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| Sport | Indoor football |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2011 |
| First season | 2012 |
| Ceased | 2014 |
| CEO | Darlene Jones |
| No. of teams | 5 |
| Country |  United States |
| Last champion(s) | San Angelo Bandits (1st title) |
| Most titles | Amarillo Venom (2 titles) |
| Related competitions | IFL SIFL |
| Official website | TexasLSFL.com |
The Lone Star Football League (LSFL) was a regional professional indoor football minor league[1] that played three seasons from 2012 to 2014. All of the LSFL's charter teams were based in the state of Texas, with five teams coming from the Southern Indoor Football League, three from the Indoor Football League, plus one expansion team. The LSFL played three seasons to completion before merging with the Champions Professional Indoor Football League in August 2014 to form Champions Indoor Football.
Individual player salaries were vary in the LSFL with a total $3,000 team salary cap per game,[2] which averages between $100 and $450 per player.[3]
The 2012 season began with the Houston Stallions, Amarillo Venom, Rio Grande Valley Magic, Laredo Rattlesnakes, West Texas Roughnecks, Corpus Christi Hammerheads, and Abilene Ruff Riders participating. While a number of the other teams scheduled to launch in 2012 did not make it to the start of the regular season, only the Mesquite Bandits had their franchise revoked rather than fold voluntarily.[4] The Houston team was 7–0 when it folded halfway through the season.[5] The Amarillo Venom finished the regular season 10–4 and went on to defeat the Rio Grande Valley Magic 62–40 in the LSFL championship game.[6] Former Clemson linebacker Antonio Clay was practicing with the West Texas Roughnecks in Odessa, Texas in 2012.[1]
For 2013, the LSFL played with just five teams. Amarillo, Laredo, Corpus Christi, and Abilene (now known as the Bombers) returned from the 2012 season. The league added two new teams; the expansion San Angelo Bandits and the New Mexico Stars (formerly of the Indoor Football League and the LSFL's first and only team outside of Texas).[7] The league announced in October that the Corpus Christi Hammerheads had been removed from the league due to its ownership violating by-laws. The Amarillo Venom defeated the Laredo Rattlesnakes 70–69 to repeat as league champions.[8] After the season, in late September 2013, the Laredo franchise announced it was ceasing operations due to the financial and legal difficulties of its owner.[9]
With the Laredo and Abilene franchises failing to return, the LSFL added the West Texas WildcattersinOdessa[10] and the Rio Grande Valley SolinHidalgo to the league.
On August 14, 2014, it was announced at the league website that they merged with the Champions Professional Indoor Football League to create what they say is the largest indoor football league in the country.[11] The merged league became known as Champions Indoor Football.
| Team | Location | Arena (Capacity) |
|---|---|---|
| Amarillo Venom | Amarillo | Amarillo Civic Center (4,912) |
| Rio Grande Valley Sol | Hidalgo | State Farm Arena (5,500) |
| San Angelo Bandits | San Angelo, Texas | Foster Communications Coliseum (5,260) |
| West Texas Wildcatters | Odessa | Ector County Coliseum (5,131) |
The LSFL required a $25,000 franchise fee to join, as well as a $25,000 letter of credit.[13]
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