I mentioned the apparent resurrection of the USFL to a friend a few days ago and he said “Well they played last year, didn’t they?” It took me a second to realize that he was referring to the United Football League (UFL), and what did happen to that league.
I have to admit that I did not follow the UFL, and was only vaguely aware of it when I would see the odd score posted someone and have to consciously realize that no, the NFL does not have a team in Virginia and this is not a college game.
So I went looking at it appears that the league was bleeding money, ended its season short and had a championship game. Is this the end of the four team, three year old league? It started out with such aggressive goals, once listing 21 cities that it could build franchises in. It had high profile people such as Mark Cuban saying they would invest (he backed out).
Starting with four teams in 2009 it expanded to 5 and it played an eight game schedule, up from the previous year’s six. Then last year appears to have been a series of setbacks. One team folded, it lost its sole broadcast partner and two that it was in talks with declined to jump on board. The season was cut short after four games and a championship game was played.
Many of the links at the official UFL web site do not work, although the one asking if you want an expansion team in your town does. No statistics from last year are up and the latest news is about its upcoming playoff game. (Played on October 21, 2011) The only new posts on its Facebook page appear to be from fans wondering what is up.
There are reports that the league is still trying to remain a viable sports effort, even after its commissioner and much of the teams infrastructure has apparently departed. It is looking at playing in the Spring, which would put it head to head with the USFL.
So will the league make a go of it? I doubt it. I do wonder if the owners will reach out to the USFL and seek to combine the two groups’ efforts. This makes a lot of sense since one league is looking for team owners (USFL) and the other is looking for a league. I think it will be hard to make a go of it as a Spring Football league, but it will be impossible if there are two leagues competing for investors, players and hopefully NFL recognition.
One note I did find it interesting is that the UFL changes a few rules from the NFL’s official ones. No tuck rule, four down defensive linemen required on each play, no more than six men rushing the passer to name a few. I wonder of the USFL will also have slightly different rules?
I think it is about time for another league to play in the spring. Because then NFL is the only Major league in football there will never be another major or minor league to compete against. The NBA, NHL, MLB, have minor league systems in place to develope players for the future. It would be great to see a minor league football system to promote and demote players, coaches, etc… UFL,USFL, UNFL, or NDFL. This developmental league will assist football players for example: I am from New Orleans and I love to coach football indoor or outdoor I call it THE BEERMAN ROUTE give more players the same opportunity MIKE had to become a professional football player. Mr. COMISSIONER may I ask where is the next Eli or Payton? Due to high school budget cuts football coaches are math, english, science, and art teachers then part time coach. That great for the class rooms,but what about the football field. I watched Mr. Archie teached, trained and developed three football players on Mon-Wed-Fri at Tulane Stadium in uptown New Orleans.
I agree that increasingly a training or secondary league is needed. I just wonder how much a blessing the NFL will give it, and if without that blessing if it can make a go of it.
The NFL had a developmental league in NFL Europe. They decided they did not need a developmental league and they were right. They do great as is. The NCAA supplies them with more than enough new talent each season. They have their practice squads for bodies to practice with and to replace injured players. The NFL will never be a partner or have a D league.
They will however support and cooperate with a league that can stand on their own. They do this with the CFL. The CFL stands on its own and one time the NFL lent them 10 million dollars. Now they cooperate with the CFL by showing CFL games on the NFL network. The CFL has its own TV deal with Canadian sports channel TSN and use the NFL network as an outlet to show games Nationally in the US. IT does not cost the NFL anything.
The UFL should pick up where the Arena Football League left off in 2009 before they re incorporated to a semi pro league. A Winter league starting a week after the super bowl in february playing in enclosed venues which are readily available. Silverdome detroit. Olympic stadium Montreal. Alamo dome san antonio. Tropicana field tampa/st pete and also in souther cities which it would be warm enough to start a training camp in january.
spring league will never get the a decent network TV deal. The 3rd longest running pro football league was the Arena Football League from 1997 to 2008. it was not until 2003 when they moved to a winter schedule starting in February a week after the Super bowl that they got a major network TV deal with NBC. The league then took off got full NFL cooperation as some NFL owners owned teams and Money was being made by all. a fued between ESPN and NBC ruined that because ESPN would not recognize or show highlights of the from NBC for the league. ESPN eventually took over moved games from sunday to monday and the lock out incurred and is now reincorporated as Arena Football1 semi pro league and the NFL network televises games some with the NFL network producing games.
UFL starting in February with the 5 current franchises moving to 5 cities with enclosed stadiums with availability.
Detriot Silverdome
San Antonio Alamo Dome
Montreal Olympic Stadium
Tropicana Field Tampa/ St Pete
Miller Park Miwaukee ( if they are lucky and the Brewers alllow it)
Syracuse Carrier Dome (if it can work around syracuse and the NCAA basketball)
Or a southern City that would be warm enough to have training camp in january and start games in february outdoors.
The first four cities and venues were chosen because of their availability and likely low lease as they are no longer the top enclosed stadiums in North America but are certainly a huge step up from the current UFL venues.
Montreal was added as a league at this time would not interfere with the CFL and they would also get cooperation from Canadian Networks as well as the CFL.
silverdome, olympic stadium, alamo dome, and tropicana field are all in major football regions also Michigan is Big ten country. Popularity of football in Quebec has risen to an unbelievable high. texas and florida speak for themselves when it come to football.
The fifth city would need to be found upstate Nework and Milwaukee would be great but the availability of the venues will be in question. in particular Miller Park a natural grass field with no curretn footballset up.
I think that the NFL operated the Europe league more as a precursor to hopefully establishing teams over there, otherwise I believe that it lost money every year on the effort. The advantage of a lower level league that plays a pro offense is that players can quickly move into the NFL. I think that the arena league was more of a side show in reality, lot of fun but not really football and with its odd rules and field size did not prepare players for the NFL.
Why not try a Developmental league in the United States? Not semi-pro but, a minor D league system. I think that NFL Europe was a great league in the wrong country. How many (NFL)professional tackle football players can we name from EUROPE?
I suspect, but really have nothing to back this up, that the NFL has decided that someone else will form one and that it can go along for the ride without investing any of its money.
Greg you are exactly right The NFL does not want to waste the time or money when someone else will do it for them. Like I said with the CFL they support and cooperted with the CFL in every way except financially, with the exception of the 10 million dollar loan in which they got early access to players in their oprtion year in the CFL until the loan was paid off. TSN pays for all the coverage as I said for the CFL games and the NFL Network is more than happy to let them show the TSN broadcast twice a week on the NFL Network costing them nothing. The CFL is happy because that TSN and its Networks TSN2, RDS french sports for Montreal games in french for auebecs 7.9 million french RDS2 for pre season and ESPN 3 on line. It is the best television deal the CFL has ever had both in monetary and coverage wise and showing the games on the NFL Network gives the CFL National US coverage for the first time since the 80’s.
The NFL also used the Arena League especially beginning in 2003 when games where moved to feb after super bowl and not in the spring. The Feb start did not interfere with much of the the NFL off season activity like the spring league did. Players were able to attend training camps and other even played in the arena league in feb. looked into an NFL signing and played in the CFL the timing for a february league was perfect.
NBC offered them their first National TV deal where a weekly game was shown live on sudays. all games were on a traditional sunday. As the league grew after the 2003 season NFL owners got involved in owning teams.
Jerry Jones in particular owned the dallas franchise and promoted the two together. In fact when the AFL sold in 2009 the Dallas franchise was the only on not to sell given the specific ties it had with the Cowboys.
Thats why i would consider a winter football league in domed stadiums of a second tier nature with plenty of availability in Major cities the best way for the UFL to go. Jerry Jones perhaps would even be intersted in a dallas franchise.
Again though the NFL will cooperate fully some owners may get involved and they would televise the games on the NFL Network but the NFL would never officially be part of it so if it goes bad it does not cost them anything.
Read my comment below about this scenario
Also as I investigated more the Fargodome home of the North Dakota State Bisons football. FCS division team. the Fargodome holds 19,000 plus. It is just on the outskirts of Minn. and big ten country and even close to Ohmaha, Nebraska. would be an easy move fro the Night Hawks
There are multiple new Spring Football Minor Leagues trying to start up in 2013. Who is the Man, United States, United Spring , National Spring, and the A1 Pro football leagues. It is not only about the Money it is about PLAYERS over PROFITS. Whatever league start playing and doing all the small things rights will be successful. The thing these leagues need is a little support and patience. At the end of the day Spring Football Minor Leagues will need some support from the NFL network not the CFL, UFL, AFL and NFL owners.
I think that a key issue will also be having a new league’s owners all being on the same page. So often you see one that tries to go overboard upsetting the structure of the league. MLS has a good model, a set sum for players’ pay- most of which is paid by its shoe contract
The UFL and USFL should merge and form a spring league called the North American Football League (NAFL) playing a 16 game schedule (February 10-June 10) with the following alignment:
EAST CENTRAL SOUTH WEST
Miami Minnesota Atlanta Los Angeles
Tampa Bay Milwaukee Houston Arizona
Toronto Indianapolis Birmingham Seattle
New York St. Louis New Orleans Oakland
Jacksonville Michigan Memphis San Antonio
The playoffs will be held in June and the 4th of July Bowl will decide the league championship.
It would make a lot of sense but that seems to be a rare commodity in sports ownership. I would suspect that both sides want the other to fold so that they can have the entire field to themselves.
I would love to have an own Virginia Destroyers in Virginia Beach,Va.