You can guarantee two things in indoor football, teams will be created and teams will fold. It’s what makes being a fan of the fifty-yard game emotionally challenging at times. And as was announced earlier this week, we are losing the Bay Area Panthers.
The 2023 IFL National Champions only jumped on the field in 2022, after a bit of planning fell through, and plans to be in Oakland simply didn’t happen. COVID would push the first season all the way to 2022. Despite this rocky start to their launch, and a tough first season they turned things around, quickly becoming a lock to be a playoff contender each and every season.
Table of Contents
A Look Back
Oakland Panthers/Covid Setback: 2019-2021
Originally planned for Oakland, and set to kick off in the spring of 2020, it was an absolute struggle to get this franchise on the field. Just days before the first season was to begin, it was cancelled due to the pandemic. Though everything was in place and set to go they wouldn’t get the chance to put turf shoe to leather for another two years. In August of 2021, it was announced by the ownership group that they would move to the SAP center in San Jose, and take on the name Bay Area.
Bottom Feeders: 2022 Season
Like many expansion franchises, the Bay Area Struggled in their first season actually on the field. The Kurt Brian-led version of the Panthers was nothing to talk about, very similar to the 2025 Iowa Barnstormers. Things did look promising after a Week One win, 38-33, over the San Diego Strike Force, but would fall apart quickly.
Following the 1-0 Start, they began a fifteen-game losing streak that would see them lose by at least two scores every single week for the rest of the season. The worst loss in franchise History would happen at this time, an 83-21 throttling by the Rattlers. Following the dreadful season the Brian era was over for the Southern California franchise, and so were the losing ways.
Rob Keefe Era: 2023-2025
From Worst to First has never been done in the manner that the Bay Area Panthers did it, and we will probably never see it again. After a disappointing 2022 season came to a close, the Panthers decided to bring a legend back from retirement, hiring Darren Arbet as their Head Coach. They did not stop there, hiring Rob Keefe who was fresh off of winning the IFL Championship as the Defensive Coordinator with the NAZ Wranglers in the same capacity.
They also brought in Dixie Wooten as their Offensive Coordinator. Wooten had just been relieved of his duties as a Head Coach with Tucson, and would join one of the most experienced and accomplished staffs in the league for the 2023 season. Arbet and company did not get off to the start that they had hoped.
After the tough start (and thoughts that they may crash and burn once again) the team opted to make a drastic move midseason, parting ways with Head Coach Darren Arbet. Rob Keefe, and Dixie Wooten operated as Co-Head Coaches the remainder of the season each focusing on their side of the ball. After making this move the Panthers would go on to win nine of the next twelve games en route to a dominant showing in the playoffs, winning every playoff game by two scores.
All in all, the Bay Area would end the year 13-5 with a ten-point IFL National Championship Victory over Sioux Falls. From this point on, they never had even a hint of a losing season. From 2024 to 2025 they would end up 26-8, blowing both of the first-round playoff victories.
Short Stay, but Large Impact
Though the Panthers aren’t a long-standing staple of Indoor football they accomplished a lot in a short span, not often does a team that has only played four seasons end with a winning record. One of the biggest things we lose from the “Dormancy” is the Cali Clash, a big-time rivalry between the Bay Area and San Diego. The game was a focus point for many IFL fans even if they weren’t fans of either, due in large part that this game usually had more at stake than just beating your in-state Rival.
On Multiple occasions, this was to decide seeding in the Western Conference, or to advance in the playoffs. Fun fact, San Diego actually won its first playoff game against the Panthers. In the end Bay Area end a solid run at 37-25 overall (60% of all losses came year one) with a 3-2 playoff record, anf an IFL National Championship.
Ripple Effect
A hidden undertone of this move for Bay Area is the effect it will have on San Diego in 2026 and beyond. San Diego and Bay Area benefitted from having each other in the same state when it came to ease and cost of travel back and forth. It was a 6 hour drive from arena to arena for this in-state rivalry, which typically resulted in a minimum of two games a season.
Granted the IFL did just welcome back the state of New Mexico, so while they lose the trip to the Bay, they still have Vegas, Arizona, Northern Arizona, Tucson, and New Mexico. Currently this has the IFL maintaining an even conference alignment at 7 and 7 with San Antonio the cut off point between the east and the west.
So what now?!
If you’re a long-time IFL, or any indoor league, fan you already have a good idea what happens, all players are now free agents and the owners are either in the process of trying to regroup, sell, or just plain walking away. Year over year it gets harder and harder to make a team functional in a place like California, with rising arena costs and things like workers’ compensation insurance skyrocketing in the state.
If we are to be honest with ourselves this dormancy feels like a very long-winded folding. To the hardcore fans, you have to wonder where standouts like Josh Jones and Josh Tomas wind up. Who has plans to nab a proven winner like Rob Keefe? Only time will tell, but it’s absolutely insane to consider how much proven talent will be available for the taking heading into 2026. Keep your eyes on the socials for plenty of former Panthers to be signed in the next couple of weeks!
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