IFL Cup: Inaugural midseason tournament will feature Arizona-New Mexico, Vegas-Orlando in semifinals

The Major League of Indoor Football (IFL) is gearing up for its first-ever midseason tournament.

The league consists of 14 teams, but only four will compete in the inaugural IFL Cup. The semifinals are set for Monday, May 18, and the IFL Cup championship will be held on Sunday, May 24.

After a full weekend of action, the Arizona Rattlers will take on the New Mexico Chupacabras with kickoff set for 12 p.m. ET on Monday. The second semifinal game will be played later that night at 7 p.m. ET, as the Vegas Knight Hawks face the Orlando Pirates.

The Rattlers are currently 5-2 overall and 4-1 in the Western Conference. The Chupacabras have gotten off to a slow 1-5 start, but a strong tournament run could be what they need to build momentum.

Vegas is 5-1 and undefeated in conference play. Orlando, the lone representative of the Eastern Conference in the tournament, is 4-2, and all of its games so far have been in conference.

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Pirates quarterback Paxton DeLaurent has thrown for 1,240 yards with 21 touchdowns and leads the IFL in passing yards per game with 206.7.

Arizona is led by wide receiver Arland Bruce, who has 414 yards, the third-most in the league. Vegas WR Quentin Randolph already has 10 touchdowns this season on 28 receptions.

The Championship Game will be held on May 24 at 7:30 p.m. ET. There will be a consolation game for third place earlier on Monday, starting at 1 p.m. ET.

IFL Commissioner Todd Tryon talked about the purpose of the IFL Cup and what it means to the league.

“This is a bold step forward for our league. The IFL Cup at American Dream represents everything we believe the future of indoor football should be… big moments, national visibility, unforgettable fan experiences, and a stage that matches the quality of our athletes and teams.