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Line 1: {{Use mdy dates\|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox sports league \| logo = EFL_logo.jpg Line 6 ⟶ 7: \| founded = 1969 \| motto = \| teams = 65 \| country = {{USA}} \| champion = [[Watertown Red & Black]] (4) Line 20 ⟶ 21: ==History== The league was organized during the winter of 1968 and started in 1969.<ref>{{cite web\|url=https://www.empire-football-league.com/mission.html\|title=EFL Mission & History}}</ref> The [[Hudson Falls Greenjackets]] were the first champions, after finishing with a ~~7-1~~7–1 record.<ref>{{cite web\|url=https://www.empire-football-league.com/team-records.html\|title=Empire Football League Team Records}}</ref> In 1989 [[Ray Seals]] transitioned from the EFL's Syracuse Express to the [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] in the [[National Football League]] (NFL). As a linebacker he blocked the pass from [[Brett Favre]] that Favre caught for his very first completion in the NFL. Line 30 ⟶ 31: The Hudson Valley Mountaineers joined the league in 2018.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/hudson-valley/sports/2018/07/04/mountaineers-bring-semi-pro-football-to-hudson-valley\|title=Mountaineers bring semi-pro football to area\|publisher=}}</ref> In 2018 Kevin Siska of the Glens Falls Greenjackets was inducted into the American Football Association Minor League Football Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web\|url=https://poststar.com/sports/former-greenjacket-qb-kevin-siska-to-join-semipro-hall-of/article_6fa642bc-88f0-5c8b-b371-d431355c5c64.html\|title=Former Greenjacket QB Kevin Siska to join semipro Hall of Fame\|first=PETE\|last=TOBEY\|date=19 May 2018 \|publisher=}}</ref> The team canceled its 2020 season amid the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States\|COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{cite web \|url=https://www.wwnytv.com/2020/05/19/no-season-watertown-red-black/\|title=No season for Watertown Red & Black\|date=19 May 2020 }}</ref> For the 2021 season Utica, Hudson Valley and Sussex decided to join other leagues, so the league decided to split into 2 divisions to cut down on travel costs. Eastern Division included [[Glens Falls Greenjackets]], [[Plattsburgh North Stars]] and [[Tri City Spartans]], while the West Division ~~consist~~consisted [[Syracuse Smash]], [[Watertown Red & Black]] and [[Northern New York Grizzlies]].<ref>{{cite web \|url=https://www.wwnytv.com/2021/03/29/sunday-sports-red-black-set-play-season/\|title=Sunday Sports: Red & Black set to play 2021 season\|date=29 March 2021 }}</ref> West division champs Watertown beat East division champs Glens Falls ~~37-8~~37–8 in the final.<ref name="nny360.com">{{cite web \|url=https://www.nny360.com/sports/redandblack/semipro-football-watertown-red-and-black-celebrates-third-efl-championship-crown/article_eda4f17b-8d44-5c36-ade5-08d399ed79ff.html#tncms-source=article-nav-next\|title=Semipro football: Watertown Red and Black celebrates third EFL championship crown\|date=10 October 2021 }}</ref> In 2022 Morgan Smith became the first female player in the Empire Football League, which she did as a placekicker for the Greenjackets.<ref>{{Cite web\|title=Morgan Smith breaks new ground as Greenjackets placekicker\|url=https://poststar.com/sports/morgan-smith-breaks-new-ground-as-greenjackets-placekicker/article_66c1944c-f97d-11ec-9a2d-1f56e361e73d.html\|website=The Post-Star\|date=July 2, 2022 }}</ref> ~~==Current teams==~~ * [[Auburn Pride]] of [[Auburn, New York]] In 2023 the league announced the Watertown Red & Black would be leaving the EFL and joining the GDFL; three of the other five teams followed suit, with the Greenjackets going to the [[New England Football League]],<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Tobey \|first=Pete \|date=2023-06-23 \|title=Greenjackets set to debut in new football league \|url=https://poststar.com/sports/glens-falls-greenjackets-football-semipro-league-nefl/article_f63a0f22-111a-11ee-ac22-d392964415e0.html \|access-date=2023-08-26 \|website=The Post Star \|language=en}}</ref> the Smash (whom the league had suspended during the 2023 season after Smash players entered a fan melee that erupted at one of their home games and escalated into a gunfight in the parking lot)<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Tobey \|first=Pete \|date=2022-07-21 \|title=Syracuse team suspended from EFL \|url=https://poststar.com/sports/syracuse-team-suspended-from-efl/article_12c6f9f2-0933-11ed-aa9b-27bb3185b53a.html \|access-date=2023-08-26 \|website=The Post Star \|language=en}}</ref> joining the East Coast Football League and playing a spring schedule, and the Broome County Stallions rejoining the [[Northeastern Football Alliance]], forcing the league to a year off in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web\|title=Red & Black coach reflects on 2023 season\|url=https://www.wwnytv.com/2023/08/16/red-black-coach-reflects-2023-season/\|website=WWNYTV\|date=16 August 2023 }}</ref> * [[Broome County Stallions]] of [[Apalachin, New York]] * [[Glens Falls Greenjackets]] of [[Glens Falls, New York]] * [[Plattsburgh North Stars]] North Stars of [[Plattsburgh, New York]] * [[Syracuse Smash (American football)\|Syracuse Smash]] of [[Syracuse, New York]] ==Prior franchises== {{div col}} * [[Watertown Red & Black]] * [[Albany Metro Mallers]] * Amsterdam Zephyrs<ref name=leader/> Line 106 ⟶ 105: \|1970\|\|Triple Cities Jets\|\|Hudson Vikings \|- \|1971\|\|Lackawanna County Eagles (~~9-1-0~~9–1–0)\|\|Tri-Cities Jets (~~9-1-0~~9–1–0), 26 to 13 (@ Scranton, 10/30/71) \|- \|1972\|\|Tri-Cities Jets (~~10-0-0~~10–0–0)\|\|Lackawanna County Eagles (~~8-2-0~~8–2–0) (@ Binghamton) \|- \|1973\|\|Oneonta Indians\|\| (no game) Line 208 ⟶ 207: \|2021<ref name="nny360.com"/>\|\|[[Watertown Red & Black]] 37\|\|[[Glens Falls Greenjackets]] 8 \|- \|2022<ref>{{cite web \|url=https://www.wwnytv.com/2022/10/02/saturday-sports-red-black-beat-glens-falls-gridiron-2nd-straight-championship/\|title=Saturday Sports: Red & Black beat Glens Falls on the gridiron for 2nd straight championship\|date=2 October 2022 }}</ref>\|\|[[Watertown Red & Black]] 30\|\|[[Glens Falls Greenjackets]] 14 \|- \|2023\|\|colspan="2" \|Canceled due to a lack of teams \|- \|}