Editing AF2 (section)

===League expansion===
In a June 2003 interview with ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'', AFL commissioner [[C. David Baker|David Baker]] briefly mentioned the AF2, saying how one day he envisioned the league growing to 100 teams. The AF2 started off with 15 teams in 2000, then expanded to 28 teams in 2001, and finally to 34 in 2002.  The number of teams the league fielded dropped every year from there on after, until the 2006 season; 27 teams were fielded in 2003, 25 in 2004, and 20 in 2005.  Finally, in 2006, the AF2 saw its first expansion in four years, fielding 23 teams, and continued that into 2007 with 30 teams.

The drop in teams between 2002 and 2006 could be partially attributed to the league expanding too rapidly in its first three seasons.  Many teams were financially unstable and [[Defunct AF2 teams|folded]]. This could have been at least in large measure due to higher expenses, even compared to those of similar leagues.  Franchise fees in the league ranged from $600,000 to $1 million.<ref>{{cite news |first=Mike |last=Lowe |title=Arena football discussed |url=http://sports.mainetoday.com/pirates/stories/060901arenafootbal.shtml |work=[[Portland Press Herald]] |date=2006-09-01 |access-date=2007-03-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070210045735/http://sports.mainetoday.com/pirates/stories/060901arenafootbal.shtml |archive-date=10 February 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>  Historically, massive sports league expansions have had little success, either in indoor football or other sports.  For instance, the [[National Indoor Football League]], a rival indoor league, saw large numbers of expansion teams after beginning play in 2001 but many struggled financially and played only briefly, incurring considerable financial losses before folding.  In more recent years, the [[American Basketball Association (2000–present)|American Basketball Association]] has exhibited the same situation to an even greater degree.

Nine new expansion teams were approved for 2007 in the AF2: the [[Boise Burn]], the [[Cincinnati Jungle Kats]], the [[Fort Wayne Fusion]], the [[Laredo Lobos]], the [[Lubbock Renegades]], the [[Mahoning Valley Thunder]], the [[Texas Copperheads]], the [[Tri-Cities Fever]], and the [[Corpus Christi Sharks]].  The Texas, Laredo, and Tri-Cities teams moved to the AF2 from other indoor football leagues.  For the 2007 season, the league fielded 30 teams.  After the 2007 season, three of those teams folded, the [[Fort Wayne Fusion]], the [[Cincinnati Jungle Kats]], and the [[Laredo Lobos]]. The [[Everett Hawks]], [[Alabama Steeldogs]], and the [[Bakersfield Blitz]] also ceased operations.

For 2008, the league fielded one team fewer, at 29.  Two teams were reactivated: the [[Iowa Barnstormers]] and the [[Peoria Pirates]], and the league admitted three new teams that were transferring from other leagues.  The [[Lexington Horsemen]] came from [[United Indoor Football|UIF]]; the [[Daytona Beach ThunderBirds]], from the [[World Indoor Football League (2007)|WIFL]], and the [[Austin Wranglers]] moved down from the [[Arena Football League|AFL]]. After the season, [[Austin Wranglers|Austin]] and [[Daytona Beach ThunderBirds|Daytona Beach]] folded, along with [[Louisville Fire|Louisville]], [[Lubbock Renegades|Lubbock]], and [[Texas Copperheads|Texas]]. The league was expected to expand to [[Toledo, Ohio]] and [[Worcester, Massachusetts]] by 2011.