Yesterday, the Continental Football League (CoFL) announced the addition of the
Cincinnati Dukes as a member for their inaugural season kicking off in 2026. The
Dukes are the fourth team to be named by the reintroduced league, joining the Ohio
Valley Ironmen, Texas Syndicate and San Antonio Toros. They will complete in the
league’s North Division, creating rivalry with the Wheeling, West Virgina based Ironmen.
The Dukes were founded in 2010 as a semi-professional team, by LeVar Berry and
longtime head coach Darryl Moore. The team has become Southwest Ohio’s longest
consecutively running minor league football team. The organization joined the Blue
Collar Football League (BCFL) in 2015. Since joining the league, the Dukes have won
multiple titles including: two BCFL Championships (2023 & 2024) and two 2A AFNT
National Championships (2024 & 2025). In 2025, the Dukes leveled up in competition
to face the Ohio Valley Ironmen. Despite losing 45-0, a handful of players stood out
against the professional side. Among them was Defensive Back Kavon Burnett, who
went on to sign with the Ironmen.
Per the Press Release, Cincinnati Dukes President and Managing Partner LeVar Berry
addressed the announcement saying, “We’ve been doing this for fifteen years because
football, for us, has always been about more than just entertainment,” he further shared
“It’s about giving young men direction, and teaching them what commitment looks like. We’ve built something lasting – and now we get to grow into the next level.” Berry added “Moving to the professional ranks gives us a new challenge to grow, compete, and impact more lives,” and finished saying “We’ve outgrown where we were. The Continental Football League gives us the platform to take the next step – not just as a team, but as leaders in our community.”
In an exclusive interview with Player 54 Podcast, Berry mentioned the Dukes will be
“rebuilding 80 percent” of the organization in its preparation for the CoFL season. The
rebuild will consist of a complete overhaul of the roster, by utilizing regional league
tryouts, as well as the 2026 Continental Draft.
The CoFL has four remaining team announcements for the 2026 season.
Continental Football League History:
The COFL originally played five seasons from 1965 to 1969, before teams departed for
other leagues, forcing it to cease operations after the conclusion of its 1969 season.
The league featured numerous National Football League alumni, as well as Pro Football
Hall of Fame inductees: Ken Stabler, Doak Walker, Bill Walsh and Steve Van Buren.
The league publicly relaunched in September 2025 under the leadership of
commissioner Mike Kelly. The new COFL is community owned, and the fan focused
league is positioning itself as the lone “AA” professional football league. It plans to
launch in May 2026 with eight teams competing in two divisions (North and South).
Will you root for the Cincinnati Dukes in 2026? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
