WAFC CLOSES DOWN AS SCHEDULED by The Sacramento Sirens January 2, 2003 The Women’s Affiliated Football Conference (WAFC) finished out its one and only season as of December 31, 2002. The WAFC met all of its goals by providing a structure for the 2002 season supporting the women’s teams previously associated with the WAFL in 2001. The Arizona Caliente, California Quake, Hawaii Legends, Oakland Banshees, and the Sacramento Sirens, along with the San Diego Nitrous (formed from previous San Diego SunFire players), San Francisco StingRayz (reorganized from the SF Tsunami players), and the Santa Rosa Scorchers came together with a common goal of playing an eight game 2002 fall season while giving individual teams the opportunity to research existing leagues before joining one. With this goal in mind, four teams tested the waters by becoming exhibition teams in 2002, two in the Women’s Professional Football League (WPFL) and two with the Independent Women’s Football League (IWFL). "The WAFC was never intended to exist beyond one year", said the Central Pacific Division Director, Gayle Totton from the Sacramento Sirens. "Although we (team owners) wanted to belong to a League, we also trusted each other enough to know we could play a season together without needing an actual League structure to succeed. We wanted to take the time to make sure the next League we joined was reputable and dependable". Six of the WAFC teams have now joined the IWFL for the upcoming 2003 Spring season and will turn around and play with only an 8 week break. “The IWFL had what we were looking for” says Totton. “They have a very well established organization and they screen teams and owners before accepting a new team. This was important to us after our experience with the WAFL in 2001”. The IWFL also has the oldest currently existing women’s professional football team, the New York Sharks. Two teams have not signed with any League. The Hawaii Legends have decided to go independent and play mostly inter-island with limited games on the mainland. Any women’s football team can set up exhibition games with Hawaii if they chooses but the IWFL teams must wait until after the regular season. The Arizona Caliente is undeclared at this time. "It’s a little sad to close down the WAFC as it was very successful in accomplishing its goals of providing stability and completing an outstanding season through a Championship game", remarked Carol Thomas, a co-owner of the 2002 WAFC Champion Sacramento Sirens. "But the Conference Director Jennifer Cada in Arizona may decide to convert it to a semi-pro or flag football league. That would be a great legacy for the WAFC."     Back