Colorado Wildcats
Encyclopedia
| Colorado Wildcats | |
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| Founded | 1989 |
| Arena | Denver Coliseum Denver Coliseum Denver Coliseum is an indoor arena, owned by the City and County of Denver, operated by its Theatres and Arenas division and is located in Denver, Colorado... |
| Based in | Denver, CO |
| Colors | Old Gold, Purple, & White |
| League | Professional Indoor Football League Professional Indoor Football League The Professional Indoor Football League was the second league to successfully play indoor football as a paid pro-league sport, after the Arena Football League. Since the AFL had a patent given in 1990 on the gameplay of "Arena Football" , the PIFL played with mostly the same rules, but without the... |
| Head coach | Collins Sanders |
The Colorado Wildcats was a team in the Professional Indoor Football League
Professional Indoor Football League
The Professional Indoor Football League was the second league to successfully play indoor football as a paid pro-league sport, after the Arena Football League. Since the AFL had a patent given in 1990 on the gameplay of "Arena Football" , the PIFL played with mostly the same rules, but without the...
(PIFL) in 1998. The Wildcats franchise was owned by Gary Kozacek, who also was head coach/owner of the same Wildcats team for the previous 9 years, as they competed in semi-pro football in and around Colorado. The Wildcats played their home games at the Denver Coliseum
Denver Coliseum
Denver Coliseum is an indoor arena, owned by the City and County of Denver, operated by its Theatres and Arenas division and is located in Denver, Colorado...
, with the team office also located in Denver, CO. The team's colors were: Old Gold, Purple, and White. Colorado's head coach listed in the 1998 PIFL league media guide was Larry Jobe, but the actual head coach was Collins Sanders.
The Wildcats played three preseason PIFL games in '98. They went 1-2 in those games, with the lone victory at home:
- March 19 - Colorado Wildcats 20 at Madison Mad DogsMadison Mad DogsThe Madison Mad Dogs was an indoor football team that played in the Professional Indoor Football League in 1998, and in the Indoor Football League in 1999 & 2000. The Mad Dogs franchise was owned by Keary Ecklund. The team office was based in Madison, Wisconsin, and played their games at the Dane...
27 - March 25 - Colorado Wildcats 39 at Green Bay BombersGreen Bay BombersThe Green Bay Bombers was an indoor football team that played in the Professional Indoor Football League in 1998, and in the Indoor Football League in 1999 & 2000. The Bombers franchise was owned by Keary Ecklund. The team office was based in Neenah, Wisconsin, and played their games at the Brown...
53 - April 6 - Texas BulletsTexas BulletsThe Texas Bullets were a team in the Professional Indoor Football League in 1998. The Bullets franchise was owned by Wayne Stigler, who also was the team's head coach. The Bullets played their home games at the Bell County Expo Center in Belton, TX., with the team offices located in Temple, TX....
9 at Colorado Wildcats 49
The Wildcats compiled a 9-5 record in their only year of play. They struggled financially, even folding for two weeks before a new owner, Tom Shafer, bailed the team out and allowed them to finish the season. The team made the playoffs, but even with the new owner in place, the Wildcats were still financially strapped and were about to forfeit their playoff appearance, rather than pay travel costs to Baton Rouge, LA. The Shivers, the Louisiana Bayou Beast
Louisiana Bayou Beast
The Louisiana Bayou Beast was a team in the Professional Indoor Football League in 1998, in the Indoor Professional Football League in 1999, and reincarated in 2001 in the National Indoor Football League . The Bayou Beast franchise was owned by James and Carolyn Shiver, who currently own and...
owners, offered to pay travel expenses for the Wildcats to compete against the Beast. This would also be the Beasts' chance to avenge the only loss of the Bayou Beast season (13-1) by defeating the Wildcats in the playoffs. The Bayou Beast did just that by winning 67-61, slamming Colorado wide receiver Matt Cinquanta to the turf as he made a miraculous catch just one yard shy of the endzone on the game's last play. As a result, the Louisiana Bayou Beast advanced to the PIFL Championship game.
When Green Bay Bombers
Green Bay Bombers
The Green Bay Bombers was an indoor football team that played in the Professional Indoor Football League in 1998, and in the Indoor Football League in 1999 & 2000. The Bombers franchise was owned by Keary Ecklund. The team office was based in Neenah, Wisconsin, and played their games at the Brown...
and Madison Mad Dogs
Madison Mad Dogs
The Madison Mad Dogs was an indoor football team that played in the Professional Indoor Football League in 1998, and in the Indoor Football League in 1999 & 2000. The Mad Dogs franchise was owned by Keary Ecklund. The team office was based in Madison, Wisconsin, and played their games at the Dane...
owner Keary Ecklund announced his intentions to start a new league in 1999, Indoor Football League
Indoor Football League
The Indoor Football League began in 1999 as an offshoot of the troubled Professional Indoor Football League. Keary Ecklund, the owner of the Green Bay Bombers and Madison Mad Dogs, left the PIFL after its first, financially-troubled, season to start his own league. Unlike the PIFL, the IFL was an...
(IFL), Shafer stood by him and proclaimed the Wildcats would be a part of the IFL. Unfortunately, that was the last anyone heard of the team, which returned to the semi-pro ranks for good.
Colorado Wildcats 1998 schedule
April 11 - Honolulu HurricanesHonolulu Hurricanes
This article is about the defunct Professional Indoor Football League team, for the American basketball Association team, see Hawaii Hurricanes...
37, at Colorado Wildcats 48
April 26 - Utah Catzz
Utah Catzz
The Utah Catzz was a team in the United States Professional Indoor Football League in 1998. The Catzz franchise was owned by Michael & Carla Curran, who also started a farm club for the Catzz, the Salt Lake Lions . The Catzz played their home games at the David O. McKay Events Center in Orem, UT.,...
27, at Colorado Wildcats 29
May 9 - Louisiana Bayou Beast
Louisiana Bayou Beast
The Louisiana Bayou Beast was a team in the Professional Indoor Football League in 1998, in the Indoor Professional Football League in 1999, and reincarated in 2001 in the National Indoor Football League . The Bayou Beast franchise was owned by James and Carolyn Shiver, who currently own and...
41, at Colorado Wildcats 49
May 16 - Colorado Wildcats at Minnesota Monsters
Minnesota Monsters
The Minnesota Monsters was an indoor football team that played in the Professional Indoor Football League in 1998. The Monsters franchise was owned by Robert and Joann Edwards. The team office was based in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, and played their games at Warner Coliseum on the Minnesota...
- Minnesota forfeits
May 23 - Colorado Wildcats 43, at Utah Catzz
Utah Catzz
The Utah Catzz was a team in the United States Professional Indoor Football League in 1998. The Catzz franchise was owned by Michael & Carla Curran, who also started a farm club for the Catzz, the Salt Lake Lions . The Catzz played their home games at the David O. McKay Events Center in Orem, UT.,...
26
May 30 - Colorado Wildcats 42, at Honolulu Hurricanes
Honolulu Hurricanes
This article is about the defunct Professional Indoor Football League team, for the American basketball Association team, see Hawaii Hurricanes...
34
June 7 - Texas Bullets
Texas Bullets
The Texas Bullets were a team in the Professional Indoor Football League in 1998. The Bullets franchise was owned by Wayne Stigler, who also was the team's head coach. The Bullets played their home games at the Bell County Expo Center in Belton, TX., with the team offices located in Temple, TX....
28, at Colorado Wildcats 51
June 20 - Green Bay Bombers
Green Bay Bombers
The Green Bay Bombers was an indoor football team that played in the Professional Indoor Football League in 1998, and in the Indoor Football League in 1999 & 2000. The Bombers franchise was owned by Keary Ecklund. The team office was based in Neenah, Wisconsin, and played their games at the Brown...
45, at Colorado Wildcats 38
June 27 - Minnesota Monsters
Minnesota Monsters
The Minnesota Monsters was an indoor football team that played in the Professional Indoor Football League in 1998. The Monsters franchise was owned by Robert and Joann Edwards. The team office was based in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, and played their games at Warner Coliseum on the Minnesota...
at Colorado Wildcats - Minnesota forfeits
July 4 - Madison Mad Dogs
Madison Mad Dogs
The Madison Mad Dogs was an indoor football team that played in the Professional Indoor Football League in 1998, and in the Indoor Football League in 1999 & 2000. The Mad Dogs franchise was owned by Keary Ecklund. The team office was based in Madison, Wisconsin, and played their games at the Dane...
at Colorado Wildcats - Colorado forfeits
July 11 - Colorado Wildcats 22, at Louisiana Bayou Beast
Louisiana Bayou Beast
The Louisiana Bayou Beast was a team in the Professional Indoor Football League in 1998, in the Indoor Professional Football League in 1999, and reincarated in 2001 in the National Indoor Football League . The Bayou Beast franchise was owned by James and Carolyn Shiver, who currently own and...
31
July 18 - Colorado Wildcats 18, at Madison Mad Dogs
Madison Mad Dogs
The Madison Mad Dogs was an indoor football team that played in the Professional Indoor Football League in 1998, and in the Indoor Football League in 1999 & 2000. The Mad Dogs franchise was owned by Keary Ecklund. The team office was based in Madison, Wisconsin, and played their games at the Dane...
54
July 25 - Colorado Wildcats 0, at Green Bay Bombers
Green Bay Bombers
The Green Bay Bombers was an indoor football team that played in the Professional Indoor Football League in 1998, and in the Indoor Football League in 1999 & 2000. The Bombers franchise was owned by Keary Ecklund. The team office was based in Neenah, Wisconsin, and played their games at the Brown...
45
August 1 - Colorado Wildcats at Texas Bullets
Texas Bullets
The Texas Bullets were a team in the Professional Indoor Football League in 1998. The Bullets franchise was owned by Wayne Stigler, who also was the team's head coach. The Bullets played their home games at the Bell County Expo Center in Belton, TX., with the team offices located in Temple, TX....
- Texas forfeits
Playoffs
August 9 - Colorado Wildcats 61, at Louisiana Bayou BeastLouisiana Bayou Beast
The Louisiana Bayou Beast was a team in the Professional Indoor Football League in 1998, in the Indoor Professional Football League in 1999, and reincarated in 2001 in the National Indoor Football League . The Bayou Beast franchise was owned by James and Carolyn Shiver, who currently own and...
67
- Held at the Riverside Centroplex instead of the Bayou Beast home arena, Pete Maravich Assembly CenterPete Maravich Assembly CenterPete Maravich Assembly Center is a 13,472-seat multi-purpose arena in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The arena opened in 1972. It is home to the Louisiana State University Tigers and Lady Tigers basketball teams. It was originally known as the LSU Assembly Center, but was renamed in memory of Pete...