The Italian Football League Kicks Off Its 2027 Season in Bologna

On October 4th, at The Social Hub in Bologna, the Italian Football League began preparations for the upcoming 2027 season with a press conference and a league meeting that offered a preview of the league's new year.

In the presence of the press and top figures in Italian football, the new season of the country's premier league was launched, featuring numerous new developments and the announcement of several partnerships.

What new developments and challenges will the IFL face once the season gets underway?

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On Sunday, October 4, the Italian Football League held its league meeting at The Social Hub in Bologna—the first of the 2027 season. The meeting was open to the press, with First Down Mag in attendance.

Senior figures from Italian football discussed updates for the 2027 season. Attendees included representatives from FIDAF (Vice President Francesco Cerra) and the IFL Alliance—specifically President Raffaello Pellegrini (also President and General Manager of Aquile Ferrara), IFL Alliance President Elisabetta Calzolari (also president of emilian team Warriors Bologna), COO Edoardo Cammi and CBO Andrea Fimiani (who also serve as General Manager and player, respectively, for Guelfi Firenze).

The first announcement was that ten teams will take the field next season—one more than last year. This expansion follows the previously announced merger of Milan’s two teams: the Rhinos (who finished last in the IFL last year) and the Seamen (reigning IFL2 champions). Consequently, two teams will move up to the top division.

The first of these is the merged Milanese squad, but according to some sources, the second could be the Daemons Monza e Brianza; they finished the IFL2 regular season undefeated last year but lost their home semifinal 28–27 to Thunders Trento. 

Should this happen, it would mark a return to the top flight after 15 years; the team played in the IFL for the first and only time in 2012, finishing with a 4–7 record and dropping back down to the Second Division—then known as LENAF (Lega Nazionale American Football). This will take place via the registration call that FIDAF—which will continue to host the league as the premier competition in Italian football—is set to issue shortly. The official schedule will be released only after this process is complete.

Another new development is the return of the Kick-Off Classic, the traditional season-opening event, though next year’s edition promises to be a grand affair.

The Italian Football League season will kick off on the weekend of February 20–21, with all matches played at the pinnacle of Italian football venues: the Velodromo Vigorelli in Milan. This marks the first major event of a season full of surprises; the schedule also features a "Rivalry Week"—a weekend dedicated exclusively to matchups between rivals—drawing inspiration from Argentine football, which, about a decade ago, introduced a round of fixtures consisting solely of derbies, like Boca Juniors vs River Plate or Independiente vs Racing Club.

Part of the proceeds from Rivalry Week will be donated to organizations fighting against bullying—an issue that has recently made headlines in Italy for the wrong reasons due to incidents occurring within schools.

The season will culminate with the Italian Bowl, taking place next on the June 26th weekend in Lombardy; as was the case last year, the event will feature all three senior championship finals, including those for the IFL2 and the Nine Football League.

This marks a return to the region after an eight-year hiatus; the last time the Italian Bowl Weekend was held there—at the Ernesto Breda Stadium in Sesto San Giovanni—Seamen Milano claimed their fifth title (their third consecutive win and their last top-flight championship to date) by defeating Guelfi Firenze 62–28. That season marked Guelfi Firenze’s first-ever appearance in the final.

Additionally, the practice of alternating the final’s venue between Italy and the United States is being temporarily suspended; the 2023 and 2025 editions were held in Toledo, Ohio, thanks to partnerships with local entrepreneurs and cross-border networking.

Another new development concerns the championship's broadcasting rights: RAI, Italy’s public broadcaster, will air six games throughout the season. These six matches will consist of one game from the Kick Off Classic (specifically, the first of the two scheduled for Saturday) and five playoff games, including the Italian Bowl itself.

Following the experiment of airing a delayed broadcast—a month after the event—of last July’s Italian Bowl in Ferrara (where Guelfi Firenze defeated Panthers Parma) and the 2021 program “Fino all’Ultima Yard” ("Down to the Last Yard"), Italian public television is once again covering domestic football, this time with a slightly more extensive presence.

There is also a new partnership system involving media relations: the newspaper La Nazione —Florence’s leading daily, which enjoys national distribution—is entering the world of gridiron football through this collaboration. TicketOne will serve as the primary platform for Italian Football League event tickets.

Wilson, the leading brand for American football balls, will become the IFL’s official supplier starting next season, while GIVOVA—a brand from the Campania region well-established in Italian and European sports—will outfit the teams both on and off the field with official apparel and fan merchandise.

From the United States, Nick Eyde—who has long been involved with the Italian scene as both a player and a coach—and IFL Commissioner Justin Pugh shared their thoughts on the challenges the league will face in the coming year.

Eyde stated that Italian football is on the right track in its efforts to attract resources, partnerships, and investment from the United States, highlighting the interest generated overseas by the recent Italian Bowl in Ferrara—an event that impressed American audiences with both the high quality of play from the Guelfi and Panthers and the event's organization.

Meanwhile, Pugh reiterated his vision for an increasingly well-structured league, where the growth of the IFL product goes hand-in-hand with the development of the franchises themselves—meaning organizations with strong local roots, qualified coaching staffs, and safe environments for everyone.

The Italian Football League is aiming big for 2027, and the league assembly has clearly outlined the plans for a competition that, since last year, has sought to stand out as unique within Europe.

The dates and the stages are now officially set: the 2027 Italian Football League season will kick off on February 20–21, marking the start of serious competition.

First Down Magazine will continue to closely follow developments in Italian football from the offseason right up to the opening kickoff.