Arena Football League 2024 Matchups to Watch

Each week of Arena Football League's 2024 season should have a must watch matchup. The regionality of the league, along with the excitement for the return of Arena football should lead to natural rivalries and can't miss matchups week in and week out.

Arena Football League 2024 Matchups to Watch

Each week of Arena Football League's 2024 season should have a must-watch matchup. The regionality of the league, along with the excitement for the return of Arena Football, should lead to natural rivalries and can't miss matchups week in and week out. While it's impossible to know what teams might develop a rivalry on the field, there are some natural border rivalries that should develop, such as the very compelling battle of Kansas. Here is a matchup to watch every weekend of the Arena Football League regular season.

Week 1

Minnesota Myth @ Nashville Kats

The 2024 Arena Football League kicks off in Nashville when the Nashville Kats take on the Minnesota Myth. It couldn't be a better matchup of new vs. seasoned, as the Myth are a brand new franchise, while the Kats have been around enough to have a storied Arena Football history. The Nashville Kats offense will feature Ramone Atkins at QB, who was the IFL 2022 Rookie of the Year. These are two of the larger markets in the AFL, so this game should be well-attended and a must-watch match-up.

Week 2

Nashville Kats @ Albany Firebirds (Thursday Night Football)

That sting you've likely been feeling the day after Wednesday is likely due to the lack of Thursday Night Football in your life. Well, sting no longer because Thursday Night Football is back in the Arena Football League this season, and the Nashville Kats get the double honor of being in the league opener as well as the first game of the AFL Thursday night schedule. Nashville travels to take on what should be a very competitive Albany Firebirds squad whose receiving corps of Darius Prince, Arthur Hobbs, Caleb Smith, and Marquel Wade should be a handful for anyone on defense. The Kats will have their hands full trying to slow down this potent Firebirds offense in Week 2.Ezoic

Week 3

Billings Outlaws @ Rapid City Marshals

Two of the West Division of the AFL meet up in week three in a division battle for the frontier. Rapid City should be hopping when Billings makes the drive across the border from Montana to South Dakota for the frontier fracas. South Dakota and Montana are underrated hotbeds for football, and the fans in both cities are ready to show the world that they are Arena Football towns. Look for this to be an electric West Division matchup in Week 3.

Week 4

Orlando Predators @ West Texas Desert Hawks

West Texas starts their schedule with three straight games on the road, and they get their home opener when Orlando comes to Odessa in Week 4. The home crowd should have three weeks' worth of anticipation to unleash on the away squad in this matchup as Arena Football kicks off in West Texas. The Desert Hawks will have the all-time IFL passing yards leader under center with Charles McCullum as they look to knock off the more established Predators. Drew Powell and the Predators will be ready for this early-season road trip into West Texas.

Week 5

Oregon Blackbears @ Washington Wolfpack

Another border matchup between two states that are natural rivals, and this one is likely to have some bad blood behind it as this is a rematch of week one. This will likely be a very important matchup in deciding the final positions in the West Division, and it's only Week 5! Will they split matchups in the head to head, or will one team beat their border rival twice? Both squads are chock full of home-grown talent that will add fuel to their emerging rivalry.Ezoic

Week 6

Salina Liberty @ Southwest Kansas Storm

Speaking of rematches, we have another rematch of week one with the Salina Liberty heading to Dodge City to take on the Southwest Kansas Storm. Javin Kilgo will be the signal caller for the Salina Liberty as they try to get out of Dodge with a win. Not only is this a division game rematch, but it's also a Kansas showdown game. This game will have a large bearing on how the Central Division shakes out, with the winner holding a game in hand over a key division rival.

Week 7

Georgia Force @ Orlando Predators

Another Arena Football League division border battle that will have strong implications for the division and playoff race as these teams square off for the first time this season. They have another meeting in two weeks, facing off again in Week 9, and both teams will want to set the tone for the second half of the matchup. The Predators have to run a gauntlet of a schedule, and their depth and talent will be tested as their rivals to the north make a trip down I-75 in a battle for southeastern dominance.

Week 8

Oregon Blackbears @ Louisiana Voodoo

Oregon makes a long trip to Lake Charles, LA, to take on the Voodoo. This is one of the longer trips any AFL team will make this season and should provide a good cross-division matchup to watch. This late in the season, even if it's a cross-division matchup, it could still have major playoff implications. Both squads are led by potential emergent stars at quarterback. Chase Fourcade is Louisiana through and through, and he has Arena Football in his DNA. His uncle, John Fourcade, was a quarterback for multiple Arena Football squads. On the other side, Connor Kaegi and the Blackbears will make a cross-country trip looking to solidify their place as a franchise on the rise.Ezoic

Week 9

Wichita Regulators @ Southwest Kansas Storm

Another and different edition of the Kansas in-state rivalry as the SW Kansas Storm welcomes the Wichita Regulators to town. This could decide the three-way battle for Kansas, and could it also be possible for the newly league-affiliated Wichita Regulators to still be undefeated as a franchise to this point? Could this also be a battle of premier running backs, with Tempo Lee from Wichita and Todd Sibley Jr. for Southwest Kansas? Can the Regulators weather the storm and secure a strong position in the Central Division playoff race?

Week 10

Minnesota Myth @ Philadelphia Soul

The Minnesota Myth ushered in the new season with the opener against the Nashville Kats. They also get to wrap up the regular season when they kick off the last regular season game on the schedule for the Arena Football League in 2024. With this being the very last game of the season, what potential playoff scenarios could play out? If the Philadelphia Soul need some Week 10 heroics, they could come from signal caller Mitch "Cardiac" Kidd, who earned his nickname for his last-minute heroics in the FCF. This could be a game for the Eastern Division crown as these rivals face off..

There are certain to be even more compelling games each weekend as the league takes the field and writes it's own storylines, but these are ten matchups that look like must-watch before the season starts. Ezoic

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