For the second straight season, the Tucson Sugar Skulls will miss out on the IFL playoffs.
The Sugar Skulls were officially eliminated from postseason contention after their 49-24 loss to the Bay Area Panthers Saturday night at Tucson Arena.
Bay Area (12-3) officially clinched the No. 1 overall seed of the IFL playoffs. The other teams in the IFL playoffs from the Western Conference include the defending champion Arizona Rattlers (10-5), the San Diego Strike Force (9-6), and the Vegas Knight Hawks (9-6).
Sugar Skulls quarterback Jorge Reyna (11) manages to shrug off the grasp of Panthers defensive back Tyrese Wright (31) scrambling around the end in the third quarter of their IFL game in Tucson on July 19, 2025.
The Eastern Conference representatives in the IFL playoffs are the Quad City Steamwheelers (11-4), Green Bay Blizzard (10-5), Tulsa Oilers (9-6), and Jacksonville Sharks (9-6).
The IFL championship will be played at Tucson Arena on Saturday, Aug. 23.
Tucson (6-9) concludes its second season under head coach Billy Back against Vegas Saturday night at 6:05 p.m. in Henderson, Nevada.
Contact Justin Spears, the Star's Arizona football beat reporter, at jspears@tucson.com. On X(Twitter): @JustinESports
Justin Spears
Sports Reporter
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