War on I-4 (arena football)

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This article is about the Arena Football League rivalry. For the college sports rivalry, see War on I-4.
Orlando Predators–Tampa Bay Storm
In Tampa, during the final week of the 2010 regular season, two Orlando players entered the stands and fought with fans just before halftime.
First meetingJune 1, 1991
Predators 51, Storm 38
Latest meetingJune 24, 2016
Predators 56, Storm 33
Statistics
Meetings total61
All-time seriesPredators, 34–27
Regular season seriesPredators, 30–23
Postseason resultsTied, 4–4
Largest victoryPredators, 76–25 (2016)
Smallest victoryPredators, 44–43 (2000)
Storm 63–62, (2010)
Storm 35–34, (2014)
Predators, 63–62 (2015)
Longest win streakPredators, 6 (2015–2016)
Playoff and Championship Success
ArenaBowl Championships (7)

ArenaBowl Appearances (14)

The War on I–4 was a rivalry between the Tampa Bay Storm and the Orlando Predators in the Arena Football League. The teams met at least twice and up to four times a season starting in 1991, and both were consistently at the top of the league standings. The rivalry has been compared to the Yankees – Red Sox rivalry in Major League Baseball.[1]

Although the Tampa Bay and Orlando markets, separated by an 80-mile stretch of Interstate 4, have teams in each of the major professional sports leagues of the United States and Canada, none of the Big Five leagues had a team in both cities. Orlando has the Magic of the NBA and Orlando City SC of MLS while Tampa Bay hosts the Rays in MLB, Buccaneers in the NFL and Lightning in the NHL. Despite each market being of relatively large size in its own respective right, few leagues (especially those that have had long histories) have attempted to place teams in both cities; this has created few opportunities for the two nearby cities to form rivalries. The Arena Football League was an aberration in this regard when it approved the Orlando Predators as an expansion team in 1991, then allowed for the Pittsburgh Gladiators, a charter AFL team, to relocate to the Tampa Bay area and become the Tampa Bay Storm. The Storm and Predators became instant rivals.

The games were played either at the teams' respective home arenas. At the time the series ended, these arenas were Amway Center for Orlando and Amalie Arena (previously known as the "Ice Palace", "St. Pete Times Forum", and "Tampa Bay Times Forum") for Tampa Bay. Games hosted by the Storm before the 1997 season were held at what is now Tropicana Field, but was known as "Florida Suncoast Dome" before 1994 and "Thunderdome" thereafter. Games hosted by the Predators until the end of the 2010 season were at Hummer Field at the Amway Arena (originally the "Orlando Arena", later "TD Waterhouse Centre"). For the 2014 season, the Predators played at CFE Arena on the campus of the University of Central Florida.

The Predators led the overall series 34–27 in regular season and playoff games combined. The sides met eight times in the AFL playoffs, with each team winning four times, twice being in the ArenaBowl, with each team winning once. Their final playoff meeting was on August 14, 2010 in the American Conference Championship game, in which Tampa Bay won 63–62 as a long field goal attempt by the Predators fell short as time expired.[2]

The games between the teams were notable for featuring some of the highest attendances in AFL history. The ArenaBowl IX title match of September 1, 1995 drew an Arena Bowl record crowd of 25,087 to Thunderdome to see the Storm defeat the Predators by 48–35.[3] Both teams were known to organize bus trips for supporters down Interstate 4 (hence the War on I-4) to the other city to see their squad play.[4]

The series also had the top overall attendance record in league history when Orlando defeated Tampa Bay 46–45 in front of 28,745 at the Florida Suncoast Dome in week 6 of the 1993 AFL season.

In 2010, the rivalry resumed after a year off caused by the Arena Football League suspending operations in 2009. The rivalry ended when Orlando announced they would suspend operations following the conclusion of the 2016 season. Tampa Bay did the same following the 2017 season. The Predators were relaunched as an expansion team in the National Arena League prior to the 2019 season. The Arena Football League ceased operations after filing for

Shortly after the Predators withdrew from the AFL, the University of South Florida, based in Tampa, and the University of Central Florida, based in Orlando, claimed the "War on I-4" name for their own sports rivalries.

Game-by-game results[edit]

Orlando victoriesTampa Bay victories
No.DateLocationWinning teamLosing teamAttendance
1 June 1, 1991 Florida Suncoast Dome Orlando 51 Tampa Bay 38 10,354
2 July 27, 1991 Orlando Arena Tampa Bay 26 Orlando 16 13,680
3 May 29, 1992 Orlando Arena Tampa Bay 39 Orlando 32 11,312
4 July 2, 1992 Florida Suncoast Dome Orlando 48 Tampa Bay 33 20,091
5 August 15, 1992* Orlando Arena Orlando 24 Tampa Bay 21OT 13,680
6 May 21, 1993 Orlando Arena Orlando 46 Tampa Bay 34 13,680
7 June 19, 1993 Florida Suncoast Dome Orlando 46 Tampa Bay 45 28,745
8 August 14, 1993* Orlando Arena Tampa Bay 55 Orlando 52 13,680
9 July 1, 1994 Orlando Arena Orlando 61 Tampa Bay 40 14,015
10 August 13, 1994 ThunderDome Tampa Bay 40 Orlando 39 20,819
11 July 14, 1995 Orlando Arena Tampa Bay 51 Orlando 34 15,638
12 July 29, 1995 ThunderDome Tampa Bay 44 Orlando 20 24,055
13 September 1, 1995 ThunderDome Tampa Bay 48 Orlando 35 25,087
14 May 18, 1996 ThunderDome Tampa Bay 63 Orlando 42 16,444
15 July 19, 1996 Orlando Arena Orlando 40 Tampa Bay 39 16,236
16 May 17, 1997 Ice Palace Orlando 43 Tampa Bay 17 14,179
17 June 27, 1997 Orlando Arena Orlando 54 Tampa Bay 30 16,529
18 June 12, 1998 Orlando Arena Tampa Bay 42 Orlando 34 15,948
19 June 27, 1998 Ice Palace Tampa Bay 56 Orlando 30 14,125
20 August 23, 1998 Ice Palace Orlando 62 Tampa Bay 31 17,222
21 June 12, 1999 Orlando Arena Tampa Bay 63 Orlando 37 15,101
22 July 11, 1999 Ice Palace Tampa Bay 47 Orlando 28 11,777
23 August 7, 1999* Ice Palace Orlando 41 Tampa Bay 19 10,706
24 May 12, 2000 TD Waterhouse Centre Orlando 44 Tampa Bay 43 13,342
25 July 1, 2000 Ice Palace Tampa Bay 50 Orlando 36 14,047
26 August 3, 2000* TD Waterhouse Centre Orlando 34 Tampa Bay 24 13,122
27 June 10, 2001 TD Waterhouse Centre Orlando 57 Tampa Bay 45 13,691
28 July 1, 2001 Ice Palace Orlando 46 Tampa Bay 38 17,634
29 June 9, 2002 TD Waterhouse Centre Tampa Bay 48 Orlando 45 12,855
30 July 7, 2002 Ice Palace Orlando 55 Tampa Bay 48 11,784
31 February 9, 2003 TD Waterhouse Centre Orlando 54 Tampa Bay 51 13,541
32 March 16, 2003 St. Pete Times Forum Tampa Bay 52 Orlando 32 15,054
33 June 7, 2003* St. Pete Times Forum Tampa Bay 60 Orlando 50 14,028
34 February 8, 2004 St. Pete Times Forum Tampa Bay 52 Orlando 41 15,404
35 May 2, 2004 TD Waterhouse Centre Tampa Bay 63 Orlando 58 13,714
36 February 11, 2005 TD Waterhouse Centre Orlando 61 Tampa Bay 46 14,478
37 April 9, 2005 St. Pete Times Forum Tampa Bay 54 Orlando 42 18,794
38 February 19, 2006 St. Pete Times Forum Orlando 67 Tampa Bay 64OT 14,692
39 April 22, 2006 TD Waterhouse Centre Orlando 52 Tampa Bay 13 15,920
40 March 2, 2007 St. Pete Times Forum Orlando 52 Tampa Bay 27 15,619
41 April 14, 2007 Amway Arena Orlando 61 Tampa Bay 37 15,303
42 April 26, 2008 Amway Arena Tampa Bay 48 Orlando 41 13,365
43 June 7, 2008 St. Pete Times Forum Tampa Bay 71 Orlando 61 17,344
44 May 28, 2010 Amway Arena Tampa Bay 62 Orlando 50 10,924
45 July 31, 2010 St. Pete Times Forum Orlando 75 Tampa Bay 60 17,302
46 August 14, 2010* St. Pete Times Forum Tampa Bay 63 Orlando 62 10,104
47 May 6, 2011 Amway Center Orlando 63 Tampa Bay 61 12,897
48 June 17, 2011 St. Pete Times Forum Tampa Bay 46 Orlando 44 11,151
49 May 5, 2012 Tampa Bay Times Forum Tampa Bay 55 Orlando 31 8,488
50 June 15, 2012 Amway Center Orlando 64 Tampa Bay 40 12,441
51 April 20, 2013 Amway Center Tampa Bay 53 Orlando 35 11,969
52 June 8, 2013 Tampa Bay Times Forum Orlando 55 Tampa Bay 48 14,041
53 March 29, 2014 Tampa Bay Times Forum Orlando 56 Tampa Bay 52 10,896
54 April 19, 2014 CFE Arena Orlando 77 Tampa Bay 65 5,434
55 June 21, 2014 Tampa Bay Times Forum Tampa Bay 35 Orlando 34 11,890
56 May 16, 2015 Amway Center Orlando 63 Tampa Bay 62OT 10,973
57 July 11, 2015 Amalie Arena Orlando 69 Tampa Bay 62 15,835
58 August 8, 2015 Amway Center Orlando 59 Tampa Bay 40 15,188
59 April 1, 2016 Amalie Arena Orlando 76 Tampa Bay 25 9,928
60 May 13, 2016 Amway Center Orlando 42 Tampa Bay 40 12,971
61 June 24, 2016 Amway Center Orlando 56 Tampa Bay 33 13,527
Series: Orlando leads 34–27
* Playoff Game

References[edit]

  1. ^ Pickard, B. J. (June 14, 2011). "The War on I-4: AFL's Biggest Rivals Collide in Tampa". Arena Football League. Retrieved June 14, 2011.
  2. ^ "Storm Punch Ticket To ArenaBowl XXIII With 63-62 Win Over Predators". Arena Football League. August 14, 2010. Retrieved August 15, 2010.
  3. ^ Fran Stuchbury (June 6, 2005). "City reveals vision for Amway Arena area". Our Sports Central. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
  4. ^ "Bus Trip to Tampa Announced" Retrieved August 3, 2010
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