Tampa Bay Tornadoes

The Tampa Bay Tornadoes are a professional indoor football team based in Lakeland, Florida (and representing the larger region of Tampa Bay), the Tornadoes play their home games at the RP Funding Center.

Tampa Bay Tornadoes
Established 2019
Play in RP Funding Center
in Lakeland, Florida
thetampabaytornadoes.com
League/conference affiliations
  • American Arena League (2020–2021)
    • South Division (2020)
    • East Division (2021)
  • American Indoor Football Alliance (in 2022)
Team colorsRed, black, grey, white
       
Personnel
Owner(s)Alton Walker
John Amato
Ken Nelson
PresidentKen Nelson
General managerAlton Walker
Head coachStevie Thomas
Team history
Tampa Bay Tornadoes (2020–present)
Championships
League championships (0)
Conference championships (0)
Division championships (0)
Home arena(s)

The team joined American Arena League (AAL) for the 2020 season, but did not play due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The team was announced to have joined the National Arena League for the 2021 season; however, the team was terminated from the league after failing to provide letters of credit. Following the dismissal from the National Arena League, the team rejoined the AAL and began play in 2021 as a member of the East division, but did not finish the season. They then left the AAL for a newly formed league called the American Indoor Football Alliance for the 2022 season. The team succeeded the region's previous arena football team, the Tampa Bay Storm, that ceased operations in 2017.

History

Following the dissolvement of the Tampa Bay Storm in 2017, after playing for thirty years and being the only remaining charter member from the Arena Football League's inaugural season,[1] the Tampa Bay Tornado advertised themselves as the successor to the former team. In 2019, the Tornadoes were an expansion team in the South Division of the American Arena League (AAL) for the 2020 season[2] with Arena Football Hall of Famer and former Storm player Stevie Thomas serving as the team's first head coach and home games at Expo Hall in Tampa, Florida.[3][4] The 2020 season was then cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In July 2020, they were approved to join the National Arena League (NAL) for the 2021 season, where they were to play against former Tampa Bay Storm rivals, Jacksonville Sharks and a relaunched Orlando Predators.[5] The team was terminated from the NAL after not providing letters of credit, although the Tornadoes had notified the league about their intentions to withdraw and rejoin the AAL.[6][7] Shortly after, the team rejoined the AAL for the 2021 season, but were instead playing home games in Lakeland, Florida, at the RP Funding Center.[8] The team did not finish the 2021 season and have since joined the American Indoor Football Alliance, along with other former AAL teams.[9]

Statistics and records

Season-by-season results
League Champions Conference Champions Division Champions Playoff berth League leader
Season League Division Regular season Postseason results
FinishWinsLossesTies
2020 AALSouthSeason cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021 AALEast DNF310

    Head coach records

    Note: Statistics are correct through week six of the 2021 AAL season.

    Name Term Regular season Playoffs Awards
    WLTWin%WL
    Stevie Thomas2020–present310.800

    2021 season
    2021 Tampa Bay Tornadoes season
    Head coachStevie Thomas
    General managerAlton Walker
    Home fieldRP Funding Center
    Results
    Record3–1
    League placeDid not finish

    The 2021 Tampa Bay Tornadoes season was the team's inaugural season. Prior to the season, the Tornadoes were originally scheduled to play at the St. Louis Bandits (March 27), Georgia Cobras (April 3), at the Spokane Shock (May 8), and Northern Arizona Wranglers (August 8); however, these games were not played during the course of the season. The Tornadoes withdrew from the rest of the season near the end of May.

    Schedule
    2021 Tampa Bay Tornadoes schedule[10][11]
    WeekDateOpponentResultRecordGame site
    1 March 13 Carolina Predators W 48–20 1–0 RP Funding Center
    2 March 21 Georgia-Lina Lions W 45–21 2–0 RP Funding Center
    3 April 10 Charlotte Thunder L 46–9 2–1 RP Funding Center
    4 April 17 at Mississippi Raiders Cancelled Forrest County Multipurpose Center
    5 Bye
    6 May 2 Mississippi Raiders W 49–34 3–1 RP Funding Center
    7 May 15 Arlington Lonhorns Cancelled RP Funding Center
    8 Bye
    9 May 29 at Charlotte Thunder Cancelled Bojangles Coliseum
    10 June 5 Pennsylvania Union Cancelled RP Funding Center


    2022 season
    2022 Tampa Bay Tornadoes season
    Head coachStevie Thomas
    General managerAlton Walker
    Home fieldRP Funding Center

    The 2022 Tampa Bay Tornadoes season will be the team's first season playing in the American Indoor Football Alliance. The Tornadoes will be joined by several former teams from the AAL.

    Schedule
    2021 Tampa Bay Tornadoes schedule[12]
    WeekDateOpponentResultRecordGame site
    1 April 2 Carolina Predators TBD RP Funding Center
    2 April 9 at Mississippi Raiders TBD Forrest County Multipurpose Center
    3 April 16 Mississippi Raiders TBD RP Funding Center
    4 April 23 at Pennsylvania Union TBD Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center
    5 April 30 Carolina Predators TBD RP Funding Center
    6 May 7 at Mississippi Raiders TBD Forrest County Multipurpose Center
    7 May 14 Carolina Predators TBD RP Funding Center
    8 May 21 at Carolina Predators TBD Crown Coliseum
    9 May 28 Pennsylvania Union TBD Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center
    10 June 4 at Pennsylvania Union TBD Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center

    References
    1. "Tampa Bay Storm suspending operations". Tampabay.com. December 21, 2017.
    2. "AAL homepage". AAL. Archived from the original on August 5, 2020.
    3. "Hi all, here is an updated Tornadoes 2020 Season schedule with updated team names. - Trace". Tampa Tornadoes Facebook. January 10, 2020.
    4. "The Tampa Bay Tornadoes 2020 season schedule". Tampa Bay Tornadoes YouTube. January 8, 2020.
    5. "Expansion Alert: Tampa Bay Tornadoes Joins The NAL". National Arena League. July 24, 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-07-24.
    6. "Podcast Preview: Alton Walker: 'COVID was a curse and a blessing'". usforacle.com. July 12, 2020.
    7. "Tampa & Louisville Memberships Terminated". National Arena League. October 30, 2020. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
    8. "Tampa Bay Tornadoes hope to ride winds of Bay Area arena football success". Fox 13 Tampa Bay. April 2, 2021.
    9. "TAMPA BAY TORNADOES JOINS THE AIFA!". goaifa.com. July 5, 2021.
    10. "American Arena League 2021 Schedule". Americanarenaleague.com. Archived from the original on May 3, 2021.
    11. "Tampa Bay Tornadoes 2021 Schedule". Tampa Bay Tornadoes. Archived from the original on May 3, 2021.
    12. "American Indoor Football Alliance 2022 Schedule". https://www.goaifa.com/. External link in |publisher= (help)
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