The Kentucky Xtreme are an indoor football team based in Louisville, Kentucky, that played in the Continental Indoor Football League in 2013 and 2014. The team was a member of the South Division of the CIFL after starting in 2013 as an expansion team. Midway through the 2014 CIFL season, the league removed the team's membership the Xtreme suspended operations. After several seasons of playing intermittently in various semi-professional leagues, the team rebranded as the Louisville Xtreme in 2017. In 2020, the Xtreme were added to the American Arena League but cancelled its season on March 13 before playing a game citing the COVID-19 pandemic. After the cancellation of the 2020 season, the Xtreme were announced to be joining the National Arena League for 2021. The Xtreme were the first indoor football team in the Louisville area since the Louisville Fire, a member of af2, folded in 2008. The co-owners of the Xtreme are Victor Cole, Chris Redman, and Mario Urrutia. The Xtreme played their home games at Freedom Hall in Louisville, but was suspended by the league when Urrutia abandoned the team to join the Winnipeg Blue Bombers midseason.
History
CIFL: 2013–2014
The Xtreme was organized in 2012 when Victor Cole and five other partners decided to use the money they had saved up from their tours in Afghanistan. In 2012, the Xtreme played a preseason exhibition game against the Evansville Rage of the Continental Indoor Football League, losing 26–56. After the 2012 CIFL season, the Xtreme played another exhibition game against the CIFL's Indianapolis Enforcers, where the Xtreme defeated the Enforcers 20–16. In July 2012, the Xtreme announced that they would be playing at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky, and had officially joined the CIFL for the 2013 season. The team named former Louisville Fire assistant coach Roy McMillen as their first head coach. The Xtreme went on to have 7–3 record and made the playoffs, where they lost the Erie Explosion 55–6 in the semifinal game. The Xtreme returned to the CIFL in 2014. In August 2013, the Xtreme named LaKunta Farmer the team's second head coach after McMillen resigned. In November 2013, former Arena Football League Rookie of the Year Award winner Mario Urrutia joined the Xtreme ownership group and would also play on the team. The started the season 0–5, including two forfeit losses. After their second forfeit, the CIFL announced that Xtreme had been suspended by the league and that affiliate teams would fill out the Xtreme's remaining road games. Following the season, the CIFL effectively ceased operations.
Semi-professional team
In 2015, the Kentucky Xtreme played in the indoor/outdoor Minor League Football Alliance. The team made it to the championship game, where they lost to the Toledo Thunder 7–6. The team went dormant until it updated its team name to Louisville Xtreme in 2017. It then began to pursue joining a league in 2019 and played a game against the Indianapolis Enforcers, who had become a member on the American Arena League, and lost 40–6. The Xtreme were then accepted as an expansion team in the AAL for the 2020 season and named Mark Stoute head coach. After the cancellation of the 2020 season, the Xtreme announced they were joining the National Arena League. On July 24, 2020, former NFL player Chris Redman, a Louisville native and resident, was named the team's new president, also taking an ownership interest in the team.
