Colorado Wildcats

Status:  Defunct
Sport:  Football (Indoor)
City:  Denver
Venue:  Denver Coliseum
Season:  1998
League:  Professional Indoor Football League
Owner:  Gary Kozacek
                Tom Shafer
Head Coach:  Collins Sanders

A Brief History

The Colorado Wildcats had been playing semi-pro football for the previous nine years in and around Colorado. They were owned by Gary Kozacek, who also was head coach. In 1998 they joined the upstart Professional Indoor Football League.

On the field, the Wildcats were successful going 9-5 in the regular season. However, off the field they were not as successful. Money issues plagued the team, even folding for two weeks before a new owner, Tom Shafer, bailed the team out and allowed them to finish the season. 

The team made the playoffs, but even with the new owner in place the Wildcats were still financially strapped. They were about to forfeit their playoff appearance because they didn't have the funds to pay the travel costs to Baton Rouge, LA. The Shivers, the Louisiana Bayou Beast owners, offered to pay travel expenses for the Wildcats to compete against the Beast. This would also be the Beasts' chance to avenge the only loss of the Bayou Beast season (13–1) by defeating the Wildcats in the playoffs. The Bayou Beast did just that by winning 67–61, ending the Wildcats season.

When Green Bay Bombers and Madison Mad Dogs owner Keary Ecklund announced his intentions to start a new indoor football league in 1999, the Indoor Football League, Shafer stood by him and proclaimed the Wildcats would be a part of the IFL. Although the Colorado Wildcats had ceased operations, much of the roster and staff transitioned to become the Rocky Mountain Thunder, competing in the newly-formed Indoor Professional Football League for the 1999 season.

Season Won Lost Finish
1998   9   5 4th; lost in playoffs