p.m. EDT | San Jose SaberCats | 56–72 | Arizona Rattlers | US Airways Center | |

### ArenaBowl XXVII

| Date | Kickoff | Away | Score | Home | Game site | Recap |
| August 23 | 8:00 p.m. EDT | Arizona Rattlers | 72–32 | Cleveland Gladiators | Quicken Loans Arena | |

## All-Arena team

Offense :
| Position | First team | Second team |
| Quarterback | Nick Davila, Arizona | Shane Austin, Cleveland |
| Fullback | Derrick Ross, Philadelphia | Mykel Benson, San Antonio |
| Wide receiver | Marco Thomas, Iowa Rod Windsor, Arizona Dominick Goodman, Cleveland | Greg Carr, Orlando Darius Reynolds, Iowa Donovan Morgan, Los Angeles |
| Center | Antonio Narcisse, Pittsburgh | Shannon Breen, Cleveland |
| Offensive lineman | Rich Ranglin, San Jose Michael Huey, Arizona | Colin Madison, Pittsburgh Wayne Tribue, Philadelphia |
Defense :
| Position | First team | Second team |
| Defensive end | James Ruffin, Spokane Ted Jennings, Philadelphia | Cliff Dukes, Arizona Mike Lewis, Iowa |
| Nose guard | Jason Stewart, San Jose | Willie McGinnis, Cleveland |
| Middle linebacker | Beau Bell, Los Angeles | Francis Maka, San Jose |
| Jack linebacker | Tanner Varner, Orlando | Bryce Peila, Portland |
| Defensive back | Marquis Floyd, Arizona Varmah Sonie, Portland Marrio Norman, Cleveland | Cameron McGlenn, New Orleans Kelvin Rodgers, San Antonio Rayshaun Kizer, Philadelphia |
Special teams :
| Position | First team | Second team |
| Kicker | Nich Pertuit, San Jose | Julian Rauch, Pittsburgh |
| Kick returner | Terrance Sanders, Spokane | Larry Beavers, New Orleans |