Great Lakes Arena Football

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The Great Lakes Arena Football (GLAF) is a professional American indoor football minor league based in the Great Lakes region in the United States.^[1]

The GLAF is designed to be a regional "bus league" with minimal travel, while league member West Michigan Ironmen have direct control over league operations and membership.^[2]

After the 2021 American Arena League season concluded, Charlotte Thunder, West Michigan Ironmen and Pennsylvania Union left to form their own league (Arena Professional Football League),^[3] with the intent to run a five-team eight-week APFL schedule will run from April 16 through June 4, 2022.^[4] But by the time the season started only two Charlotte and Michigan were operating, and the Ironmen ended up playing an independent schedule. That experience, in addition to traveling costs, led them to form a league of their own called "Great Lakes Arena Alliance".^[2]

For its first season the GLAA planned that five teams would participate in the league's inaugural 2023 season starting on March 4: Chicago Power, Southern Michigan Apex, Battle Creek Smoke, West Michigan Ironmen and Ohio Blitz,^[5] but Chicago were removed just before the season started.^[6] All remaining teams advanced to the playoffs,^[7] with the Ironmen winning the inaugural league championship, after beating the Southern Michigan Apex 81–25.^[8]

For the 2024 season the league changed its name to Great Lakes Arena Football and plans to feature seven team lineup: the Battle Creek (MI) Smoke, Detroit Knights (originally the Detroit Dark Knights), Michigan Avengerz (Farmington, MI), Ohio Boom (Dayton), Toledo Extreme Shamrocks, West Michigan Ironmen (Muskegon) and Tri-State Bucks (Pioneer, OH).^[9] The Avengers won the second league championship, after beating the Ironmen 30-12 in the final.

• Chicago Power (Chicago, Illinois) — Was part of the original teams for the 2023 season, but were removed just before the season started.
• Southern Michigan Apex (Kalamazoo, Michigan) - Played the 2023 season, but were removed from league prior to the 2024 season.
• Ohio Blitz (Lima, Ohio) - Played the 2023 season, but were removed from league prior to the 2024 season.
• Wisconsin Aviators (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) - Originally announced as a GLAF member for the 2024 season, but then was not included in the final alignment.^[10]
• Tri-State Bucks (Pioneer, Ohio) — Was part of the 2024 season, but moved to the Midwest Arena Football League.
• Michigan Avengers (Farmington, Michigan) — Was part of the 2024 season, but moved to the United Indoor Football Association.
• Ohio Boom (Dayton, Ohio) — Was part of the 2024 season, but moved to the United Indoor Football Association.

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