Jacksonville Tomcats
Encyclopedia
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.
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 AFL. 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 Tomcats 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-capacity Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
, which had broken ground in 2001. After the 2002 season owner Umberger submitted a request to the league for the Tomcats to sit out for the 2003 season, so that they could 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.
|2000 || 9 || 7 || 0 || 3rd AC || Lost Round 1 - Norfolk
41, Jacksonville 28
|-
|2001 || 9 || 7 || 0 || 3rd AC Southeast || --
|-
|2002 || 8 || 8 || 0 || 3rd AC Southern || --
|-
!Totals || 26 || 23 || 0
|colspan="2"| (including af2 playoffs)
|}
Arena football
Arena football is a variety of gridiron football played by the Arena Football League . It is a proprietary game, the rights to which are owned by Gridiron Enterprises, and is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian outdoor football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game....
team based in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
, U.S. They were an inaugural franchise in af2
Af2
AF2 was the name of the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup...
, the developmental league of the Arena Football League
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
(AFL), and played for three seasons from 2000–2002. They played their home games at Jacksonville Coliseum.
History
The Arena Football LeagueArena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
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
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
owner Wayne Weaver, as the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
and its team owners forged a presence in the AFL. 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
F-14 Tomcat
The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navy's Naval Fighter Experimental program following the collapse of the F-111B project...
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
Jacksonville Lizard Kings
Jacksonville Lizard Kings were a professional minor league ice hockey team based in Jacksonville, Florida. Formerly known as the Louisville Icehawks, they played in the East Coast Hockey League from 1995–2000...
minor league ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team; Wayne Weaver eventually purchased Jacksonville's proprietary arena football rights.
The Tomcats began play in the 2000 af2 season
2000 af2 season
The 2000 AF2 season was the very first season of the AF2. The league champions were the Quad City Steamwheelers, who capped off a perfect season with a victory over the Tennessee Valley Vipers in ArenaCup I. This is the only AF2 season lacking division alignment.-Playoffs:-External links:*...
. 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
Norfolk Nighthawks
The Norfolk Nighthawks are a now-defunct charter member of the AF2. They played their home games at The Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia...
. 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 Tomcats 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
Birmingham Steeldogs
The Alabama Steeldogs, originally known as the Birmingham Steeldogs, were incorporated in 2000 as one of the charter teams in the af2, the developmental league of the Arena Football League. Entering their eighth season as of 2007, they were the longest running of many professional football...
, 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-capacity Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
The Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena is a 15,000 seat multi-purpose arena in Jacksonville, Florida. It was built in 2003 as part of Mayor John Delaney's Better Jacksonville Plan to replace the outdated Jacksonville Memorial Coliseum....
, which had broken ground in 2001. After the 2002 season owner Umberger submitted a request to the league for the Tomcats to sit out for the 2003 season, so that they could 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
National Indoor Football League
National Indoor Football League was a professional indoor football league in the United States. For their first six years, the league had teams in markets not covered by either the Arena Football League or its developmental league, af2, however, that changed briefly with their expansion into AFL...
attempted to establish itself in the Jacksonville area, but even its most successful attempt, the Green Cove Lions
Green Cove Lions
The Green Cove Lions were an indoor football team intended to be based in Green Cove Springs, Florida. They played briefly in the National Indoor Football League in 2007, but folded before ever playing a home game....
, folded in 2007 before ever playing a home game. In 2010, the Jacksonville Sharks
Jacksonville Sharks
The Jacksonville Sharks were a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. They competed for part of the 1974 season in the World Football League, a failed attempt to launch a major professional football league in the United States in competition with the National Football...
began play in the reformatted Arena Football League.
Notable players
- Anthony BrightAnthony BrightAnthony Leonard Bright is a former Canadian and American football wide receiver. He played for the Jacksonville Tomcats of the af2 league, the Carolina Panthers of the NFL and the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL. Bright played college basketball at Valencia Community College....
- WR/DB. Went on to play in the NFL as a member of the Carolina PanthersCarolina PanthersThe Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
. - Jim Tarle - K. Went on to play in the NFL as a member of the Jacksonville JaguarsJacksonville JaguarsThe Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. - Micah RossMicah RossMicah Ross played wide receiver in the NFL for four seasons. He attended Jacksonville University from 1995–1998. While at JU, he played basketball from 1995 to 1998 when his years of basketball eligibility were up he walked on to JU's American football team, only playing one year. In 2001, he...
- WR. Went on to play in the NFL as a member of the Jacksonville JaguarsJacksonville JaguarsThe Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, San Diego ChargersSan Diego ChargersThe San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Carolina PanthersCarolina PanthersThe Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
.
Season-by-season
|-|2000 || 9 || 7 || 0 || 3rd AC || Lost Round 1 - Norfolk
Norfolk Nighthawks
The Norfolk Nighthawks are a now-defunct charter member of the AF2. They played their home games at The Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia...
41, Jacksonville 28
|-
|2001 || 9 || 7 || 0 || 3rd AC Southeast || --
|-
|2002 || 8 || 8 || 0 || 3rd AC Southern || --
|-
!Totals || 26 || 23 || 0
|colspan="2"| (including af2 playoffs)
|}