The 2025 International Football Alliance (IFA) season was the first season of the short-lived cross-border professional American football league that aimed to operate teams in both the United States and Mexico. The season was marred by instability, financial controversy, and multiple team withdrawals, leading analysts and reporters to describe it as one of the most chaotic launches in alternative football history.
Background The International Football Alliance (IFA) was introduced in 2023 as a bi-national professional football venture connecting American and Mexican teams. Early marketing touted partnerships with established pro franchises such as the Texas Pioneros, Chihuahua Rebelión and Tampa Tornadoes with two newcomers, the Alabama Beavers and Ohio Valley Ironmen.
The 2025 season was set to begin on 'May 31, 2025, when Dallas faced Chihuahua in the league's first broadcast on Amazon Prime Video.
Season Instability Despite ambitious plans, numerous operational failures began to surface even before the regular season. on April 14, 2025 both the Alabama Beavers and the IFA issued separate statements mutually announcing the Beavers were out of the IFA. The sides differed on who initiated, with the IFA issuing a cease and desist order alleging felony fraud and unpaid bills in the tens of thousands of dollars that had caused the IFA to be permanently banned from Embassy Suites hotels; the Beavers responded that it had left the league April 10 after unsuccessfully attempting to negotiate a better deal and would play in another league in 2025. The next day, in an interview with X Fan Show, IFA representative Mark Lozano indicated that only three teams were still committed to the 2025 season: Ohio Valley, Tampa and Chihuahua; the Pioneros had suspended operations until 2026 and San Antonio had not decided whether or not to continue (it ultimately would not). Ohio Valley's revised schedule consisted mostly of midwestern teams in Michigan and Cincinnati along with the Erie Express, with San Antonio the only other IFA team on the Ironmen's schedule; a statement on the IFA Facebook page described the Ironmen as being "affiliated" with the IFA. Chihuahua's schedule was released April 30, a six-game, mostly home-based schedule against teams in the southern United States with the only IFA opponent (and only road game) being a home-and-home series with Tampa.
Three weeks before the start of the season, the IFA announced that an Alabama franchise would indeed play that season, as Anthony Richardson agreed to take over the Beavers' franchise, coaches and player contracts and dubbed his team the Huntsville Astros. Richardson's attempted purchase of the Beavers from its owner formed the basis of the IFA's expulsion of the Beavers.
Three days before the start of the season it was reported that the San Antonio Caballeros would cease operations, while head coach and owner Hal Mumme would later be announced as the new offensive coordinator of the Centenary College.
Six days after their first game, the Chihuahua Rebelión announced via the team's Instagram account that the primary investors of the team were "disassociating" themselves from head coach Mauricio Balderrama and general manager Diógenes Guzmán due to claims of "misconduct and abuses by these individuals." Coach Balderrama responded to this on the team's secondary Facebook page and claimed that the Instagram account had been hacked. The IFA did not release a statement verifying either account.
On June 5, 2025, CJ Drinkard, owner of the Alabama Beavers, posted on his Facebook page that "in September 2024, I conducted an investigation and found some rather disturbing evidence. I contacted the league (IFA) and let them know there are players, coaches, and league officials who have direct ties to child porn. After I reported my findings to Jason Adams, I also let him know that there are several players within the league that are registered sex offenders and we need to be sure all of the teams are conducting background checks." Drinkard further alleged that "after doing a thorough check on Jason Adams' background, I see he has over 15 arrests that are rather disturbing. He has been arrested for multiple counts of forgery, impersonating a police officer, theft, among many other things that now make sense to me. He forged documents regarding members within the league to manipulate everyone along the way." Drinkard also published multiple screenshots depicting Jason Adams’ prior arrest mugshots and a copy of his criminal background report.
On June 13, 2025, one day before their first game of the season, the Tampa Bay Tornadoes announced that they were leaving the IFA to be an independent team, but would still play the IFA teams on their season schedule, after a key investor had withdrawn his funding. Following this announcement, their game on June 14 was cancelled.
On June 13, 2025, the IFA released a statement on Instagram announcing that they had suspended the Chihuahua Rebelión's planned games due to an unspecified issue and that the team would resume games on July 5. This was later updated to a return on July 19. The league's official statement was that head coach Mauricio Baldarrama had taken undisclosed actions against the team's investor group, which "caused significant financial and moral harm." Along with temporarily suspending games the IFA fired Baldarrama & hired Les Koenning as the new head coach. Later that day, the Rebelión announced on their secondary Facebook page that they were leaving the IFA to go independent. In their official statement they claimed that their decision was due to "...multiple administrative, financial and ethical irregularities within the organization of said league, as well as to the direct relationship of its high command with individuals currently under international investigation by the FBI, which generates an environment of uncertainty for our team and its members.".
On June 22, 2025, eight hours before their game against the Huntsville Astros, the Tornadoes announced on Facebook that they would be suspending operations for the rest of the 2025 season.
On June 27, 2025, the Ohio Valley Ironmen cancelled the remainder of their season due to "multiple scheduled opponents" pulling out of games. The Ironmen finished the season with no known financial issues and drew between 750 and 1,200 fans on average to their games. The team stated they planned to return in 2026.
On July 11, 2025, the Chihuahua Rebelión revealed to its players that the team was out of money after its first home game only drew 200 paying spectators and that it would not be able to resume play or further compensate its players, effectively stranding the 19 American players and one British player (Germain Brown) in Mexico. As reported in El Pueblo, "the [Chihuahua] team couldn't cover the expenses of everything behind a professional sports team, from the physical trainers and medical staff to treat injuries to paying for medical insurance in the event of sports injuries, in a game of full contact," and "when the players arrived in Chihuahua, they were accommodated in a renowned hotel in the capital with all expenses and food paid. But suddenly, the players declared, [coach] Mauricio Balderrama told them that they had to vacate the hotel and for the time being pay for their own lodging while they obtained new sponsors."
On July 15, 2025, scout Frederick Elliott announced on his Facebook page that the Huntsville Astros notified the IFA of their intent to withdraw from the league and complete the 2025 season independently. Elliott is quoted as stating "this move comes after the team faced numerous operational and administrative challenges from the league throughout the 2025 season." On July 23, head coach Shane Anderson confirmed Huntsville had left the league and that the Astros would join a new league in the coming year.
On July 17, 2025, the IFA announced that the Chihuahua Rebellion were rebranding and moving to Ciudad Juárez. The league website claimed they would return to play on August 23. The league also indicated that it would rush the Arkansas Storm, a team it had originally planned to hold out of the league until 2026 to allow it time to properly build, into playing shape to play a showcase game in August,IFA 2025 schedule . Retrieved July 20, 2025. just one month after tryouts.Arkansas Storm tryouts. Retrieved July 20, 2025. The showcase was eventually held on September 13, with the semi-pro Dallas Prime hosting the Storm at the Ford Center at The Star; after an initially competitive first half, the Prime dominated and shut out the makeshift Storm roster—an organization so haphazardly assembled that several players relied on bringing their own equipment rather than the years-old and moldy pads Adams had furnished, and resorted to fashioning the numbers on their plain red jerseys with medical tape—to finish the game with a 47–7 victory. Several Storm players indicated that the team ownership and front office were displeased with Adams's handling of the event and were considering other options. On October 2, 2025, Coy Flynn, owner of the Arkansas Storm, stated on Facebook that the team would not be competing in the 2026 season, alluded to a future lawsuit, and stated "retribution is coming."
On September 9, 2025, it was announced that the Ohio Valley Ironmen were officially leaving the league to join the new iteration of the Continental Football League.
Teams
Planned teams TeamCityStadiumCapacityCoachPlayersFateChihuahua RebeliónJuárez City, ChihuahuaEstadio Olímpico Universitario22,000Mauricio BalderramaSuspended after 1 gameHuntsville AstrosHuntsville, AlabamaJoe W. Davis Stadium6,000Shane AndersonCreated after the Alabama Beavers left the IFA and took over the Beavers' franchise, coaches and player contracts, but withdrew after 3 games and left to the Professional Independent Football League (PIFL)Ohio Valley IronmenMoundsville, West VirginiaMonarch Stadium5,200Manny MatsakisCancelled season after 3 games, citing other teams’ unwillingness to face them. later joined the Continental Football League (CoFL)San Antonio CaballerosSan Antonio, TexasGayle and Tom Benson Stadium6,000Hal Mumme Ceased operations before season after they couldn't secure a venue Tampa TornadoesTampa, FloridaLeto High School5,000Stevie ThomasWithdrew after start of the season before playing any gamesTexas PionerosGeorgetown, TexasBernard Birkelbach Field11,000Art BrilesOriginally the Dallas Pioneros, moved to Georgetown after they couldn't secure a stadium in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, but later suspended operations until 2026
+2026 expansion teams participant in exhibitions game Team City Stadium Capacity Head coach Arkansas Storm North Little Rock, Arkansas Wildcat Stadium 5,482 Ron Calcagni
Teams included in the final 2025 schedule
Huntsville Astros (Huntsville, Alabama) Ohio Valley Ironmen (Moundsville, West Virginia) Tampa Tornadoes (Tampa, Florida) Chihuahua Rebelión (Chihuahua, Mexico)
Due to teams withdrawing, cancelling, and suspending their seasons, the IFA filled out the 2025 schedule with regional amateur teams. This included the Cincinnati Dukes (Cincinnati, Ohio) - played 2025 season in the Blue Collar Football League. Dallas Prime (Dallas, Texas) - played 2025 season in the Texas United Football League, later a "IFA Showcase Team" Erie Express (Erie, Pennsylvania) - played 2025 season in the Premier Amateur Football League. Tennessee Hornets (Winchester, Tennessee) - IFA Showcase Team Up 1 Athletic Showcase (Atlanta, Georgia) - An independent team
Other announced teams (never played): Michigan Bills (Monroe, Michigan) - played 2025 season in the Players Football Association Mississippi Brawlers (Woodville, Mississippi) - played 2025 season in the Next Level Football Alliance Texas Herd (Longview, Texas) - Texas All-Star Team.