2013 Arena Football League season

The 2013 Arena Football League season was the 26th season in the history of the league. The regular season began on March 23, 2013, with a five-game slate, the first of which to kick off being between the Utah Blaze and the Pittsburgh Power, and ended on July 27, 2013, with the Utah Blaze and Cleveland Gladiators as the last game to kick off.^[1][2] The Arizona Rattlers defeated the Philadelphia Soul by a 48–39 score in ArenaBowl XXVI to conclude the league's playoffs.^[3]

2013 Arena Football League season
League	Arena Football League
Sport	Arena football
Duration	March 23, 2013 – August 17, 2013
Regular season
Season champions	Arizona Rattlers
Season MVP	Erik Meyer, SPO
AFL Playoffs
American Conference champions	Philadelphia Soul
American Conference runners-up	Jacksonville Sharks
National Conference champions	Arizona Rattlers
National Conference runners-up	Spokane Shock
ArenaBowl XXVI
Champions	Arizona Rattlers
Runners-up	Philadelphia Soul
Finals MVP	Rod Windsor, ARZ

Gladiators

Power

Soul

Predators

Sharks

Storm

VooDoo

Barnstormers

Rush

Talons

Blaze

Rattlers

SaberCats

Shock

American: East, South
National: West, Central

League business

Teams

The league dropped to 14 teams during the offseason. The Kansas City Command ceased operations on August 23, 2012,^[4] as well as the Georgia Force on October 14, 2012.^[5] The Milwaukee Mustangs suspended operations for 2013, eyeing a return to play in the 2014 season.^[6]

Television

It was announced on November 13, 2012, that the league had reached an agreement with CBS Sports Network to air 19 regular-season games, as well as two playoff games. The network was scheduled to air the league's "game of the week" each Saturday. The main CBS network was to televise ArenaBowl XXVI on August 17, 2013.^[3]

Regular season standings

American Conference
East Division
Team	W	L	PCT	PF	PA	DIV	CON	Home	Away
(2) Philadelphia Soul	12	6	.667	1052	839	2–2	6–3	5–4	7–2
Cleveland Gladiators[a]	4	14	.222	847	1047	2–2	3–7	3–6	1–8
Pittsburgh Power	4	14	.222	726	1014	2–2	4–8	1–8	3–6
South Division
Team	W	L	PCT	PF	PA	DIV	CON	Home	Away
(1) Jacksonville Sharks[b]	12	6	.667	941	883	6–0	11–0	6–3	6–3
(3) Orlando Predators[c]	7	11	.389	965	1032	2–4	5–7	4–5	3–6
(4) Tampa Bay Storm	7	11	.389	959	980	2–4	4–6	2–7	5–4
New Orleans VooDoo	5	13	.278	833	1069	2–4	4–6	3–6	2–7
National Conference
Central Division
Team	W	L	PCT	PF	PA	DIV	CON	Home	Away
(2) Chicago Rush[d]	10	8	.556	973	947	2–2	5–5	3–5	7–3
San Antonio Talons	10	8	.556	782	884	2–2	3–8	4–5	6–3
Iowa Barnstormers	6	12	.333	827	913	2–2	3–7	2–7	4–5
West Division
Team	W	L	PCT	PF	PA	DIV	CON	Home	Away
(1) Arizona Rattlers	15	3	.833	1203	866	4–2	9–3	8–1	7–2
(3) Spokane Shock	14	4	.778	1198	896	4–2	8–2	7–2	7–2
(4) San Jose SaberCats	13	5	.722	1033	877	3–3	6–4	8–2	5–3
Utah Blaze	7	11	.389	896	988	1–5	3–8	4–5	3–6

Eight teams qualify for the playoffs: four teams from each conference, of which two are division champions and the other two have the best records of the teams remaining.^[7]

Key:  Conference and division champion  •  Division champion  •  Clinched playoff berth 

Tie-breakers

• ^a Cleveland finished in second place in the East Division based on their greater point differential in head-to-head competition with Pittsburgh.
• ^b Jacksonville clinched the American Conference's No. 1 seed based on their win over Philadelphia.
• ^c Orlando clinched the American Conference's No. 3 seed based on a greater conference record than Tampa Bay.
• ^d Chicago clinched the Central Division based on their greater point differential in games against common opponents with San Antonio.

Playoffs

	Conference Semifinals					Conference Championship					ArenaBowl XXVI
	1	Jacksonville	69
	4	Tampa Bay	62
						1	Jacksonville	59
	American Conference
						2	Philadelphia	75
	2	Philadelphia	59
	3	Orlando	55
											A2	Philadelphia	39
											N1	Arizona	48
	1	Arizona	59
	4	San Jose	49
						1	Arizona	65
	National Conference
						3	Spokane	57
	2	Chicago	47
	3	Spokane	69

• Note: Due to "arena conflicts," the Chicago Rush did not host the playoff game.^[8]

Conference semifinals

Conference	Date	Kickoff	Away	Home	Final score	Game site	Recap
National	August 1	10:00 p.m. EDT	Chicago Rush	Spokane Shock	Spokane, 67–49	Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena	[9]
American	August 3	7:00 p.m. EDT	Tampa Bay Storm	Jacksonville Sharks	Jacksonville, 69–62	Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena	[10]
American	August 3	7:05 p.m. EDT	Orlando Predators	Philadelphia Soul	Philadelphia, 59–55	Wells Fargo Center	[11]
National	August 4	8:00 p.m. EDT	San Jose SaberCats	Arizona Rattlers	Arizona, 59–49	US Airways Center	[12]

Conference championships

Conference	Date	Kickoff	Away	Home	Final score	Game site	Recap
American	August 10	7:00 p.m. EDT	Philadelphia Soul	Jacksonville Sharks	Philadelphia, 75–59	Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena	[13]
National	August 10	9:00 p.m. EDT	Spokane Shock	Arizona Rattlers	Arizona, 65–57	US Airways Center	[14]

ArenaBowl XXVI

Main article: ArenaBowl XXVI

Date	Kickoff	Away	Home	Final score	Game site	Recap
August 17	1:00 p.m. EDT	Philadelphia Soul	Arizona Rattlers	Arizona, 48–39	Amway Center	[15]

All-Arena team

Offense Position First team Second team Quarterback Erik Meyer, Spokane Nick Davila, Arizona Fullback Derrick Ross, Philadelphia Odie Armstrong, Arizona Wide receiver Adron Tennell, Spokane Joe Hills, Tampa Bay Anthony Jones, Philadelphia Rod Windsor, Arizona Reggie Gray, Chicago Jeron Harvey, Jacksonville Center Brennen Carvalho, Philadelphia Billy Eisenhardt, Arizona Offensive lineman Christian Johnson, Philadelphia Rich Ranglin, Arizona Michael Huey, Arizona George Bussey, San Jose

Defense Position First team Second team Defensive end Joe Sykes, San Antonio Bryan Robinson, Philadelphia Mike Lewis, Iowa Jerry Turner, Jacksonville Nose guard Tim McGill, San Antonio Jason Stewart, San Jose Middle linebacker Francis Maka, San Jose Aaron Robbins, Jacksonville Jack linebacker Jamar Ransom, San Antonio Huey Whittaker, San Jose Defensive back Clevan Thomas, San Jose Virgil Gray, Arizona Terrance Smith, Jacksonville Rayshaun Kizer, Philadelphia Arkeith Brown, Arizona Fred Shaw, San Antonio

Special teams Position First team Second team Kicker Garrett Lindholm, Arizona Carlos Martinez, Philadelphia Kick returner Terrance Sanders, Spokane Dominic Jones, Orlando