List of Cleveland Gladiators seasons

This is a list of seasons completed by the Cleveland Gladiators. The Gladiators were a professional arena football franchise of the Arena Football League (AFL) based in Cleveland, Ohio. The franchise was originally known as the New Jersey Red Dogs formed as an expansion team in 1997 and based in East Rutherford, New Jersey as a member of the Arena Football League (AFL). Before the 2001 season, the franchise was sold to Jim Ferraro, who changed the team's name to the New Jersey Gladiators.[1]

Quicken Loans Arena has been the home of the Gladiators since 2008.

In 2003, Ferraro moved the team to Las Vegas, Nevada with a few weeks to the start of the season.[2] The league had already devised the schedules; therefore, the Gladiators would play their 2003 season in the Eastern Division of the National Conference, before shifting in 2004 to the American Conference's Western Division. The team went 31–50 in five years in Las Vegas, making the playoffs once. After the 2007 season, the franchise relocated to Cleveland, Ohio. The team was also moved back to the National League's Eastern Division. In the 2008 season, the franchise went to their first Conference Championship game which they lost to Philadelphia Soul.

In 2009, the AFL announced that it had suspended operations indefinitely and canceled the 2009 season. Later in 2009 the Gladiators announced they would return to play in 2010, as a part of the league's relaunching.[3]

The Gladiators reached the ArenaBowl, the league's championship game, for the first time in franchise history in 2014. However, they were defeated in ArenaBowl XXVII by the Arizona Rattlers.


  • Note: The Finish, Wins, and Losses columns list regular season results and exclude any postseason play. This list documents the season–by–season records of the Gladiators' franchise from 1997 to present, including postseason records, and league awards for individual players or head coaches.
ArenaBowl Champions ArenaBowl Appearance Division Champions Playoff Berth
Season League Conference Division Regular season Postseason results Awards
Finish Wins Losses
New Jersey Red Dogs
1997 AFL National Eastern 2nd 9 5 Lost Quarterfinals (Orlando) 45–37 Steve Videtich (Kicker of the Year)
1998 AFL National Eastern 2nd 8 6 Won Quarterfinals (Albany) 66–59
Lost Semifinals (Tampa Bay) 49–23
1999 AFL National Eastern 2nd 6 8 Robert Stewart (Lineman of the Year)
Latish Kinsler (HERO Award)
2000 AFL National Eastern 4th 4 10
New Jersey Gladiators
2001 AFL National Eastern 4th 2 12
2002 AFL National Eastern 1st 9 5 Lost Quarterfinals (Orlando) 49–46 Steve Videtich (Kicker of the Year)
Las Vegas Gladiators
2003 AFL National Eastern 3rd 8 8 Lost Wild Card Round (Arizona) 69–23
2004 AFL American Western 4th 8 8 Marcus Nash (Offensive Player of the Year)
2005 AFL American Western 3rd 8 8
2006 AFL American Western 4th 5 11
2007 AFL American Western 5th 2 14
Cleveland Gladiators
2008 AFL National Eastern 3rd 9 7 Won Wild Card Round (Orlando) 69–66
Won Divisional Round (Georgia) 73–70
Lost Conference Championship (Philadelphia) 70–35
2009 The league suspended operations for the 2009 AFL season.[4]
2010 AFL National Midwest 3rd 7 9
2011 AFL American East 1st 10 8 Lost Conference Semifinals (Georgia) 50–41
2012 AFL American East 2nd 8 10 John Dutton (Al Lucas AFL Hero Jason Foundation Award)
2013 AFL American East 2nd 4 14
2014 AFL American East 1st 17 1 Won Conference Semifinals (Philadelphia) 39–37
Won Conference Championship (Orlando) 56–46
Lost ArenaBowl XXVII (Arizona) 32–72
2015 AFL American East 2nd 8 10 Lost Conference Semifinals (Philadelphia) 28–55
2016 AFL National - 3rd 7 9 Won Conference Semifinals (Los Angeles) 56-52
Lost Conference Championship (Arizona) 41-82
Marvin Ross (Rookie of the Year)
2017 AFL 4th 5 9 Lost Semifinals (Tampa Bay) 59-73
Total 144 172 (includes only regular season)
6 10 (includes only the postseason)
150 182 (includes both regular season and postseason)

Notes

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  1. ^ "Roundup: Red Dogs sold, name changed to Gladiators". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on January 15, 2008. Retrieved September 15, 2008.
  2. ^ "Gladiators roll the dice toward Las Vegas". Arena Fan. Retrieved September 15, 2008.
  3. ^ "Cleveland Gladiators Set To Play In Arena Football One League". Archived from the original on 2010-02-27. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
  4. ^ "Report: AFL Operations Suspended for 2009". ArenaFan. Retrieved April 7, 2011.

References

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