As sports fans across the country countdown to Spring Training and the beginning of baseball season, arena football aficionados have their own date in mind, similarly aligned on the calendar, to which to look forward to. No, the Steeldogs will not be suiting up in 2011, but that doesn’t give true fans a reason to deny themselves the irreplaceable bone-crunching intensity the sport has to offer.Set to be a banner year for arena football, the AFL will feature the first 18-game schedule in league history, delivering even more action in the second year since the league’s hiatus. Expanding to 18 teams from 15, franchises in Kansas City, Philadelphia and San Jose make their prodigal return to the AFL stage, with the Pittsburgh Power joining the ranks for the first time. Only the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz were lost as an offseason casualty. Among other changes fans may notice, two teams will make their name/location changes official, as the Alabama Vipers and Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings reincarnate the Georgia Force and New Orleans VooDoo, respectively.Kick-off is set for March 11th, featuring the following match ups:

  • Philadelphia Soul Pittsburgh Power 8:00 PM
  • Tampa Bay Storm New Orleans VooDoo 8:00 PM
  • Spokane Shock San Jose Sabercats 10:30 PM

Week 1 will see just 14 of 18 teams take the field for their openers, continuing on the 12th with the Kansas City Command visiting the Dallas Vigilantes and the Jacksonville Sharks on the road against the Arizona Rattlers. The Georgia Force with host the Tulsa Talons on March 13th and the Chicago Rush will take on the Milwaukee Iron in Milwaukee to close out the first slate of contests.Orlando Predators, Iowa Barnstormers, Cleveland Gladiators and Utah Blaze fans will all have to wait until week 2 to see their favorite squads begin what should be another exciting arena football season.