The 2013 schedule has been published by the Arena Football League, and the Rush will open up their season by hosting the Iowa Barnstormers on Saturday, March 23 at 7:00 pm.
The matchup features what is quickly becoming one of the hottest rivalries in the AFL. Iowa Head Coach Mike Hohensee was the first coach in Rush history, leading the team for their first nine seasons. The two teams, which are only separated by 330 miles, have enjoyed their share of close games since the Barnstormers returned to the AFL for the 2010 season.
The next week will have the Spokane Shock visiting the Allstate Arena. Both teams finished with a 10-8 record in 2012, and their back-and-forth duel last season came down to the final minutes of play.
Three of the next four games will be on the road as the Rush visit the defending Central Division champion San Antonio Talons on April 6 before a Sunday, April 14 home game that features the Pittsburgh Power. Weeks 5 and 6 will see the Rush travel to Utah and Iowa.
The American Conference Champion Philadelphia Soul visit the Allstate on Saturday, May 4. The Rush did not face Philadelphia in 2012 when they tallied a league-leading 15-3 record. They’ll then head to Cleveland to try and exact some revenge for the Gladiators’ Hail Mary victory to close out the 2012 season. The Rush will come home on Sunday, May 19 to face the Arizona Rattlers. These few weeks give fans the unique opportunity to witness the two teams who faced off in last season’s ArenaBowl in back-to-back home games.
The Rush will take a 2-week hiatus from the Allstate Arena as they head south to face off against the New Orleans VooDoo and the Orlando Predators on May 25 and June 1. Their matchup against New Orleans features their first game in an NFL stadium, as the VooDoo will be playing their home games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome by that point in the season due to renovations at New Orleans Arena.
The Rush will then play two Friday home games on June 7 and June 14. The first of those two weeks features a matchup with the Utah Blaze. On the 14th, the Rush host the San Antonio Talons, who defeated the Rush twice last season.
They’ll head back down to Florida on June 22 to face off with the Tampa Bay Storm, followed by their first and only bye week. After resting up, they’ll hit the road again as they travel to Philadelphia for a Saturday night showdown on July 6.
The Cleveland Gladiators will come to Chicago on Saturday, July 13; the regional rivalry is followed by a game in Arizona against the Rattlers on July 20. Following that game, the Rush will have played four times against the league’s ArenaBowl XXV competitors.
To conclude the regular season, the Rush host the San Jose SaberCats on Saturday, July 27. The first week of the 2013 AFL playoffs will begin August 2, and ArenaBowl XXVI will be August 17th at noon on CBS.
All times are Central Standard Time, and all dates and times are subject to change.
Week 1 Saturday March 23 7:00 PM vs. Iowa Barnstormers
Week 2 Sunday March 31 3:00 PM vs. Spokane Shock
Week 3 Saturday April 6 7:30 PM at San Antonio Talons
Week 4 Sunday April 14 3:00 PM vs. Pittsburgh Power
Week 5 Saturday April 20 8:00 PM at Utah Blaze
Week 6 Friday April 26 7:05 PM at Iowa Barnstormers
Week 7 Saturday May 4 7:00 PM vs. Philadelphia Soul
Week 8 Saturday May 11 6:00 PM at Cleveland Gladiators
Week 9 Sunday May 19 3:00 PM vs. Arizona Rattlers
Week 10 Saturday May 25 7:00 PM at New Orleans VooDoo
Week 11 Saturday June 1 6:30 PM at Orlando Predators
Week 12 Friday June 7 7:30 PM vs. Utah Blaze
Week 13 Friday June 14 7:30 PM vs. San Antonio Talons
Week 14 Saturday June 22 6:30 PM at Tampa Bay Storm
Week 15 BYE
Week 16 Saturday July 6 6:05 PM at Philadelphia Soul
Week 17 Saturday July 13 7:00 PM vs. Cleveland Gladiators
Week 18 Saturday July 20 8:00 PM at Arizona Rattlers
Week 19 Saturday July 27 7:00 PM vs. San Jose SaberCats