A single down hasn’t even been played in the 2027 season, but people are already wondering where things could be going in 2028. It’s no secret that the Indoor Football League (IFL) has been purposeful and deliberate when it comes to expansion and team relocations over the past couple of seasons.

Just looking back at this past off-season, the strengthening of the Southeast region is our biggest example to pull from. Jacksonville and Orlando were two markets on an island compared to other regions in the league. With the expansion into Georgia with the Athens Crush and Savannah Leprechauns, all of a sudden things aren’t looking so lonely.

So what is the IFL to do next? The honest answer: who knows. What we do know, is that more expansion is coming. The where and when of it all is unclear to those not in the know (including yours truly). But, what’s more fun than speculation? Not much! It’s one of the more fun aspects in covering the 50-yard game.

So with that being said, let’s speculate away! Just be forewarned, let’s not let speculation become our expectation. That just sets us up for disappointment.

Let’s start with the regions the league currently is covering. As it stands we have (as I shall be dubbing them):

Southeast pod (Athens, Jacksonville, Orlando, Savannah)

Great Lakes pod (Fishers, Green Bay, Iowa, Quad City)

South Central pod (Arkansas, San Antonio, Texas, Tulsa)

Southwest pod (Arizona, New Mexico, Northern Arizona, San Diego, Tucson, Vegas)

We know one of the best ways to keep costs down for a league is how far they need to travel. IFL President Jared Widman said as much back on the Indoor Football Weekly episode 6 back on August 27 (I recommend checking the episode out regardless of its relation to this topic! Click here to check it out!). Turning plane rides into shorter bus trips helps with cost. And with the league filling out these pods it will only make things easier for the them, and their teams.

So the first question when it comes to expansion from the IFL is this: Are we expanding where we are, or expanding where we aren’t?

With the current “pod philosophy” that the IFL has going for it, one would assume don’t look terribly far from where their current teams are located. Again coming back to costs, these established pods will immediately help upstart franchises with their travel budget.

There have been rumblings over the past year of a team calling New Jersey home. With that comes the problem of putting that team on an island, much like the Jacksonville Sharks were not even two seasons ago.

Does expanding into a region that has no established pod mean more aggressive expansion in that region? Maybe yes, maybe no. The possibly of creating a whole new pod in one offseason seems like a tough ask, even for the IFL.

If a potential New Jersey team were to hypothetically emerge there’s plenty of spots in the region that could become valid cohabitants for a future pod. Maybe bringing a team back to Massachusetts would then make some sense.

If you’ve made it this far, you’re probably thinking:  Just tell us where you think the IFL will expand next year!

And my answer to that is: I’m getting there!

With everything I’ve laid out, I see the IFL going the route of simply adding onto the pods that are currently established. So I’ll give you a couple potential landing spots for each of the four pods we established earlier.

Southeast Pod

Charlotte, North Carolina

It’s no secret that Jared Widman would advocate for this location. And in that same episode of Indoor Football Weekly (that’s plug number two, I’m expecting my check in the mail fellas) Widman even says that there have been “talks”. So whether or not that comes to fruition remains to be seen.

Tampa, Florida

This one I have no clue if there’s been any discussion within the league. But I do know if they wanna revive a long time 50-yard rivalry in spirit, doing it with two franchises along I-4 would make a ton of sense.

Great Lakes Pod

Toledo, Ohio

Ohio is a pretty football crazy state. Toledo was famously going to be home to a 50-yard franchise in the Toledo Bullfrogs of the af2 that never saw the light of day, but seemed to have their branding on point! And for that reason, I think Toledo should be given a fair look.

Chicago, Illinois

Why not a Chicago? Planting a team here would be smack dab between three other franchises. Chicago has always gotten a team throughout the history of the 50-yard game across many leagues. The league did have the Chicago Slaughter from 2010-2013, and I’m surprised this market hasn’t been brought back again. Maybe 2027 is the time!

South Central Pod

St. Louis, Missouri

If you look at a map that includes the bigger leagues in the 50-yard game, there does seem to be a glaring hole where St. Louis happens to sit. The success of the UFL’s Battlehawks doesn’t necessarily mean automatic success for a potential IFL franchise, but it gives one enough reason to maybe consider it as a viable destination.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Another location that fits in nicely to the established pod. The IFL previously had a team here in the Bricktown Brawlers back in 2010. And with the UFL looking to expand here in 2028, my gut is telling me there must be something in the water here.

Southwest Pod

You know what…I think this pod is big enough right now, and honestly, I don’t see much expansion here in 2028. Call it a cop out if you want, this is the one region I think is pretty set.

Bonus Location

I’ll make up for the lack of Southwest POD expansion by giving you, dear reader, my thoughts on the perfect expansion location for 2028. Can we call it even now? Hope so!

Kalamazoo, Michigan

Ah yes, here it is, the most biased selection I could come up with. But with good reason! A new arena is being built in the downtown Kalamazoo district, opening in the fall of 2027. The arena will feel eerily similar to that of the Fishers Event Center where the Freight play, and I loved my IFL experience there! Not only would it drastically cut down on travel for other teams in the Great Lakes pod, but it would dramatically cut down my travel for going to an IFL game.

Time will tell where the IFL will actually expand. There will be rumors and murmurs, just keep expectations in check. The IFL is calculating and does things with purpose. So wherever they go, it will surely fit into their plans.