Minnesota Vixen
 | |
| Founded | 1999 |
|---|---|
| League | Independent Women's Football League |
| Team history |
WPFL (1999-2007) NWFA (2008) IWFL (2009-present) |
| Based in | Minneapolis-Saint Paul |
| Stadium | Simley High School |
| Colors | Black & Red |
| Owner(s) | Enzuri Group LLC. |
| Head coach | Brandon Pelinka |
| Championships | 0 |
| Division titles | 1 (2000 NWFA) |
| Mascot | B.A. Vixen |
The Minnesota Vixen is a professional women's football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The team has been known as the Minnesota Vixens and Minneapolis Vixens prior to being known as the Vixen (note lack of "s").
Established in 1999, the Vixen are the longest continuously operating women's American football team in the nation. The team plays full contact, tackle football following a combination of NCAA and NFL rules. The season is from April to June each year with playoffs in July. In April 2016 they will begin their 18th season.
In 2014, the Vixen’s record was 6-2 with an invite to the inaugural Legacy Bowl in South Carolina. As part of the Midwest Division in the Independent Women's Football League (IWFL), the Vixen will face the Iowa Crush, Wisconsin Warriors, Madison Blaze and the Nebraska Stampede in 2015.
In 2014, Brandon Pelinka was named full-time head coach. In 2016, the Vixen coaching staff includes Defensive Coordinator Damion Topping, Special Teams Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach/Defensive Line Coach Adam Griffith, Running Back Coach Jeff Gehring, Wide Receiver Coach Danny Ekstrand, and Corner Back Coach Darrion Branscomb. Current owners are James and Laura Brown.
History
1999 Barnstorming Tour
Vixen history dates back to 1999, when businessmen Carter Turner and Terry Sullivan decided to explore the feasibility of a professional women's football league by gathering together top female athletes from across the United States and dividing them into two teams for a nationwide series of exhibition game. More than 100 women attended tryouts. The teams were named the Minnesota Vixens and the Lake Michigan Minx, and the "No Limits" Barnstorming Tour featured six games in such locations as Miami, Chicago, and New York. The final exhibition game was played at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis (known worldwide as home to the National Football League's Minnesota Vikings). While the Vixens lost the game by a score of 30-27, the tour's success inspired the expansion of the Women's Professional Football League to 11 teams in 2000.
2000: WPFL kicks off
The success of the tour led Turner and Sullivan to form the Women's Professional Football League; although the Minx would not join the Vixen in the WPFL's first full season, the Austin Rage, Colorado Valkyries, Daytona Beach Barracudas, Houston Energy, Miami Fury, New England Storm, New York Galaxy, New York Sharks, Oklahoma City Wildcats, and Tampa Tempest would join the Vixen to form the WPFL's inaugural roster of teams. The Vixen would finish the regular season unbeaten at 5-0, clinch the Central Division title, and ensure home-field advantage throughout the American Conference playoffs. However, that playoff run would only last one game, as the Vixen lost the American Conference Championship Game to the eventual WPFL Champion Houston Energy by a score of 35-14.
2001
The Vixen played a three-game season, going 1-2 against the Arizona Caliente and the Indianapolis Vipers.
2002
The Vixen finished 2-3 and fourth place in the National Conference.
2003
The Vixen finished 2-7 and fourth place in the American Conference, North Division.
2004
The Vixen finished 6-4 and second place in the National Conference, North Division, qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in four years. However, they would lose the National Conference Semifinal game to the Delaware Griffins.
2005
Once again, the Vixen finished 6-4, second place in the North Division, and qualified for a playoff spot. Although they defeated the Indiana Speed in the National Conference Semifinal, the Vixen lost to the New York Dazzles in the National Conference Championship game.
2006
The Vixen finished 2-6 and third place in the National Conference, East Division.
2007
In their final year in the WPFL, the Vixen finished 2-5 and third place in the National Conference, North Division. Soon afterwards, the Vixen left the WPFL to join the National Women's Football Association.
2008
In their first and only year in the NWFA, the Vixen qualified for the playoffs for the first time in three years, finishing 6-2 and second place in the Northern Conference, North Division. However, that playoff run would only last one game, as the Vixen lost by a score of 31-7 to the North Division Champions and eventual NWFA runners-up West Michigan Mayhem. After the season ended, the Vixen switched leagues again, this time to the Independent Women's Football League.
Season by season
| Season | W | L | T | Finish | Playoff results | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Vixen (WPFL) | ||||||
| 1999 | "No Limits" Barnstorming Tour (Lake Michigan): Results Unknown/Not Counted | |||||
| 2000 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1st American Central | Lost American Conference Championship (Houston) | |
| 2001 | 1 | 2 | 0 | Exhibition Team | -- | |
| 2002 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4th National | -- | |
| 2003 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 4th American North | -- | |
| 2004 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2nd National North | Lost National Conference Semifinal (Delaware) | |
| 2005 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2nd National North | Won National Conference Qualifier (Indiana) Lost National Conference Championship (New York) | |
| 2006 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 3rd National East | -- | |
| 2007 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 3rd North Central | -- | |
| Minnesota Vixen (NWFA) | ||||||
| 2008 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2nd North North | Lost Northern Conference Quarterfinal (West Michigan) | |
| Minnesota Vixen (IWFL) | ||||||
| 2009 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 3rd Tier I West Midwest | -- | |
| 2010 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 8th Tier II West Midwest | -- | |
| 2011 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 4th West-Mid West Division | -- | |
| 2012 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 4th Midwest Division | -- | |
| 2013 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 3rd Midwest Division | Lost Tier II Western Conference Championship (Arlington Impact) | |
| 2014 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 2nd Midwest Division | Lost 2014 Legacy Bowl (Carolina Queens) | |
| 2015 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2nd Midwest Division | ||
| 2016 | 3 | 0 | 0 | -- | ||
| Totals | 57 | 70 | 0 | (including playoffs) | ||
* = Current Standing
Season schedules
2009
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 11 | Kansas City Tribe | Away | Lost 8-45 |
| April 25 | Chicago Force | Home | Lost 0-55 |
| May 2 | Wisconsin Warriors | Home | Lost 16-54 |
| May 16 | Iowa Crush | Home | Won 38-20 |
| May 23 | Chicago Force | Away | Lost 0-53 |
| May 30 | Wisconsin Warriors | Away | Lost 8-38 |
| June 6 | Iowa Crush | Away | Won 14-9 |
| June 13 | Kansas City Tribe | Home | Lost 0-65 |
2010
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 3 | Wisconsin Wolves | Away | Lost 30-73 |
| April 10 | Iowa Crush | Home | Lost 14-35 |
| April 24 | Dallas Diamonds | Away | Lost 0-79 |
| April 27 | Iowa Crush | Away | Lost 0-37 |
| May 8 | Chicago Force | Home | Lost 0-56 |
| May 15 | Kansas City Tribe | Home | Lost 0-80 |
| May 22 | Wisconsin Warriors | Away | Lost 0-55 |
| June 5 | Wisconsin Wolves | Home | Lost 18-20 |
2011
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 9 | Iowa Crush | Home | Lost 20-6 |
| April 23 | Madison Cougars | Away | Lost 0-16 |
| April 30 | Wisconsin Warriors | Home | Lost 46-14 |
| May 7 | Iowa Crush | Away | Loss 14-26 |
| May 21 | Wisconsin Warriors | Away | Lost 6-60 |
| May 28 | Madison Cougars | Home | Lost 7-6 |
| June 4 | Iowa Crush | Away | Lost 38-12 |
| June 11 | Madison Cougars | Home | Lost 26-14 |
2012
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 14 | Rockford Riveters | Home | Won 44-0 |
| April 28 | Madison Cougars | Home | Lost |
| May 5 | Rockford Riveters | Away | Won 32-0 |
| May 12 | Madison Cougars | Away | Lost 0-20 |
| May 19 | Wisconsin Warriors | Home | Lost |
| May 26 | Iowa Crush | Home | Lost 30-36 |
| June 9 | Iowa Crush | Away | Lost 12-29 |
| June 16 | Wisconsin Warriors | Away | Lost |
2013
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 27 | Rockford Riveters | Home | Won by forfeit |
| May 4 | Wisconsin Warriors | Away | Lost 20-26 |
| May 18 | Madison Blaze | Home | Lost 0-26 |
| May 25 | Iowa Crush | Away | Won 6-0 |
| June 1 | Rockford Riveters | Away | Won by forfeit |
| June 15 | Wisconsin Warriors | Home | Won 51-7 |
| June 22 | Madison Blaze | Away | Lost 6-40 |
| June 29 | Iowa Crush | Away | Won 26-6 |
| IWFL Tier II Playoffs | |||
| July 13 | Wisconsin Warriors | Away | Won by forfeit |
| July 20 | Arlington Impact | Away | Lost 14-18 |
2014
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 19 | Missouri Thundercats | Home | Won by Forfeit |
| April 26 | Wisconsin Warriors | Away | Won 12-6 |
| May 3 | Madison Blaze | Away | Lost 0-14 |
| May 10 | Iowa Crush | Home | Lost 6-14 |
| May 24 | Wisconsin Warriors | Home | Won 14-0 |
| May 31 | Missouri Thundercats | Away | Won by forfeit |
| June 7 | Madison Blaze | Home | Won 18-14 |
| June 14 | Iowa Crush | Away | Won 12-6 |
| Legacy Bowl | |||
| July 25 | Carolina Queens | Rock Hill, SC | Lost 22 - 28 |
2015
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 11 | Nebraska Stampede | Away | Won 22-6 |
| April 18 | Wisconsin Warriors | Home | Won 38-7 |
| April 25 | Iowa Crush | Home | Won 14-8 |
| May 9 | Madison Blaze | Home | Lost 8-14 |
| May 16 | Nebraska Stampede | Home | Lost 0-14 |
| May 23 | Wisconsin Warriors | Away | Won 40-0 |
| May 30 | Madison Blaze | Away | Won 12-7 |
| June 13 | Iowa Crush | Away | Won 28-14 |
2016
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 9 | Rocky Mountain Thunder Katz | Away | Won 14-7 |
| April 16 | Iowa Crush | Home | Won 41-0 |
| April 30 | Madison Blaze | Away | Won 21-0 |
| May 7 | Detroit Pride | Home | N/A -- |
| May 14 | Iowa Crush | Away | |
| May 28 | Detroit Pride | Away | |
| June 4 | Madison Blaze | Home | |
| June 11 | Rocky Mountain Thunder Katz | Home | |
External links
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