Dallas was the only American city announced, although the commissioner mentioned a potential additional team in El Paso.

[3] In August 2023, ESPN reported that San Diego will be the sixth location, and that Art Briles and Noel Mazzone were the first coaches to be assigned to a team (Dallas Pioneers and Tequileros de Jalisco, respectively) while the league also hired Nick Rolovich and Hal Mumme.

The league announced tryouts for its first season in San Diego, California (July 29, 2023); Melissa, Texas (August 20, 2023); Riviera Beach, Florida (September 9, 2023);[11] Cincinnati, Ohio (October 7, 2023);[12] Fort Lauderdale, Florida (October 21, 2023);[13] Atlanta, Georgia (November 11, 2023);[14] and internationally, in Cologne, Germany, on December 10, 2023 (moved from Birmingham, England).

[4] The IFA also announced 4 more teams for 2025 in Tampa Bay, Florida (Tampa Bay Tornadoes), Huntsville, Alabama (Alabama Beavers), Portland, Oregon (under the name PDX) and Louisiana (Gulf Coast Tarpons),[17] while the later 2 would be removed from the website on later date.

[19] On October 25, 2024, after months of speculations, the IFA announced the 6 teams to be playing the 2025 season: Alabama, Baltimore, Dallas, San Antonio, Tampa and Chihuahua.

Commissioner Juan Manuel Bladé Cavazos stated the IFA would like to have a team in Mexico City upon procurement of a suitable ownership group.

[22] The number and location of teams changed multiple times, which the IFA attributed to problems with finding "viable ownership".

[6] Rolovich later signed with the XFL's Seattle Sea Dragons,[34] but was let go amid the XFL-USFL merger, and was interviewed for the IFA Portland position.

In late October, 2024 Manny Matsakis was announced as the General Manager and Head Coach of the newly joined Ohio Valley Ironmen.