Ingolstadt Dukes

The Ingolstadt Dukes are a German American football team from Ingolstadt, Bavaria.

Ingolstadt Dukes
Founded2007
LeagueGerman Football League
Based inIngolstadt
ColorsWhite and Black
   
OwnerTV 1861 Ingolstadt
PresidentBettina Ritter
Head coachEugen Haaf
Websitein-dukes.de

The club, formed in 2007, experienced its greatest success in 2016 when it won promotion to the German Football League, the top tier of league football in Germany.

History

The Ingolstadt Dukes were formed on 8 October 2007 at the club house of TV 1861 Ingolstadt, which became the parent organisation for the American football club. The early seasons of the new club were spent in nearby Manching as the Dukes were unable to secure a permanent home in Ingolstadt.[1]

The Dukes first season, in 2008, was spent in the tier eight Aufbauliga Bayern where it finished fourth and last in its division. It spent the following year in the Landesliga Bayern where it finished first and remained unbeaten all season. The club rose to the Verbandsliga for 2010, won this league, too, and played in the Bayernliga in 2011. After another league title there the Dukes entered the tier three Regionalliga Süd from 2012. Three seasons at this level followed in which the club improved season by season.[2]

In 2014, the Dukes won the Regionalliga, remaining unbeaten throughout and earned promotion to the German Football League 2 for the first time after a play-off victory over Regionalliga Mitte runners-up Langen Knights. The team finished second in the southern division of the GFL2 in 2015.[2]

In 2016, the Dukes made their step to the German Football League.

At the end of their first season, 2017, the Dukes ranked 4th. In the playoff-quarterfinal the Dukes lost against Braunschweig Lions.

Logo and name

The club's logo results from the cities car number plates which start with In. The club's name, the Dukes, comes from the fact that Ingolstadt was once the capital of the Duchy of Bavaria-Ingolstadt.[3]

Honours
  • GFL
    • Play-off qualification: 2017
    • League membership: 2017–present
  • GFL2
    • Champions: 2016, 2022
  • Regionalliga Süd
    • Champions: 2014, 2021
  • Bayernliga
    • Champions: 2011
  • Verbandsliga Bayern-Süd
    • Champions: 2010
  • Landesliga Bayern
    • Champions: 2009

Recent seasons

Recent seasons of the Dukes:[4]

YearDivision FinishPointsPct. GamesWDL PFPA Postseason
2012 Regionalliga Süd 3rd 10–100.500 10505 307176 —
2013 2nd 16–40.800 10802 366114 Lost PR: Holzgerlingen Twister (6–6 & 23–24)
2014 1st 24–01.000 121200 521195 Won PR: Langen Knights (42–25 & 53–7)
2015 GFL2 (South) 2nd 22–60.786 141103 476182 —
2016 1st28–01.000 141400 565169 Won PR: Rhein-Neckar Bandits (41–6 & 60–0)
2017 GFL (South) 4th14–140.500 14707 399406 Lost QF: New Yorker Lions (6–47)
2018 6th9–190.321 14419 350401 —
2019 5th10–180.357 14509 298433 —
2020 No season played because of the COVID-19 pandemic
2021Regionalliga Süd 1st12–01.000 6600 282119 Won PR: Gießen Golden Dragons (35–22)
Won PR: Pforzheim Wilddogs (48–0)
2022 GFL2 (South) 1st20–01.000 101000 445147 Won PR: Frankfurt Universe (withdrew)
  • PR = Promotion round.
  • QF = Quarter finals.

Players

The current kicker and punter for the Dukes is Zane Davis, from Charlotte, North Carolina.[5] He is currently attending UNC Chapel Hill.

References
  1. History (in German) Ingolstadt Dukes website, accessed: 15 April 2015
  2. Historic American football tables and results from Germany (in German) football-history.de, accessed: 15 April 2015
  3. Das Logo der Ingolstadt Dukes (in German) Ingolstadt Dukes website, accessed: 19 April 2015
  4. 3. Liga Süd 2014 tables and results football-aktuell.de, accessed: 19 April 2015
  5. "US-Quintett für die Ingolstadt Dukes". football-aktuell. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
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