The Shenzhen Dayun Arena will host three China Arena Football League games on the weekend of Oct 29. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY

The excitement for American-style professional football in China is building with the release on Tuesday of the schedule for the China Arena Football League's inaugural season.

In Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, the CAFL announced its 2016 "Super Series", kicking off with the first game in Beijing on Oct 1.

The CAFL franchises will be based in Beijing, Shanghai, Dalian (Liaoning province), Qingdao (Shandong province), Guangzhou and Shenzhen (both in Guangdong province).

The original six teams of the CAFL each will host a weekend of play in the Super Series. All teams will play one game each weekend in the series.

AFL Global is the parent company of the CAFL, whose training program began in May 2013 at six Chinese universities. AFL Global was found by Martin E. Judge Jr, whose IT staffing services company, The Judge Group, has been doing business in China for several years. The Arena Football League has operated in the United States since 1987.

"We look at each stop in the Super Series as a weeklong celebration of our sport in each city," Judge said in an April 29 release. "Our entire entourage of players, coaches, officials, cheerleaders and staff will be making history as ambassadors of our great game.

"This is just the beginning," he said. "We intend to lead the amazing growth of China's sports industry with our knowledge of the world's most exciting contact sport."

On each stop in the Super Series, CAFL players, coaches and staff will visit the host cities and meet local community groups for events promoting and educating newcomers about American football.

Practices will be held in public venues when possible during the week, the CAFL said. Each Friday evening, there will be a banquet to greet and celebrate community leaders and interested partners.

On Saturdays, the CAFL Super Series kicks off weekly competition with a CAFL doubleheader. There also will be American and Chinese entertainment and music between the games.

Sundays will feature a "family fun showcase of the sport" and include an interactive fan festival, football expo and a job fair before the final CAFL game of that weekend.

The Super Series tour concludes with the playoffs and crowning of the first CAFL champion in "The China Bowl" in Shanghai on the weekend of Nov 5.

Gary Morris, the CEO of the CAFL, based in Beijing, said "we traveled to each city and sought the very best, most modern arenas in order to properly present our great sport, as it is a multimedia presentation of entertainment for the whole family".

"Video capabilities, audio systems, Wi-Fi for interaction, VIP suites, locker rooms, and of course the sight lines and comfortable fan seating were all considered. I am thrilled with each of the arenas in which we will present our teams and fan festivals."

The CAFL recently held scouting combines, or open tryouts, in Beijing on April 16, and in Shanghai on April 23.

Below is the 2016 schedule:

Oct 1 weekend (LeSports Center, Beijing): Guangzhou vs Qingdao; Dalian vs Shenzhen; Shanghai vs Beijing;

Oct 8 weekend (Dalian Superdome): Guangzhou vs Shanghai; Shenzhen vs Beijing; Qingdao vs Dalian;

Oct 15 weekend (Qingdao Sports Center): Shanghai vs Shenzhen; Dalian vs Guangzhou; Beijing vs Qingdao;

Oct 22 weekend (Guangzhou Gymnasium Hall): Beijing vs Dalian; Qingdao vs Shanghai; Shenzhen vs Guangzhou;

Oct 29 weekend (Shenzhen Dayun Arena): Dalian vs Shanghai; Beijing vs Guangzhou; Qingdao vs Shenzhen;

China Bowl – Nov 5 weekend (Shanghai Oriental Stadium): No. 6 seed vs No. 5 seed; N o. 4 seed vs No. 3 seed; No. 2 seed vs No. 1 seed (championship)

CAFL All-Star Weekend (date and location to be announced). The game will feature players from the North (Beijing, Dalian, Qingdao) and South (Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen) squads.

Contact the writer at williamhennelly@chinadailyusa.com