By JIM WALKER

Tribune Sports Editor

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Bigger and better.

The Ultimate Indoor Football League is expanding and creating not only a larger but more competitive arena football league.

The Huntington Hammer was an original league member along with Canton, Eastern Kentucky, Pikeville, Ky., Johnstown, Pa., and Saginaw, Mich.

But the league has added teams from Danville, Ill., Erie, Pa., Mississippi, Florida, Tennessee, Carolina, Marion, Ind., and Rome, Ga., thus expanding from six to 16 teams in 11 states.

The league will be divided into the Northern and Southern Conferences and each conference will have two four-team divisions.

In the north, the West Division will have Cincinnati, Danville, Marion and Northern Kentucky. The East Division includes Canton, Erie, Johnstown and Saginaw.

In the South, the Hammer will be in a division with Tennessee, Carolina and Eastern Kentucky. The other division will be comprised of Florida, Lakeland, Mississippi and Rome.

A complete schedule will be announced next week. The league will begin play in late February.

The Hammer will be conducting Hammer Girls tryouts at 11 a.m. Saturday. Each girl should have a headshot, a performance/training resume, prepare a one and one-half minute solo performance and be ready to learn and perform a short choreographed routine.

If interested, contact the Hammer office at (304) 525-7277.