On November 12, the league announced the defending champion San Jose SaberCats would be ceasing operations due to "reasons unrelated to League operations". A statement from the league indicated that the AFL is working to secure new, long-term owners for the franchise. This leaves the AFL with eight teams for 2016.
Who were the defending champions of the Arena Football League? When was it announced that the SaberCats would be shutting down? What was the reason given for the closing of the SaberCats? How many AFL teams are operating as of 2016?