LAS VEGAS, NV – The Sioux Falls Storm Indoor Football will battle the Bay Area Panthers for the 2023 Indoor Football League National Championship today at 3:05 PM CT inside the Dollar Loan Center Arena in Henderson, LV.

Today's game will be the second meeting all-time between these two IFL opponents. The last meeting took play 4/22/22 with the Sioux Falls Storm winning a 49-27 home game inside the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center. Quarterback Dalton Sneed made his first start for the Sioux Falls Storm in that game, throwing for 98 yards and two passing touchdowns. Sneed is now the quarterback for the Bay Area Panthers and will be making his first start against the Sioux Falls Storm today in the IFL National Championship game.

SCOUTING THE BAY AREA PANTHERS
 
The Bay Area Panthers finished the 2023 Indoor Football League season with a 10-5 record and 2nd place finish in the Western Conference Standings. The Bay Area offense ranked 3rd in the IFL this season, averaging 52.3 points per game. QB Dalton Sneed finished 4th in the IFL in passing TD's (47) and 7th in the IFL in passing yards (2,057). Sneed finished 9th in the league in rushing yards (553) and 13th in the IFL in rushing TD (14). RB Justin Rankin finished the season 2nd in the IFL in rushing TD (44) and in rushing yards (872). WR TJ Stokes has been the top receiving threat for Bay Area this season, ranking 9th in yards (802) and 2nd in touchdowns (25). The Bay Area defense finished 5th in the IFL in points allowed per game (43.6). The top defensive threat was Trae Meadows who finished the year 8th in the IFL in total tackles (73).


SCOUTING THE SIOUX FALLS STORM
 
The Sioux Falls Storm finished the 2023 Indoor Football League season with a 9-6 record and a 2nd place finish in the Eastern Conference standings. The Storm offense ranked 6th in the IFL this season in touchdowns (103) and in points per game (47.1). QB Lorenzo Brown Jr. has been the top offensive threat, finishing 5th in the IFL in rushing touchdowns (26) and 7th in passing touchdowns (38). WR Donnie Corley Jr. had a terrific season, ranking 7th in the IFL in TD's (20) and 6th in league in yards per catch (14.5). Running back Xavier Jackson appeared in just seven games for the Storm during the regular season, but finished the year tied for 14th in the league in rushing TD's (13) while adding 315 rushing yards on the ground and 140 yards and 3 TD's through the air. Jackson has scored 7 total touchdowns for the Storm over three games since returning from the IR (7/15).

The Storm defense finished the 2023 regular season with three of the top five tacklers in the league.
2. LB James Brown (104)
3. DB Laronji Vason-McCoy (97.5)
4. DB Clifton Duck (82)
 
GOING OUT WITH A BANG
 
Today's IFL National Championship game will be the final game with the Sioux Falls Storm for Quarterback Lorenzo Brown Jr. and Head Coach Kurtiss Riggs. Lorenzo Brown Jr. returned to Sioux Falls in 2023 after spending parts of two seasons with the Sioux City Bandits. His return in 2023 came with the understanding that this would be his last ride with Kurtiss Riggs, who was his coach during his college playing days at the University of Sioux Falls. Brown won United Bowl Championships in 2015, 2016, and 2019 with the Sioux Falls Storm. Head Coach/General Manager Kurtiss Riggs will wrap up an historic run with the Sioux Falls Storm that goes all the way back to his playing day.  Riggs took over the head coach in 2002 and has guided the Sioux Falls Storm to 11 Indoor Football Championship and 16 Championship game appearances.

Riggs is the winningest coach in the history of Indoor Football and holds the record for the most consecutive wins (40) in professional sports history.

LORENZO BROWN JR. ALL-TIME RECORDS IN STORM HISTORY
 
• 2nd All-Time in Pass attempts – 1,736 (Terrance Bryant – 2,268)
• 2nd All-Time in Pass completions – 1,067 (Terrance Bryant – 1,491)
• 2nd All-Time in Pass yards – 13,287 (Terrance Bryant – 15,011)
• 2nd All-Time in Pass TD – 268 (Terrance Bryant – 280)
 
• 1st All-Time in Rush attempts – 1,036
• 1st All-Time in Rush yards – 4,118
• 1st All-Time in Rush TD – 154
• 2nd All-Time in All-Purpose Yards – 5,579

THE MAGIC NUMBER IS 12
 
The number 12 has some extra significance today as the Sioux Falls Storm battle the Bay Area Panthers for the IFL National Championship.
 

• A Sioux Falls Storm win would be the 12^th championship in the history of the organization.
•  A Storm win would also help the 2023 team improve their overall record to 12-6 on the Season.
   
• Sioux Falls Storm Head Coach Kurtiss Riggs announced earlier this year that he would be stepping down at seasons end. During his playing days, Kurtiss Riggs jersey number was 12, both in college at USF and in his professional career with the Storm.
   

PLAYERS TO WATCH

• Sioux Falls Storm Running Back Xavier Jackson has been electric since his return from the IR on July 15^th against Massachusetts. He has seven touchdowns over his last three games, including three receiving touchdowns in the post season. Jackson has not recorded a rushing TD yet in the IFL playoffs. He enters todays IFL Championship game with 19 total touchdowns in his rookie season.
   

Storm Wide Receiver Cole Thurness did not score a touchdown over the final seven games of the 2023 regular season but has found the endzone three times in two postseason games. Thurness scored twice in the round 1 win over Massachusetts and add another TD in the Eastern Conference Championship win over Frisco last week. Thurness enters the IFL Championship Game with nine receiving touchdowns and a rushing touchdown. 


FOLLOW THE IFL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

The 2023 Dollar Loan Center IFL National Championship Game will air live on CBS Sports at 3:05 PM CT. Fans can also watch the action on Parmount+, Hulu Live, YouTube TV, and FuboTV.
Follow the Storm on Twitter (@siouxfallsstorm) for live updates all game long.
Fans can follow Live Stats during the game by clicking here.