The Arena Football League is on the brink of folding and declaring bankruptcy, an inglorious end for the 22-year-old indoor league that has suffered through a year of turmoil.

James Guidry, the regional director of the AFL players association, told The Associated Press Tuesday that it "seems to be inevitable at this point" that the AFL will soon announce that it has ceased operations. Guidry, speaking by telephone, said the players association will accept the owners' decision.

"We're waiting to see if this decision has been finalized by the AFL," Guidry said.

The AFL suspended play for the 2009 season, but some owners expressed hope that the league would return in some form in 2010.

David Baker abruptly resigned as league commissioner two days before the 2008 ArenaBowl championship game. Owners did not look for a replacement.

The Jon Bon Jovi-owned Philadelphia Soul, the last ArenaBowl champions, appear to have shut down. Their Web site only posts a simple message thanking fans for their support over the past five seasons. The Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation has been renamed the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation.

Bon Jovi did not immediately return a request for comment. Craig Spencer, another co-owner, declined to comment and hung up when asked about the future of the league.

The Georgia Force, anticipating an announcement by the league, issued a statement Tuesday afternoon saying it had ceased operations.

"We are disappointed at this outcome for AFL fans, but there was no other viable choice," team president Dick Sullivan said in the statement. "Despite significant efforts on the part of many AFL and team representatives, the league was unable to create a new business model that we and others could support."

ESPN, which owns a small equity share in the league, said it is not involved in management of the AFL.

"This is entirely an internal AFL matter," ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz said. "Our telecast agreement with the league has been terminated."

Soul wide receiver Chris Jackson said the demise of the league was not a surprise once owners could not agree on long-term structural improvements that would keep it profitable.

A disagreement among owners about whether to bring in a private equity firm to invest in the league appeared a major sticking point in December.