Jacksonville Tomcats The Jacksonville Tomcats were an arena football team based in Jacksonville , Florida , U . S . They were an inaugural franchise in af2 , the developmental league of the Arena Football League ( AFL ) , and played for three seasons from 2000 – 2002 . They played their home games at Jacksonville Coliseum . History . The Arena Football League had been interested in placing a team in Jacksonville since the 1990s , due to the region ' s strong support of football . The idea attracted the attention of Jacksonville Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver , as the National Football League and its team owners forged a presence in the league . However , AFL officials ultimately determined that the city ' s current arena , Jacksonville Coliseum , was too small for league standards . In 1999 the AFL announced the creation of a new developmental league , af2 . Later that year Jacksonville was awarded one of the fifteen charter franchises in the new league . The team was eventually named the Jacksonville Tomcats after the F - 14 Tomcat fighter jet , in reference to Jacksonville ' s historical connection with the U . S . Navy . Ownership was awarded to a group that included owners of the Jacksonville Lizard Kings minor league ice hockey team ; Wayne Weaver eventually purchased Jacksonville ' s proprietary arena football rights . The Tomcats began play in the 2000 af2 season . The Tomcats had to work around the limitations of the Jacksonville Coliseum , as the venue was too small for arena football regulations ; the team reduced their end zones from eight to seven yards , and reduced their five - yard markers to only four yards . In their inaugural season they went 9 - 7 and made the playoffs , but were eliminated in their first post - season game by the Norfolk Nighthawks . The team sold out all of its home games that year , drawing an average of 8 , 222 spectators . The following year the Tomcats again went 9 - 7 , but missed the playoffs . Ticket sales declined that year , a trend continued in 2002 , when the Tomcats went 8 - 8 , again falling short of the playoffs . The team ' s mediocre performance , problems with the aging Coliseum , and the rapid expansion of af2 , which jumped from 15 teams to 36 in three seasons , contributed to the Bobcats experiencing the league ' s second worst drop in ticket sales . In 2002 the Tomcats attendance was 6 , 047 , over 2 , 000 lower than in 2000 , and according to then owner Steve Umberger , who also owned the Birmingham Steeldogs , the team had lost several thousand dollars that year . However , team ownership and the Arena Football organization anticipated the construction of the new 15 , 000 Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena , which had broken ground in 2001 . After the 2002 season owner Umberger submitted a request to the league for his team to sit out for the 2003 season , so that his team would be able to play in the new Arena the following year , but the league rejected the request . Rather than risk losing more money the next season , and unable to find other interested owners , Umberger decided to fold the team . Following the departure of the Tomcats the National Indoor Football League attempted to establish itself in the Jacksonville area , but even its most successful attempt , the Green Cove Lions , folded in 2007 before ever playing a home game . In 2010 , the Jacksonville Sharks began play in the reformatted Arena Football League . Season - by - season . ! Totals | | 26 | | 23 | | 0