East Division (AFL)


The East Division was a division of the Arena Football League's American Conference. It was first formed in 1995 as part of the National Conference when expansion led to the creation of divisions.
Since the division's enfranchisement in 1995, as the Eastern Division of the National Conference, the division sent representatives to five ArenaBowls, with two wins.

Division lineups

1995–1996
Eastern Division in the National Conference. Albany moved in from American Conference. Connecticut Coyotes enfranchised.
1997
Charlotte and Connecticut folded. Nashville, New Jersey, and New York are enfranchised.
1998
  • Albany Firebirds
  • New Jersey Red Dogs
  • New York Cityhawks
Nashville moved to National Conference's Southern Division.
1999–2000
Buffalo Destroyers enfranchised. New York moved to Hartford, Connecticut as New England Sea Wolves.
2001
As Indiana Firebirds, Albany moved to Indianapolis, Indiana as part of the American Conference's Central Division. Carolina moved in from Southern Division. Iowa Barnstormers moved to Uniondale, New York as New York Dragons. New England moved to Toronto as the Phantoms. New Jersey Red Dogs renamed the Gladiators.
2002
  • Buffalo Destroyers
  • New Jersey Gladiators
  • New York Dragons
  • Toronto Phantoms
Carolina moved back to Southern Division.
2003
  • Buffalo Destroyers
  • Detroit Fury
  • Las Vegas Gladiators
  • New York Dragons
Detroit moved in from Central Division. New Jersey moved to Las Vegas. Toronto Phantoms folded.
2004
Buffalo moved to Columbus, Ohio. Dallas moved in from Central Division. Detroit moved back to Central Division as well. Las Vegas moved to American Conference's Western Division. Philadelphia Soul enfranchised.
2005–2007
  • Columbus Destroyers
  • Dallas Desperados
  • New York Dragons
  • Philadelphia Soul
Carolina Cobras folded.
2008
  • Cleveland Gladiators
  • Columbus Destroyers
  • Dallas Desperados
  • New York Dragons
  • Philadelphia Soul
Las Vegas moved back from Western Division as Cleveland Gladiators. After the 2008 season, Columbus, Dallas, and New York folded while Philadelphia is suspended and the AFL is put on a one-year hiatus. Also, the Cleveland Gladiators joined the Central Division for the 2010 season when that division was known as the Midwest Division.
2010
The Eastern Division moved to the American Conference as Southwest Division for this season. Dallas Vigilantes enfranchised while the other three teams come from the defunct af2.
2011–2012
The Southwest Division changed its name back to Eastern Division. Bossier-Shreveport moved to New Orleans as the VooDoo. Cleveland Gladiators and Milwaukee Iron moved in from the Central Division. Dallas and Tulsa moved to Central Division. Oklahoma City folded. Philadelphia Soul returned. Pittsburgh Power enfranchised.
2013
  • Cleveland Gladiators
  • Philadelphia Soul
  • Pittsburgh Power
Milwaukee Mustangs suspended operations.
2014
Iowa joined the East Division after the League's expansion into Los Angeles and Portland, and the removal of the Utah Blaze and Chicago Rush.
2015
Iowa left to play in the Indoor Football League and Pittsburgh folded because of low attendance.
Due to the reduced number of participating teams, all AFL conferences and divisions were discontinued after the 2015 season.

Division champions

  • † – Despite winning the division in 2004, the New York Dragons failed to qualify for the playoffs.