AMERICAN DREAM PROVIDES A UNIQUE SETTING FOR THE IFL CUP

It's not a mall. 

It's not an amusement park.

It's also not your typical sports arena.

American Dream in East Rutherford, New Jersey is simply a spectacular retail and entertainment complex and it will be the home for the inaugural IFL Cup on May 18th and 24th.

The defending Indoor Football League Champion Vegas Knight Hawks along with the Arizona Rattlers, Orlando Pirates, and New Mexico Chupacabras will compete in the league's first ever in-season tournament in one of the most unique settings you'll ever see for a sporting event. 

"We are very excited to host the IFL Cup," said Gregg Schwartz, Director of Public Relations and Head of Sports Marketing for American Dream. 

"American Dream continues to solidify itself as one of the most unique venues in sports, and our guests have shown a strong interest and passion for indoor football. It's going to be an action-packed event, in a setting like no other."

The IFL Cup will feature a pair of exciting doubleheaders at American Dream. 

In the semifinals on Monday May 18th, Arizona will meet New Mexico at 12pm ET, while Vegas battles Orlando at 7pm ET. On Saturday May 23rd, American Dream will host an IFL Cup Youth Experience with all-day fan and youth engagement programming. And then on Sunday May 24th, the consolation game will kickoff at 1pm ET followed by the championship game at 7:30pm ET.

The weeklong event culminates with a championship celebration at DreamWorks Water Park.

"We love a good spectacle and that's exactly what this is going to be," said IFL Chief Operating Officer Eric Van Beek. "You take an incredible game and you put it in a venue like that…this place is insane. To be able to put it in a place like that…it is incredible."

While football is the main course for that week, there are many appetizers for IFL fans at American Dream.

The complex features over 250 retailers, eleven full-service restaurants, 65 total eateries and over 30 major attractions including the Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park, DreamWorks Water Park, SEA LIFE Aquarium, LEGOLAND Discovery Center, and Big SNOW indoor ski slope. 

"Where else can you go skiing, swimming and down a roller coaster all in the same day?" said Schwartz. "There's something for every budget and every age group."

And then, of course, there's The Rink Arena where the football games will be played in what will be a spectacular atmosphere and some unique sightlines for a sporting event.

"Our Arena is unlike any other sporting complex," said Schwartz. "We have a glass-enclosed sky-dome, which creates an outdoor-like atmosphere in a temperature-controlled environment. We also have three floors of seating that creates that Indiana high-school basketball feel, with people standing over the action. Plus, you get the general mall traffic coming and going on the first floor and third floor (food court), that creates an unmatched vibe."

In addition to public ice skating, The Rink Arena at American Dream has hosted a number of sporting events including the Harlem Globetrotters residency, high-school basketball tournaments, and professional women's hockey so the facility is no stranger to cheering fans.

It's a sports arena within a massive entertainment complex.

It makes perfect sense!

"We are in the entertainment business," said Vegas Head Coach Mike Davis. "Hopefully, we'll put on a show for the fans." 

The IFL Cup marks the return of indoor football to the northeast, specifically in the New York/New Jersey area. That provides the IFL with the opportunity to attract a mix of nostalgic fans as well as new fans. It's also a chance for the league to provide their stakeholders with an event to remember.

As the league continues to grow, holding an event in a complex like American Dream is vital to the sport.

"Hosting the inaugural IFL Cup at American Dream, the nation's premier indoor entertainment destination, is an extraordinary opportunity for our league, our fans, and our broadcast partners," said Jared Widman, President of the IFL's Business Division. 

Yahoo Sports and Overnght, the IFL's broadcast partners, will each televise two IFL Cup games

The in-season tournament is certainly a tentpole event for the IFL as they look to continue their growth and that includes exposure to the biggest market in the country.

"That creates all kinds of opportunities when you're talking about building relationships, new partners, finding new eyeballs and even getting into that part of the country…the northeast," said Van Beek. "It creates a lot of avenues that we want to eventually travel."  

Tickets are now available for the IFL Cup at American Dream through Ticketmaster.

It's going to be a memorable event in a spectacular complex featuring four amazing teams. The high-paced game of indoor football in what of the most unique settings you'll ever see for a sporting event. 

See you in New Jersey!