After months of trying to find a new home, the Massachusetts Pirates have finally found one in the Indoor Football League. This will mark the first time in eight years that the IFL will have a team on the east coast. In a statement by Pirates Founder, Co-Owner, President, and General Manager Jawad Yatim, “We are extremely excited to be joining the Indoor Football League. Internally, it became evident a long time ago that this was the direction we wanted to move in, as we continue to build our brand and steer the ship so to speak to greener pastures.” Yatim added, “We are excited that it is here, and it’s a big step forward for the organization and a brighter future for the Massachusetts Pirates. We have great things to come for the fans and for everyone involved.”
A little something for your Facebook Cover Images 👀 💻 📱 🏴☠️ #IFL @IndoorFL | @mass_pirates pic.twitter.com/GFxBr11CKE — Massachusetts Pirates (@mass_pirates) August 20, 2020
The Massachusetts Pirates franchise was founded in 2018 as an expansion team and played in the National Arena League. In their inaugural season, the Pirates went 11-5 and qualified for the playoffs, where they made it to the semi-finals but lost to the Columbus Lions. In 2019, the Pirates finished with an 8-6 record to qualify for the playoffs. They would once again lose in the semi-finals to the Carolina Cobras.
After the 2019 season, the NAL was set to merge with the CIF as the Pirates withdrew from the league. With their new home now in the IFL, the Pirates will have new opponents to play and begin their quest for a United Bowl championship.
The Indoor Football League was established in 2008 when the United Indoor Football and the Intense Football League’s merged. In its history, the IFL has had east coast teams before the league went to only mid-west teams and, in the last couple of years, have expanded to the west coast with Arizona, Oakland, San Diego, Spokane, Tucson, and Duke City. With the Pirates now in the IFL, could we see other current east coast teams join the Pirates in the IFL soon?
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