{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox indoor American football team | name = Bloomington Edge | current = | logo = BloomingtonEdge.PNG | founded = 2005 | folded = 2019 | city = Grossinger Motors Arena<br>in Bloomington, Illinois | misc = {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20141019013821/http://www.bloomingtonedge.net/ www.bloomingtonedge.net]}} | uniform = | colors = Navy blue, red, silver, white<br>{{color box|#002A5B}} {{color box|#D41820}} {{color box|#B9B9B9}} {{color box|white}} | coach = John Johnson | owner = Sports Group Illinois | chairman = Omar Khokhar | general manager = Charles Welde | cheerleaders = Lady Edge | mascot = Spike | nicknames = | league = *United Indoor Football (2006–2008) **Central Division (2006) **Eastern Division (2007–2008) *Indoor Football League (2009–2012) **United Conference (2009–2012) ***Central North Division (2010) ***Great Lakes Division (2011) *Champions Professional Indoor Football League (2013–2014) *X-League Indoor Football (2015) *Champions Indoor Football (2016–2017) **Northern Division (2016) **North Conference (2017) *Independent (2018) | team_history = *Bloomington Extreme (2006–2011) *Bloomington Edge (2012–2018) | no_league_champs = | no_conf_champs = 1 | no_div_champs = | league_champs = | conf_champs = * 2008 | div_champs = | playoff_appearances = * 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017 | no_playoff_appearances = 8 | arena_years = *Grossinger Motors Arena (2006–2018) }}
The '''Bloomington Edge''' was a professional indoor football team based in Bloomington, Illinois. While it was in operation, the team hosted home games at Grossinger Motors Arena. Originally named the '''Bloomington Extreme''', the team was a member of United Indoor Football (UIF), and joined the Indoor Football League (IFL) in 2009 during the UIF and Intense Football League merger. They left the IFL for the Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL) in 2013, and in 2015 the CPIFL merged with the Lone Star Football League (LSFL) to create Champions Indoor Football (CIF), where Bloomington did not follow and joined X-League Indoor Football (X-League). Following the 2015 season the Edge joined the CIF. The Edge then announced it had rejoined the IFL for the 2018 season, but a court ruling prevented the team from joining the league until 2019, however, they were not included in that season's schedule.
==Franchise history==
===United Indoor Football: 2006–2008=== The '''Bloomington Extreme''' began as an expansion team in United Indoor Football in 2006 led by head coach Ted Schmitz. They missed the playoffs in their first season, but improved to an 8–7 record in 2007 before losing to the Lexington Horsemen in the Eastern Conference championship. Schmitz was then named an assistant general manager and Kenton Carr was hired as head coach for 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/extreme-names-kenton-carr-new-head-coach/n-3567506 |title=Extreme names Kenton Carr new head coach |website=OurSports Central |date=December 6, 2007}}</ref> The Extreme went 7–7, but were first place in a weak Eastern Conference. They won their first conference title and went on to the United Bowl where they lost to the Sioux Falls Storm.
The UIF merged with the Intense Football League in the 2008 offseason to create new Indoor Football League (IFL) in 2009.
===Indoor Football League: 2009–2012=== The Extreme were added to the United Conference following the merger. The Extreme signed former Florida State and NFL wide receiver Peter Warrick signed a one-year contract. The team went 10–4 and lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Wichita Wild. In the 2010 season, the Extreme started with a 3–5 record and fired head coach Kenton Carr. The team then finished the rest of the season undefeated under former coach Ted Schmitz before losing to Wichita again in the first round of the playoffs. In October 2010, team owner Ed Brady announced that Mike Murray was hired as the team's new head coach for the 2011 Bloomington Extreme season.<ref>{{cite news |first=Joe |last=Deacon |newspaper=The Pantagraph| location=Bloomington, Illinois |title=New Extreme coach Murray retains assistants |url=http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/football/professional/arena/extreme/article_28cb2914-dd7e-11df-9298-001cc4c002e0.html |date=October 21, 2010 |access-date=June 3, 2015}}</ref> Murray had been the Extreme offensive coordinator in 2006. The Extreme went 9–5 and lost to the Omaha Beef in the first round of the playoffs. [[File:Wild on KR at Bloomington at Alaska 2009-05-04.jpg|thumb|300px|The Extreme against the Alaska Wild in 2009]]
In November 2011, the team was purchased by Jim Morris, who had been a minority owner of the team.<ref name="edge">{{cite web |url=http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/football/professional/arena/extreme/extreme-sold-name-changing-to-edge/article_02f95998-2055-11e1-9a79-0019bb2963f4.html |title=Extreme sold, name changing to Edge |first=Joe |last=Deacon |date=December 6, 2011 |newspaper=The Pantagraph |location=Bloomington, Illinois |access-date=March 6, 2015}}</ref> The team agreed with change the name of the franchise to the '''Bloomington Edge''' as a tie-in to the Ford Edge.<ref name="edge" /> Morris hired Kenton Carr as the head coach for the 2012 Bloomington Edge season.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/football/professional/arena/extreme/edge-enter-new-era-with-carr-hiring/article_799faaee-3ca6-11e1-9f1e-001871e3ce6c.html |title=Edge enter new era with Carr hiring |first=Joe |last=Deacon |date=January 11, 2012 |newspaper=The Pantagraph |location=Bloomington, Illinois |access-date=March 6, 2015}}</ref> The Edge finished the regular season 10–4, earning the third seed in the United Conference playoffs. The Edge then ended with another first round loss in the playoffs the Green Bay Blizzard, 30–51.<ref>{{cite web |newspaper=The Pantagraph |location=Bloomington, Illinois |url=http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/professional/football/indoor/edge/edge-season-comes-to-an-end-in-green-bay/article_cc6226c4-bda9-11e1-b7a8-0019bb2963f4.html |title=Edge season comes to an end in Green Bay |date=June 23, 2012 |access-date=March 6, 2015}}</ref>
===Champions Professional Indoor Football League: 2013–2014=== For the 2013 Bloomington Edge season, the team was owned by Bloomington Blaze owner Sandra Hunnewell and played in the Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL).<ref name="edgecpifl">{{cite web |url=http://cpifl.org/newsDetail.cfm?id=20 |title=Blaze Owner To Buy Edge, Team To Play In New League |publisher=Champions Professional Indoor Football League |work=CPIFL.org |date=October 12, 2012 |access-date=October 12, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017010346/http://www.cpifl.org/newsDetail.cfm?id=20 |archive-date=October 17, 2012 }}</ref><ref name="edgepantagraph">{{cite news |first=Joe |last=Deacon |newspaper=The Pantagraph |location=Bloomington, Illinois |title=Bloomington Edge sold to Blaze owner, changing to new league |url=http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/professional/football/indoor/edge/bloomington-edge-sold-to-blaze-owner-changing-to-new-league/article_f06e9c96-149d-11e2-9620-0019bb2963f4.html |date=October 12, 2012 |access-date=October 12, 2012}}</ref> The new ownership retained coach Carr and the team missed the playoffs for the first time since their inaugural season.
Just 12 days after the conclusion of the 2013 season, Edge owner and team president, David Holt and head coach Kenton Carr mutually agreed to part ways.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/professional/football/indoor/edge/carr-out-as-coach-of-edge-football-team/article_f1a24326-d9ee-11e2-bcbb-001a4bcf887a.html |title=Carr out as coach of Edge football team |author=Joe Deacon |date=June 20, 2013 |work=The Pantagraph |access-date=October 27, 2017}}</ref> Holt replaced Carr with John Johnson, who had been the team's offensive coordinator under Carr.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/professional/football/indoor/edge/edge-promote-johnson-to-head-coach/article_484bf9ba-e3fe-11e2-bb92-001a4bcf887a.html |title=Edge promote Johnson to head coach |author=Joe Deacon |date=July 3, 2013 |work=The Pantagraph |access-date=October 27, 2017}}</ref> Under Johnson for the 2014 Bloomington Edge season, the team went 5–7 and still missed the playoffs.
===X-League: 2015=== The Edge announced they were joining X-League Indoor Football in October 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=4883825 |title=X-League Gains Edge |date=October 15, 2014 |work=OurSports Central |access-date=October 15, 2014}}</ref> The Edge were acquired by Omar Khokhar at the end of the 2015 season.<ref>{{cite web |newspaper=The Pantagraph |location=Bloomington, Illinois |title=Bloomington doctor to own Edge |url=http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/professional/football/indoor/edge/bloomington-doctor-to-own-edge/article_88245940-7e6c-5778-86ef-1645538c6f4b.html |date=May 30, 2015 |access-date=June 5, 2015}}</ref> The team's season was abruptly ended and the league's X Bowl II championship game advanced to June 6 after the Cape Fear Heroes were suspended by the league.<ref name="pant150604">{{cite news |newspaper=The Pantagraph |location=Bloomington, Illinois |title=Edge season over as X-League skips to title game |url=http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/professional/football/indoor/edge/edge-season-over-as-x-league-skips-to-title-game/article_f217fc78-8d62-5b64-b97e-5513b3ee4391.html |date=June 4, 2015 |access-date=June 5, 2015}}</ref>
===Champions Indoor Football: 2016–2017=== On August 19, 2015, the Edge announced that they were moving to Champions Indoor Football (CIF).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/professional/football/indoor/edge/edge-moving-to-cif-for-indoor-football-season/article_dd986dc5-0857-5894-82d9-a7c0b69759a0.html |title=Edge moving to CIF for 2016 indoor football season |author=Joe Deacon |date=August 19, 2015 |work=Bloomington Pantagraph |access-date=August 19, 2015}}</ref> The Edge returned to the postseason for the first time in four seasons, going 7–5. The Edge won their first round playoff game against the Sioux City Bandits 65–45, but lost in the North Division Championship 51–52 to the Wichita Force.
On September 9, 2016, it was announced that head coach John Johnson and the Edge had mutually agreed to part ways.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/professional/football/indoor/edge/edge-head-coach-johnson-agree-to-part-ways/article_1ea196f5-156d-5e1c-a08d-86ba64f3b3d8.html |title=Edge, head coach Johnson, agree to part ways |date=September 9, 2016 |work=Bloomington Pantagraph |access-date=October 31, 2017}}</ref> On September 13, 2016, the Edge announced that former Extreme linebacker and Spokane Empire defensive coordinator, Ameer Ismail was named the team's new head coach.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/professional/football/indoor/edge/edge-tab-former-standout-linebacker-ismail-as-new-coach/article_73a7db71-1788-5d31-a1ce-ac0a2e05ba71.html |title=Edge tab former standout linebacker Ismail as new coach |author=Joe Deacon |date=September 13, 2016 |work=Bloomington Pantagraph |access-date=October 31, 2017}}</ref> Ismail lead the Edge to another 7–5 season, clinching another playoff berth. The Edge lost 30–43 to the Omaha Beef.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/professional/football/indoor/edge/edge-fall-in-playoff-opener-as-dunn-calls-it-a/article_8d09089a-bd22-5ff8-a997-959ff71cff46.html |title=Edge fall in playoff opener as Dunn calls it a career |date=June 10, 2017 |work=Bloomington Pantagraph |access-date=October 31, 2017}}</ref> Twelve days later, Ismail and the Edge agreed to part ways citing "different visions."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/professional/football/indoor/edge/edge-ismail-parting-ways-after-one-season/article_72131f69-39ac-58a0-980d-b2dc2263cd92.html |title=Edge, Ismail parting ways after one season |author=Joe Deacon |date=June 22, 2017 |work=Bloomington Pantagraph |access-date=October 31, 2017}}</ref>
===League issues and hiatus=== On August 23, 2017, Nick Ruud was named the next Edge head coach.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/professional/football/indoor/edge/ruud-takes-over-as-head-coach-of-edge/article_f2c94aa2-46b3-5b5f-9817-7cd8eeda061d.html |title=Ruud takes over as head coach of Edge |author=Joe Deacon |date=August 23, 2017 |work=Bloomington Pantagraph |access-date=October 31, 2017}}</ref> On September 12, 2017, the Edge announced that they were moving back to the Indoor Football League.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/professional/football/indoor/edge/edge-switch-back-to-indoor-football-league/article_3f346fb1-14c2-50ed-a7a1-68c0931bab4a.html |title=Edge switch back to Indoor Football League |date=September 13, 2017 |work=Bloomington Pantagraph |access-date=October 31, 2017}}</ref>
However, the CIF then attempted to sue the IFL and the Edge for leaving the CIF after the Edge had already signed league affiliation agreements with the CIF for 2018. While the CIF did drop the lawsuit against the IFL due to legal retaliation,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://kwsn.com/news/articles/2017/oct/06/tryon-addresses-legal-aspect-of-switching-leagues/ |title=Tryon addresses legal aspect of switching leagues |work=KWSN |date=October 5, 2017 |access-date=February 6, 2018 |archive-date=October 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171008080024/http://kwsn.com/news/articles/2017/oct/06/tryon-addresses-legal-aspect-of-switching-leagues/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://salinascoop.com/cif-commissioner-issues-state-of-the-league-address/ |title=CIF Commissioner Issues State of the League Address |work=Salina Scoop |date=October 4, 2017 |access-date=February 6, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171005204252/http://salinascoop.com/cif-commissioner-issues-state-of-the-league-address/ |archive-date=October 5, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> it filed for an injunction against the Edge from participating in the IFL for breaking the terms of their signed affiliation agreement. A temporary injunction from participation was granted on January 31, 2018, with the court ruling determining that the Edge had been in violation of their CIF league affiliation agreement.<ref name = "CIFinjunction">{{cite web |url=http://kscj.com/2018/01/31/temporary-injunction-bars-renegade-teams-leaving-c-p-f-l/ |title=TEMPORARY INJUNCTION BARS RENEGADE TEAMS FROM LEAVING C.P.I.F.L. |work=KSCJ |date=January 31, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://localsportsjournal.com/2018/02/ironmen-will-be-independent-in-2018-due-to-ruling-that-leaves-them-without-a-league/ |title=Ironmen will be independent in 2018, due to ruling that leaves them without a league |work=Local Sports Journal |date=February 6, 2018}}</ref>
On February 6, the Edge announced that it would continue to operate independently of a league for the season.<ref name ="Independent">{{cite web |url=http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/professional/football/indoor/edge/injunction-could-jeopardize-edge-season/article_d7446439-0fc8-5b08-8b81-c731360e481b.html |title=Barred from IFL, Edge to play as independent |work=The Pantagraph |date=February 6, 2018}}</ref> In the same press release, the Edge also announced that John Johnson would return as head coach.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bloomingtonedge.net/news/?article_id=51 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180207010318/http://www.bloomingtonedge.net/news/?article_id=51 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=February 7, 2018 |title=Edge Kick Off 2018 Training Camp |publisher=Bloomington Edge |access-date=February 6, 2018}}</ref> However, the court ruling prevented the Edge from playing any games during the spring of 2018 as long as the CIF season length, forcing the Edge to only schedule exhibition games during the summer.<ref name = "Exhibition">{{cite web |url=http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/professional/football/indoor/edge/ruling-sacks-edge-spring-season-team-pushes-plans-to-summer/article_87a3c798-5129-5e57-9ff1-c6a513df1b85.html |title=Ruling sacks Edge spring season; team pushes plans to summer |work=The Pantagraph |date=February 22, 2018}}</ref> After their summer season, Edge owner Omar Khokhar announced the franchise was for sale and could relocate.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pantagraph.com/sports/football/professional/bloomington-edge-seeks-new-ownership-relocation-possible/article_27825213-a51e-572c-9272-2856f358805a.html |title=Bloomington Edge seeks new ownership; relocation possible |work=The Pantograph |date=September 25, 2018}}</ref>
In 2019, the Wells Sports Group signed a letter of intent to purchase the Edge franchise. On October 22, 2019, they announced their intentions to join the American Arena League (AAL) for the 2020 season and were still in negotiations with Grossinger Motors Arena for a lease.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pantagraph.com/sports/professional/football/bloomington-edge-indoor-football-team-preparing-to-return-in/article_4575f4f1-b01d-5db4-b459-3069ad976218.html |title=Bloomington Edge indoor football team preparing to return in 2020 |website=The Pantagraph |date=October 22, 2019}}</ref> However, the arena instead agreed to a lease with the semiprofessional indoor football team, Midway Marauders, as the Marauders had been in negotiations with the arena before Wells had initiated any conversations, thereby halting the sale of the franchise.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.pantagraph.com/sports/football/bloomington-gets-new-indoor-football-team-in-midway-marauders/article_ec492ef6-6631-5495-830f-4f69dcf88fa1.html |title=Bloomington gets new indoor football team in Midway Marauders |website=The Pantagraph |date=December 13, 2019}}</ref>
==Logos and uniforms== [[File:Wild on offense at Bloomington at Alaska 2009-05-04 1.jpg|thumb|The Extreme in a game against the Alaska Wild in May 2009.]] From the team's inception until 2011, the team was known as the '''Bloomington Extreme''', with the having been derived from a naming rights deal with local auto dealer Extreme Motors. In the 2011–12 offseason, the team was sold to Jim Morris (owner of a local Sonic Drive-In franchise and of the Premier Basketball League's Central Illinois Drive), with a naming rights deal with another auto dealer; this time Heller Ford would acquire said rights, giving the team its new Edge nickname (derived from the Ford Edge automobile).
==Season-by-season results== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:75%;" |- | style="background:#fcc;"|'''League Champions''' | style="background:#dfd;"|'''Conference Champions''' | style="background:#d0e7ff;"|'''Division Champions''' | style="background:#96cdcd;"|'''Playoff berth''' | style="background:#c8a2c8;"|'''League leader''' |}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size: 95%;" |- !rowspan="2" | Season !rowspan="2" | Team !rowspan="2" | League !rowspan="2" | Conference !rowspan="2" | Division !colspan="3" | Regular season !rowspan="2" | Postseason results |- ! Finish !! Wins !! Losses |- ! 2006 | 2006 || UIF || || Central | 2nd || 5 || 10 || |- ! 2007 | 2007 || UIF || || Eastern | bgcolor=#96cdcd | 4th || 8 || 7 ||style="text-align:left"|'''Won''' Round 1 (Rock River) 43–30<br />Lost Divisional Championship (Lexington) 49–67 |- ! 2008 | 2008 || UIF || || Eastern | bgcolor=#96cdcd | 1st || 7 || 7 ||style="text-align:left"|'''Won''' Divisional Finals (River City) 57–23<br />Lost United Bowl IV (Sioux Falls) 35–40 |- ! 2009 | 2009 || IFL || United || Central | bgcolor=#96cdcd | 2nd || 10 || 4 ||style="text-align:left"|Lost Divisional Round 1 (Wichita) 37–46 |- ! 2010 | 2010 || IFL || United || Central North | bgcolor=#96cdcd | 2nd || 9 || 5 ||style="text-align:left"|Lost Round 1 (Wichita) 48–61 |- ! 2011 | 2011 || IFL || United || Great Lakes | bgcolor=#96cdcd | 3rd || 9 || 5 ||style="text-align:left"|Lost Round 1 (Omaha) 34–39 |- ! 2012 | 2012 || IFL || United || | bgcolor=#96cdcd | 3rd || 10 || 4 ||style="text-align:left"|Lost United Conference Semifinal (Green Bay) 30–51 |- ! 2013 | 2013 || CPIFL || || | 6th || 5 || 7 || |- ! 2014 | 2014 || CPIFL || || | 6th || 5 || 7 || |- ! 2015 | 2015 || X-League || || | 5th || 5 || 3 || |- ! 2016 | 2016 || CIF || || Northern | bgcolor=#96cdcd | 2nd || 7 || 5 ||style="text-align:left"| '''Won''' Northern Round 1 (Sioux City) 65–45<br />Lost Division Championship (Wichita) 51–52 |- ! 2017 | 2017 || CIF || Northern || | bgcolor=#96cdcd | 3rd || 7 || 5 ||style="text-align:left"| Lost Northern Conference Semifinal (Omaha) 30–43 |- ! rowspan="5" colspan="6"|Totals ! 87 !! 69 !! colspan="2"|All-time regular season record |- | '''3''' || '''8''' || colspan="3"|'''All-time postseason record''' |- ! 90 !! 77 !! colspan="3"|All-time regular season and postseason record |}
==Players== {{seealso|Category:Bloomington Edge players}}
===All-League selections=== * '''DL''' Sean Kelly (1), Antonio Fickin (2), Jeff Sobol (1) * '''LB''' Ameer Ismail * '''DB''' LaRoche Jackson (1), James Temple (2), Vincent Joseph (1) * '''K''' Peter Christofilakos (4)
==References== {{portal|Illinois}} {{reflist|30em}}
== External links == * {{Official website|http://www.bloomingtonedge.net/}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20101011121243/http://www.qkstats.net/IFL/2009/index.html Extreme's 2009 stats]
{{CIF}} {{CPIFL}}
Category:Bloomington Edge Category:2005 establishments in Illinois Category:American football teams established in 2005