United Football League (1961–64)
| Sport | American football |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1961 |
| No. of teams | 8 |
| Country |
United States Canada |
| Ceased | 1964 |
The United Football League was a professional minor league American football league that operated between 1961 and 1964. It had eight teams primarily based in the Midwestern United States. After the league folded, several surviving teams would go on to form the Continental Football League.
The league was founded in 1961 as a minor league alternative to the National Football League and American Football League. Based in the Midwest, it drew many of its players from the Big Ten college conference. Among its more notable feats, it became the first football league to operate teams in both the U.S. and Canada when it launched the Quebec Rifles in 1964, and it revived the names of the Cleveland/Canton Bulldogs and Akron Pros, two early-era NFL teams.
1961 season
Columbus Colts 6-2-2
Grand Rapids Blazers 6–3-1
Indianapolis Warriors 6-3-1
Cleveland Bulldogs 6-4-0
Louisville Raiders 4-6-0
Akron Pros 0–10-0
WESTERN DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY-OFF Grand Rapids Blazers 24 Indianapolis Warriors 14
UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP Grand Rapids Blazers 20 Columbus Colts 7
1962 season
Grand Rapids Blazers 9-3-0
Indianapolis Warriors 9-3-0
Wheeling Ironmen 8-4-0
Toledo Tornadoes 6-5-1
Columbus Capitols 6-6-0
Louisville Raiders 4-7-1
Cleveland Bulldogs 4-8-0
Chicago Bulls 1-11-0
WESTERN DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY-OFF Grand Rapids Blazers 24 Indianapolis Warriors 20
UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP Wheeling Ironmen 30 Grand Rapids Blazers 21
1963 season
Wheeling Ironmen 12-1-0
Toledo Tornadoes 10-3-0
Cleveland Bulldogs 7-5-0
Indianapolis Warriors 5-8-0
Grand Rapids Blazers 4-9-0
Syracuse Stormers 0-12-0
UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP Wheeling Ironmen 31 Toledo Tornadoes 21
1964 season
Canton Bulldogs 12-2-0
Charleston Rockets (W. Va.) 11-3-0
Indianapolis Warriors 10-4-0
Wheeling Ironmen 7-7-0
Toledo Tornadoes 6-8-0
Quebec (Montreal) Rifles 5-9-0
Grand Rapids Blazers 5-9-0
Joliet Explorers 0-14-0
UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP Canton Bulldogs 19 Indianapolis Warriors 14