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The 2002 Arena Football League season was the 16th season of the Arena Football League. It was succeeded by 2003. The league champions were the San Jose SaberCats, who defeated the Arizona Rattlers in ArenaBowl XVI. In the process the SaberCats came closer to a perfect season than any other team in the history of the league, winning sixteen of seventeen games.
| 2002 Arena Football League season | |
|---|---|
| League | Arena Football League |
| Sport | Arena football |
| Duration | April 19, 2002 – August 18, 2002 |
| ArenaBowl XVI | |
| Champions | San Jose SaberCats |
| Runners-up | Arizona Rattlers |
| Finals MVP | John Dutton, SJ |
Offseason
editThe Dallas Desperados joined the league as an expansion team based in Dallas, Texas.
The Florida Bobcats, the Houston Thunderbears, the Milwaukee Mustangs, and the Oklahoma Wranglers folded, the Bobcats and Thunderbears both folded due to poor attendance, the Mustangs folded because the teams lease at Bradley Center expired and the Wranglers were dissolved by the AFL. Meanwhile, the Nashville Kats relocated to Atlanta to become the Georgia Force because the team was unable to negotiate a deal with Bridgestone Arena.
Standings
edit| Team[1] | Overall | Division | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins | Losses | Percentage | Wins | Losses | Percentage | |
| National Conference | ||||||
| Eastern Division | ||||||
| New Jersey Gladiators | 9 | 5 | 0.643 | 4 | 2 | 0.667 |
| Buffalo Destroyers | 6 | 8 | 0.429 | 5 | 1 | 0.833 |
| Toronto Phantoms | 5 | 9 | 0.357 | 1 | 5 | 0.167 |
| New York Dragons | 3 | 11 | 0.214 | 2 | 4 | 0.333 |
| Southern Division | ||||||
| Orlando Predators | 7 | 7 | 0.500 | 3 | 3 | 0.500 |
| Carolina Cobras | 6 | 8 | 0.429 | 3 | 3 | 0.500 |
| Tampa Bay Storm | 6 | 8 | 0.429 | 3 | 3 | 0.500 |
| Georgia Force | 6 | 8 | 0.429 | 3 | 3 | 0.500 |
| American Conference | ||||||
| Central Division | ||||||
| Chicago Rush | 9 | 5 | 0.643 | 5 | 1 | 0.833 |
| Grand Rapids Rampage | 8 | 6 | 0.571 | 2 | 4 | 0.333 |
| Indiana Firebirds | 7 | 7 | 0.500 | 5 | 1 | 0.833 |
| Detroit Fury | 1 | 13 | 0.071 | 0 | 6 | 0.000 |
| Western Division | ||||||
| San Jose SaberCats | 13 | 1 | 0.929 | 5 | 1 | 0.833 |
| Arizona Rattlers | 11 | 3 | 0.786 | 4 | 2 | 0.667 |
| Los Angeles Avengers | 8 | 6 | 0.571 | 1 | 5 | 0.167 |
| Dallas Desperados | 7 | 7 | 0.500 | 2 | 4 | 0.333 |
- Green indicates clinched playoff berth
- Purple indicates division champion
- Grey indicates best regular season record
Playoffs
edit| Wild Card Round | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | ArenaBowl XVI | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | San Jose | 55 | |||||||||||||||||
| 12 | Tampa Bay | 48 | |||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Los Angeles | 41 | |||||||||||||||||
| 12 | Tampa Bay | 66 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | San Jose | 52 | |||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Orlando | 40 | |||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Orlando | 32 | |||||||||||||||||
| 10 | Buffalo | 27 | |||||||||||||||||
| 4 | New Jersey | 46 | |||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Orlando | 49 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | San Jose | 52 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Arizona | 14 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Arizona | 61 | |||||||||||||||||
| 11 | Carolina | 59 | |||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Grand Rapids | 64 | |||||||||||||||||
| 11 | Carolina | 72 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Arizona | 46 | |||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Chicago | 35 | |||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Dallas | 47 | |||||||||||||||||
| 9 | Indiana | 46 | |||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Chicago | 60 | |||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Dallas | 47 | |||||||||||||||||
All-Arena team
editReferences
edit- ^ "2002 Arena Football League Standings". ArenaFan.com. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
- ^ "2002 Arena Football League". StatsCrew.com. Retrieved February 13, 2023.