Schedule releases are some of the most fun fans can have in the offseason. The crazy rematches from last season, the rivalry matchups, the planning of road trips and trying to predict how every team can make it to the championship game are something every fan dives into while waiting for that first game.

But the offseason struggles continue for Champions Indoor Football, as a basic analysis of the schedule shows major holes in the schedule.  It's worse for some teams than others, but from the league this creates an issue. Here are the five biggest problems for the CIF schedule this year.

Teams were lost this offseason for the CIF as Quad Cities and Bismarck made the jump to the IFL. League jumping at this level isn't unheard of but it did create some positive momentum for the CIF when Omaha and Sioux City stated that they were staying. 
However no official word came from the KC Phantoms as the team eventually folded with little fanfare. A large market right in the heart of the CIF's geographic footprint, Kansas City was a great travel partner for all teams in the league and provided good regional media coverage.
Idaho was another potential team with the Horsemen front office saying that they were investigating joining the league. But that statement came as part of a larger press release announcing the American West Football Conference.
The West Michigan Ironmen was supposed to play in the league last year but didn't after costly and messy legal action involving them and the Bloomington Edge. West Michigan spent last year in a smaller league, was trying to find a new part-owner and has been rumored to join Professional Arena Football this upcoming season.
However the CIF announced that West Michigan would be the first expansion team for the 2019 season. The press release was removed from the CIF website, but still pops up on search engine results. 

Sioux Falls Storm Quarterback Lorenzo Brown joins this week's episode of AFT Buzz presented by Arena Football Talk.

A veteran of the indoor game, Brown returned to the Storm this offseason after being named second team all IFL. He opens up about returning to the team and to the game in general, overcoming struggles and who else on the team makes Sioux Falls the group to beat.

Texas Revolution Beat Writer Chris Mabry also joins the show to talk about the CIF schedule release and Host Brice Burge discusses why the hierarchy of indoor football clout shouldn't be led by the AFL anymore.
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AFT Buzz presented by Arena Football Talk airs Fridays at 7 p.m. Eastern, 4 p.m. local time on the 920 WON: The Apple out of Brooklyn, New York City. Fans can listen around the world live at www.live365.com/station/a09178 or through the Live365 app. Shows are available after release at https://www.mixcloud.com/AFTBuzz/.

This week’s episode of AFT Buzz presented by Arena Football Talk will include two special guests: Tuscon Sugar Skull WR/DB Cam Gaddis. 
Gaddis is a veteran of indoor football rosters, previously playing with the Duke City Gladiators, Billings Wolves and the Omaha Beef. He played locally at Santa Rita High School and at Pima Community College before that. He joins the show to talk about what it’s like to be on the first ever roster of this expansion team, his personal goals for the season and what returning to his hometown crowd of Tuscon means to him.

The episode also includes founder and acting commissioner of the International Arena Football League Keith Clay. Clay has spent time most recently with the Austin Wild and discusses what the IAFL will do to solidify an exciting international fan base with the Mexican franchises, what it means to have a league that crosses the border so predominantly and how this league came to be.

AFT Buzz presented by Arena Football Talk airs Fridays at 7 p.m. Eastern, 4 p.m. local time on the 920 WON: The Apple out of Brooklyn, New York City. Fans can listen around the world live at www.live365.com/station/a09178 or through the Live365 app. Shows are available after release at https://www.mixcloud.com/AFTBuzz/.

By Chris Mabry
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​on Wednesday via the Omaha Beef twitter account, the Omaha Beef are now under new ownership. 

According to the Beef Twitter account, they have hired Ricky Bertz and Greg Tirey as the new owners of the Omaha Beef. 

in 2018, the Beef finished the CIF season with a 4-8 record which was fifth in the North Conference. All the Beef his missing is finding their new head coach. No word on when that signing will be but AFT will keep you informed. 

The indoor free agency period is in full swing across all the leagues, but right now some major signings are being made in the National Arena League (NAL). 

Arena Football Talk looks at the notable signings across the league and who has the advantages so far in the NAL.

Sign: WR BJ Bunn, WR Joe Morrow, OL Jeremy Schonbrunner (NAL-Lehigh Valley), OL Darriel Mack, OL Zach Hooks (AAL-Atlanta Havoc), WR Trever Kennedy (NAL-Jacksonville Sharks)
Resign: OL Chad Kolumber, OL Joe Harris, QB Charles McCullum, DB Michael Green, DB Darius Thomas, DL Jamal Palmer, DL Walter Thomas, DB Cedric Poole

For Carolina, bringing in competition for all positions is key in avoiding the sophomore slump. The second year franchise has the most to lose after winning it all in their first ever season, especially with the NAL's leader in offensive yards and offensive touchdowns McCullum. 
To protect him will be a massively reworked offensive line, mixed with rookies to the NAL and rookies to the indoor game in general. One player (Mack) is coming out of retirement to play after becoming a police officer. It will be an important to see if he and the rest of the line can protect and serve the Cobra faithful this season.

By: Aaron Castete

After the LA Kiss and San Jose Sabercats closed up shop years ago, the amount of western based indoor/arena football in the United States has dwindled down to a small amount. For all the arena/indoor football fans in the West, we have good news for you! A reportedly new professional indoor football league called the "American West Football Conference" has formed for the upcoming 2019 season. The AWFC was founded by Platinum Events & Security LLC. the same owner of the Idaho Horsemen Football Organization. After months of evaluation and conversations with the IFL and CIF, the Idaho Horsemen ownership group felt they'd be better off forming their own league. The AWFC will kickoff its inaugural season March of 2019 with 4 teams in Nampa, ID, Reno, NV, Wenatchee, WA, & Kennewick, WA. The league wants to start out small to develop stability and then they will expand to new markets.

The Carolina Havoc announced former player Anson Yarborough will be the next head coach of the team, and third in franchise history.

Yarborough played with the Havoc as a lineman and was a 2018 all star in the AAL. He previously played with the Baltimore Ravens, the Cape Fear Heroes and the Fayetteville Force. But for local fans, they'll recognize him as a member of the last team to play in Florence, the AIFA's Florence Phantoms.

The announcement was made this morning, October 20, in a press conference on Facebook Live. 

The Carolina Havoc have had a busy offseason with a coaching search, a relocation and a decision to be made about league affiliation. Providing the inside view, General Manager Steve Smith joins AFT Buzz to discuss all the team's biggest news and how the franchise is putting down roots in South Carolina.

Host Brice Burge also talks about some shakeups in the front offices of the Salina Liberty and Omaha Beef in the CIF. He also looks at the expansion of leagues out west with the Idaho Horsemen creating their own league and whether or not that is one league too many. RJ Ciancio also joins us to wrap up his talk on potential markets.

AFT Buzz airs Fridays at 7 p.m. Eastern on the internet radio station 920 WON: The Apple. Fans can listen around the world live at www.live365.com/station/a09178 or through the Live365 app. Shows are available after release at https://www.mixcloud.com/AFTBuzz/