German Football League kicks off with German Bowl rematch plus six other games
The German Football League kicks off its 2023 season this weekend with seven games on tap and plenty of excitement right out of the gate.
Fourteen of the 17 teams vying for the GFL title this season will be in action May 20-21 as the league launches its 44th season. The interesting change from years past is that the regular season games will feature interdivisional games from the outset. Hence, the rematch of the German Bowl as well as two other similar matchups.
The defending champion Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns will play host to the Potsdam Royals in a rematch of the 2022 German Bowl which saw the Unicorns capture their fifth title by beating Potsdam 44-27. In other games, the Braunschweig New Yorker Lions will travel south to face the GFL South’s Straubing Spiders while the Dresden Monarchs from the GFL North will pay a visit to play the Marburg Mercenaries of the GFL South. Other games will include a Battle of Berlin as the Adler will host the Rebels, while the Paderborn Dolphins, newcomers to the top league this year, will be at home against the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes, while the Ingolstadt Dukes will travel to play the Ravensburg Razorbacks and the Allgäu Comets will host the Saarland Hurricanes.
Potsdam Royals @ Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns
This highly anticipated rematch of the 2022 German Bowl could surprise as the Unicorns unveil a brand new coaching staff and team after the departure of Jordan Neuman. The Royals enter the game with a new QB in Jaylon Henderson (Boise State) and new RB in Gennadiy Adams (Frankfurt Galaxy) and will be looking for revenge.
Braunschweig New Yorker Lions @ Straubing Spiders
The Straubing Spiders finished 4th in the GFL South in 2022 and were whipped in the quarterfinals by the Potsdam Royals 66-20. Meanwhile, Braunschweig were the 2nd place team in the GFL North and were shocked by the Allgäu Comets in the quarterfinals, losing 14-10.
Berlin Rebels @ Berlin Adler
The Adler and Rebels clash in the first Battle of Berlin of 2023. They split the series in 2022 with the Adler winning the first game 43-35 and the Rebels getting their revenge in the 2nd, beating their crosstown rivals 49-44. The Adler made the playoffs but were knocked out of the quarterfinals by the eventual champions, the Schwäbish Hall Unicorns who beat them 35-21. The Rebels finished 6th with a 3-6-1 record.
Watch the game live PPV: Berlin Rebels @ Berlin Adler, May 29, 17:00 CET (5 pm, 11 am EDT)
Kiel Baltic Hurricanes @ Paderborn Dolphins
The Paderborn Dolphins are making their debut in the GFL after winning the GFL2 crown, beating the Dusseldorf Panther in a two-game series by a total of one point, 21-20. Meanwhile, Kiel is coming off a dismal 2-7-1 season.
Dresden Monarchs @ Marburg Mercenaries
In the third of three interdivisional games, the Dresden Monarchs, 5th place finishers in the GFL North in 2022, will travel to Marburg in the southeast of German to play a Mercenaries team that wound up 6th in the GFL South, also with a 4-6 record.
Watch the game live PPV. Dresden Monarchs @ Marburg Mercenaries, May 21, 15:00 CET (3 pm, 9 am EDT).
Ingolstadt Dukes @ Ravensburg Razorbacks
The Ravensburg Razorbacks, who finished 7th in the GFL South with a 1-8-1 record, will tangle with the Ingolstadt Dukes who have returned to the GFL after finishing with an unbeaten record in GFL2 in 2022 and getting an automatic bye into the GFL after the Frankfurt Universe opted to not play in the relegation playoff.
Saarland Hurricanes @ Allgäu Comets
The surprising Allgäu Comets, who finished 3rd in the GFL South with a 6-4 record, advanced to the GFL semifinals after beating the New Yorker Lions 14-10 in the quarterfinals. They were defeated however by the Unicorns. The Saarland Hurricanes wound up 5th with a 4-6 record although they came close to upsetting the Comets in the final regular season game, going down to defeat 43-42 in a barnburner.
All the games are PPV with each individual game ticket set at 5 Euros.
