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| Formerly | Eastern Division, as a member of the National Conference |
|---|---|
| Conference | American Conference |
| League | Arena Football League |
| Sport | Arena Football |
| Founded | 1995 |
| First season | 1995 |
| Most recent champion(s) | Philadelphia Soul (4th title) |
| Most titles | Albany Firebirds (5 titles) |
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 (most recently the Philadelphia Soul in 2013's ArenaBowl XXVI), with two wins (most recently the Philadelphia Soul in 2008's ArenaBowl XXII).
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
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
Carolina moved back to Southern Division.
2003
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
Carolina Cobras folded.
2008
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 (now part of the National Conference) 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 (renamed Mustangs) moved in from the Central Division (known as Midwest in 2010). Dallas and Tulsa moved to Central Division. Oklahoma City folded. Philadelphia Soul returned. Pittsburgh Power enfranchised.
2013
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.
| Season | Team | Record | Playoff Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Conference | |||
| Eastern Division | |||
| 1995 | Albany Firebirds | 7–5 | Won Quarterfinals (at Stampede) 51–49 Lost Semifinals (at Storm) 49–56 |
| 1996 | Albany Firebirds | 10–4 | Won Quarterfinals (Mustangs) 70–58 Lost Semifinals (at Barnstormers) 55–62 |
| 1997 | Nashville Kats | 10–4 | Lost Quarterfinals (Storm) 49–52 |
| 1998 | Albany Firebirds | 10–4 | Lost Quarterfinals (Red Dogs) 59–66 |
| 1999 | Albany Firebirds | 11–3 | Won Quarterfinals (Rampage) 55–45 Won Semifinals (Rattlers) 73–47 Won ArenaBowl XIII (Predators) 59–48 |
| 2000 | Albany Firebirds | 9–5 | Lost Quarterfinals (Rattlers) 50–53 |
| 2001 | Toronto Phantoms | 8–6 | Won Wild Card Round (Dragons) 64–57 Lost Quarterfinals (at Kats) 38–45 |
| 2002 | New Jersey Gladiators | 9–5 | Lost Quarterfinals (Predators) 46–49 |
| 2003 | New York Dragons | 8–8 | Won Wild Card Round (Rush) 48–45 Lost Quarterfinals (at Predators) 62–69 |
| 2004 | New York Dragons† | 9–7 | Did not qualify |
| 2005 | New York Dragons | 10–6 | Lost NC Semifinals (Predators) 42–47 |
| 2006 | Dallas Desperados | 13–3 | Won NC Divisional Playoffs (Force) 62–27 Lost NC Championship (Predators) 28–45 |
| 2007 | Dallas Desperados | 15–1 | Lost NC Divisional Playoffs (Destroyers) 59–66 |
| 2008 | Philadelphia Soul | 13–3 | Won NC Divisional Playoffs (Dragons) 49–48 Won NC Championship (Gladiators) 70–35 Won ArenaBowl XXII (vs. SaberCats) 59–56 |
| American Conference | |||
| Southwest Division | |||
| 2010 | Tulsa Talons | 10–6 | Lost AC Semifinals (Storm) 38–68 |
| East Division | |||
| 2011 | Cleveland Gladiators[1] | 10–8 | Lost AC Semifinals (Force) 41–50 |
| 2012 | Philadelphia Soul[2] | 15–3 | Won AC Semifinals (VooDoo) 66–53 Won AC Championship (Sharks) 89–34 Lost ArenaBowl XXV (vs. Rattlers) 54–72 |
| 2013 | Philadelphia Soul[3] | 12–6 | Won AC Semifinals (Predators) 59–55 Won AC Championship (at Sharks) 75–59 Lost ArenaBowl XXVI (vs. Rattlers) 38–49 |
| 2014 | Cleveland Gladiators[4] | 17–1 | Won AC Semifinals (Soul) 39–37 Won AC Championship (Predators) 56–46 Lost ArenaBowl XXVII (Rattlers) 32–72 |
| 2015 | Philadelphia Soul | 15–3 | Won AC Semifinals (Gladiators) 47–35 Lost AC Championship (Sharks) 56–61 |
| Season | Team | Record | Playoff Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Conference | |||
| Eastern Division | |||
| 1997 | New Jersey Red Dogs | 9-5 | Lost Quarterfinals (at Predators) 37–45 |
| 1998 | New Jersey Red Dogs | 8–6 | Won Quarterfinals (at Firebirds) 66–59 Lost Semifinals (at Storm) 23–49 |
| 2000 | New England Sea Wolves | 8–6 | Lost Wild Card Round (Wranglers) 38–52 |
| Buffalo Destroyers | 5–9 | Lost Wild Card Round (at Rattlers) 34–41 | |
| 2001 | New York Dragons | 8–6 | Lost Wild Card Round (at Phantoms) 57–64 |
| Carolina Cobras | 7–7 | Lost Wild Card Round (at Firebirds) 41–58 | |
| 2002 | Buffalo Destroyers | 6–8 | Lost Wild Card Round (at Predators) 27–32 |
| 2003 | Detroit Fury | 8–8 | Won Wild Card Round (at Rampage) 55–54 Lost Quarterfinals (at Storm) 48–52 |
| Las Vegas Gladiators | 8–8 | Lost Wild Card Round (at Rattlers) 26–69 | |
| 2006 | New York Dragons | 10–6 | Lost NC Wild Card Playoffs (Force) 69–72 |
| Philadelphia Soul | 9–7 | Won NC Wild Card Playoffs (at Wranglers) 52–35 Lost NC Divisional Playoffs (at Predators) 27–31 | |
| 2007 | Philadelphia Soul | 8–8 | Won NC Wild Card Playoffs (Predators) 41–26 Lost NC Divisional Playoffs (at Force) 39–65 |
| Columbus Destroyers | 7–9 | Won Wild Card Playoffs (at Storm) 56–55 Won NC Divisional Playoffs (at Desperados) 66–59 Won NC Championship (at Force) 66–56 Lost ArenaBowl XXI (vs. SaberCats) 33–55 | |
| 2008 | Dallas Desperados | 12-4 | Lost NC Wild Card Playoffs (Dragons) 63–77 |
| Cleveland Gladiators | 9–7 | Won NC Wild Card Playoffs (Predators) 69–66 Won NC Divisional Playoffs (at Force) 73–70 Lost NC Championship (at Soul) 35–70 | |
| New York Dragons | 8–8 | Won Wild Card Playoffs (at Desperados) 77–63 Lost NC Divisional Playoffs (at Soul) 48–49 | |
| American Conference | |||
| 2014 | Pittsburgh Power | 15–3 | Lost AC Semifinals (at Predators) 48–56 |
| Philadelphia Soul | 9–9 | Lost AC Semifinals (at Gladiators) 37–39 | |
| 2015 | Cleveland Gladiators | 8–10 | Lost AC Semifinals (at Soul) 35–47 |
| Denotes team that won the ArenaBowl | |
| Denotes team that won a Conference Championship, but lost ArenaBowl | |
| Denotes team that qualified for the Playoffs |
| Season | Team (record) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | |
| |||||
| 1995 | Albany (7–5) | Charlotte (5–7) | Connecticut (1–11) | ||
| 1996 | Albany (10–4) | Charlotte (5–9) | Connecticut (2–12) | ||
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| 1997 | Nashville (10–4) | New Jersey (9–5) | Albany (6–8) | New York (2–12) | |
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| 1998 | Albany (10–4) | New Jersey (8–6) | New York (3–11) | ||
| |||||
| 1999 | Albany (10–4) | New Jersey (6–8) | New England (5–9) | Buffalo (1–13) | |
| 2000 | Albany (9–5) | New England (8–6) | Buffalo (5–9) | New Jersey (4–10) | |
| |||||
| 2001 | Toronto (8–6) | New York (8–6) | Carolina (7–7) | Buffalo (6–8) | New Jersey (2–12) |
| |||||
| 2002 | New Jersey (9–5) | Buffalo (6–8) | Toronto (5–9) | New York (3–11) | |
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| 2003 | New York (8–8) | Detroit (8–8) | Las Vegas (8–8) | Buffalo (5–11) | |
| |||||
| 2004 | New York (9–7) | Carolina (6–10) | Dallas (6–10) | Columbus (6–10) | Philadelphia (5–11) |
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| 2005 | New York (10–6) | Dallas (8–7–1) | Philadelphia (6–10) | Columbus (2–14) | |
| 2006 | Dallas (13–3) | New York (10–6) | Philadelphia (9–7) | Columbus (8–8) | |
| 2007 | Dallas (15–1) | Philadelphia (8–8) | Columbus (7–9) | New York (5–11) | |
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| 2008 | Philadelphia (13–3) | Dallas (12–4) | Cleveland (9–7) | New York (8–8) | Columbus (3–13) |
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| 2010 | Tulsa (10–6) | Oklahoma City (6–10) | Dallas (3–13) | Bossier–Shreveport (3–13) | |
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| 2011 | Cleveland (10–8) | Pittsburgh (9–9) | Milwaukee (7–11) | Philadelphia (6–12) | |
| 2012 | Philadelphia (15–3) | Cleveland (8–10) | Milwaukee (5–13) | Pittsburgh (5–13) | |
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| 2013 | Philadelphia (12–6) | Cleveland (4–14) | Pittsburgh (4–14) | ||
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| 2014 | Cleveland (17–1) | Pittsburgh (15–3) | Philadelphia (9–9) | Iowa (6–12) | |
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| 2015 | Philadelphia (15–3) | Cleveland (8–10) | New Orleans (3–14–1) | ||