USFL Returning?

The USFL is back.

No, it’s not an April Fool’s joke. The four-letter league from the 1980s that started with modest aspirations and then allowed success to go to its head, prompting a Trumped-up failed competition with the NFL and a successful lawsuit that yielded just enough to buy 60 percent of a five-dollar footlong, plans to return as a true NFL minor league.

52-year-old Jamie Cuadra has acquired the brand, and he plans to launch a cost-conscious league with teams in cities that have neither pro football nor major league baseball.

Jim Steeg, who served as COO of the Chargers and organized the Super Bowl for 34 years, is assisting the effort in an unpaid (for now) capacity. “I like the idea a lot,” Steeg tells Nick Canepa of U-T San Diego. “I haven’t talked to anyone who thinks the idea sucks. If you truly believe a triple-A spring football league has merit, this is the way to go. It’s not meant to compete with the NFL. It will give players the opportunity to develop. There are 3,000 football players and only 1,800 roster spots in the NFL. Particularly with the NFL’s new CBA, I think this kind of thing has a different place.”

Players will receive $3,000 to $3,500 per game, far more than the Arena League pays. And the NFL will have “unfettered access” to the players, allowing them to leave whenever they want.

Target cities include Akron, Ohio, Portland, San Jose, Salt Lake City, Sacramento, Austin, Texas, Memphis, Raleigh-Durham, N.C., Birmingham, Ala., Omaha, Neb., and Baton Rouge, La. The USFL also hopes to hire a Commissioner with “Hall of Fame credentials,” with Cuadra in the background running the business.

“I’m one of those guys who always said when other people got things started: ‘That’s a great idea. Why didn’t I think of that?’” Cuadra said. “That’s what I’m doing. It’s a romantic idea, but a romantic idea with legs.”

It’s definitely a good idea, and it would be an even better idea if the games were played during actual football season, in cities that have neither NFL nor major-college football, with a direct NFL association and baseball-style call-up and send-down pipelines.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/04/01/new-usfl-aims-to-be-true-nfl-minor-league/

I know it's something we've mentioned as being a good way for the league to expand it's reach, but what do people think now that it looks like it will be actually happening?

That's a fantastic idea. As a hockey fan I love the idea of each team having an exclusive minor league affiliate team.

I'm sure they can find 32 non-NFL and non-MLB cities.

MockingJay33 wrote:That's a fantastic idea. As a hockey fan I love the idea of each team having an exclusive minor league affiliate team.

I'm sure they can find 32 non-NFL and non-MLB cities.

Depends how quickly they intend to start the league I think it would take time to find 32 suitable locations and get all the deals sorted. Does anyone know how the affiliation system works in MLB do teams contribute towards the costs of their affiliates? Just not sure if the NFL owners will be happy to have extra costs.

I don't know about MLB but in the NHL ,the AHL is a seperate professional league with it's own championship and hall of fame.

Each NHL team has a 40-50 man squad but only 23 can be used in the first team and then only 20 can suit up for games. The AHL teams are responsible for paying bills and coaches from the revenue they accrue from ticket and merch sales. The 17-27 players that an NHL team assigns to their affiliate are paid by the NHL team. AHL teams use players that can't be called up to the NHL if they need extra bodies to accommadate the NHL team for having a small squad.

One AHL team, the Hershey Bears, has been running so long only the NHL's Original Six have been going longer.

The AHL is shown on ESPN America.

If they stick to spring Football, and start with 12-15 teams, and have the blessing of the NFL as a feeder league they should make a good go of it. This would suit those players who still feel they can offer something to the NFL but age/injuries etc would put NFL teams off somebody like Owens.

I think the key thing to making it work is the spring thing... you cannot compete with the NFl so try and complement it instead

crazy_dave23 wrote:I think the key thing to making it work is the spring thing... you cannot compete with the NFl so try and complement it instead

exactly, it thrived in the Spring first time around, but went under when it went head to head with the NFL in the Autumn, one of Trumps ideas, he won the battle but lost the war.

Its viable if they can get the crowds and TV deal that covers costs. On these numbers you are looking at $150-200K for players alone and c. $50-100K for coaching and admin staff (per game). Depending on stadia available and the deals needed to play in them, I reckon you probably need to budget at least $0.5M per game. If there's enough interest and a decent TV deal, you may even turn a profit if it lasts.

Agree totally with the spring. Its not just an issue with competing with the NFL, there's high school and college too. The other advantage, from a player recruitment front is that those that pretty much know they won't be in the draft but don't have anything better lined up after college, will walk straight out of college at the end of term and into camp/preseason. That's going to potentially take a lot of people off the unemployment numbers, meaning it would be in a lot of peoples interest to see this survive, not to mention the walk on's.

Yeah, the original USFL was making a go of it till Trump decided to go head to head with the NFL. He'd always wanted to be an NFL owner (and they wouldn't let him join their club) and was more concerned with trying to force the NFL into a merger.

I'm kinda so-so about it. The UFL lasted about three years on a spring-football business model. The WLAF/NFL Europe struggled for about a dozen years on the spring model and that was with $$$ input from the NFL.

Difference with the NFLE was a European market that wasn't saturated enough with NFL knowledge to drive sufficient interest over an extended period. They also didn't promote the fact it was the start of some NFL stars careers.

Now you have a big web presence from NFL.com, more global interest, national leagues that are growing and the International Series increasing popularity. And that's in Europe. If you run this in the US to start with, there must be a market like the USFL found?

skins4ever wrote: If you run this in the US to start with, there must be a market like the USFL found?

It seems to me that the NFL long ago saturated the outdoor professional football market to the point where even the winter/spring indoor Arena Football League has trouble playing one season to the next.

WhiteCamry wrote:

skins4ever wrote: If you run this in the US to start with, there must be a market like the USFL found?

It seems to me that the NFL long ago saturated the outdoor professional football market to the point where even the winter/spring indoor Arena Football League has trouble playing one season to the next.

Not quite there is a huge market for the NFL/Football in the off season, after all the draft attracts more fans/viewing figures than the MLB World Series, NBA Championship, NHL Stanley Cup, Arena Football is like 5 A side soccer or 7 a side in Rugby, a shorter quicker game. The CFL Canadian Football gets tv exposure in the off season as well as some coverage on the main sports channels.

A USFL run in conjunction with the NFL and the 32 teams blessing played in the Spring/Early Summer finishing just before Summer camp would fill a hole for Football fans. If it can get National TV exposure on one of the main networks, with maybe a cable affiliate then there is no reason it could thrive. This would greatly help NFL in where they can send practice squad members to USFL teams to play, to see if they can make it, it would also help in QB development, and other skill positions where it's a step up from College

WhiteCamry wrote:I'm kinda so-so about it. The UFL lasted about three years on a spring-football business model.

The UFL is still around but the future is uncertain as they've got financial issues, it also wasn't a spring league it tried to take the NFL on with the season ending around the end of October.

I wonder if it would take the 3-years out of high-school rule of the NFL or if you could go straight into the league from high-school then some of those who don't make it to college (or those kicked out) could use it to try to catch some NFL eyes.

I've never watched UFL. Watched some USFL back in the 80s when the Arizona Wranglers were in action.

If you ever get a chance, watch ESPN'S 30 For 30 documentary about the USFL called "Small Potatoes: Who Killed the USFL?" It was very interesting.

Some more news on this:
USFL will restart next March; not as a competitor to NFL but as an ally
The first time the United States Football League was established in 1983, it gave a quick scare to the NFL. The USFL owners signed players like Reggie White, Steve Young, Jim Kelly and Herschel Walker, players the NFL actually wanted, by giving them big-time contracts.

After a couple seasons, the USFL sued the NFL for anti-trust laws, and though the new league won, it was awarded just $1 dollar in damages. Soon after, the USFL folded. And thus, the NFL withstood another challenge to its monopoly, as the USFL joined two versions of the American Football League and the All-American Football Conference in leagues that were unable to top the NFL (though the second reincarnation of the AFL forced a merger in the late 1960s).

Now, the USFL is making a comeback, but unlike last time, it's not going to serve as a direct competitor to the NFL. This time, those in charge of running it want to make it more of a developmental league that will begin next March. In that way, the USFL will compete somewhat with the UFL -- which perpetually seems on the verge of shutting down anyway.

“We will not try to compete with the NFL at all,” CEO Jaime Cuadra told the AP.

“We will play in markets where there are no NFL teams or major league baseball teams. It's a league for guys who are on the bubble for making NFL teams, and we will have complete open access for the NFL. We want to build a model that is sustainable.”

Cuadra has at least one big name backing him. That's Fred Biletnikoff, who will consult on football operations for the league and who could add some credibility to the USFL brand (he also knows what it's like to compete against the NFL. His first employes was the AFL's Oakland Raiders).

The league would begin next March and run through June. Each team would play a 14-game schedule, and after the season, USFL players could join an NFL team at training camp. Though there would be virtually no rest in between seasons for players who were good enough to earn a spot at an NFL training camp, it would make a good opportunity for those who want to continue living the dream of playing pro football. Plus, you'd have to think they'd be in better shape than those NFLers who are just wandering in from the offseason.

According to the AP, the cities that are being considered for USFL franchises are: Portland, Ore.; Salt Lake City; San Antonio or Austin, Texas; Columbus or Akron, Ohio; Oklahoma City; Omaha, Neb.; Raleigh/Durham, N.C.; Birmingham, Ala.; and Memphis, Tenn.

“These are cities with underutilized facilities at that time of year,” Cuadra said.

The idea behind placing teams in those cities is to try to cash in on communities who have strong college football leanings. That could mean a player from the University of Texas who's on the NFL bubble could find work at the USFL team in Austin. The same goes for Ohio State players in Columbus or the University of Tennessee and Vanderbilt players in Memphis.

But the next big question mark for the USFL is landing a TV deal. That's one reason the AFL of the 1960s became so successful and forced the NFL to offer a merger. It's because NBC offered a $36 million contract with the AFL, and after signing that, the NFL owners knew they were in trouble. The XFL on NBC a few decades later obviously didn't work, while the UFL has struggled to find a stable TV package.

“We have nothing lined up yet, and we are doing our research and investigating the landscape of sports television today, which is ever-changing,” Cuadra said.

The USFL's goal, though, is to find a permanent home in that ever-changing landscape. Otherwise, it'll join all the other non-NFL leagues that have come and gone without making a lasting impact.

any idea what the teams wil be
more football YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

cherriesfan wrote:any idea what the teams wil be

What do you mean?

the city and such
and what will the layout be similar to the NFL

"According to the AP, the cities that are being considered for USFL franchises are: Portland, Ore.; Salt Lake City; San Antonio or Austin, Texas; Columbus or Akron, Ohio; Oklahoma City; Omaha, Neb.; Raleigh/Durham, N.C.; Birmingham, Ala.; and Memphis, Tenn."

Not sure what you mean by layout but will apparently begin in March and end in June with a 14 game season. Haven't see any mentions of how the winner of the league will be decided.

looks like ill be rooting for portland then

might root for Oak City

What other big sports are going on in the time period March-June in America? Could have a big impact on the TV deal they get, if it was aired in the UK it probably wouldn't get a lot of viewers as it obviously doesn't have the same pull as the NFL but also a lot of the Football tournaments are in the interesting stages during this period, also I know the IPL is held in this period and the F1 will be ongoing guess there's still Rugby and normal Cricket around too?

Portland and Salt Lake could struggle as they have MLS from March to October.

San Antonio, Oklahoma City and Memphis will be in the last few weeks of the NBA regular season and most likely playoffs as they are all playoff teams, OKC or San Antonio might even win the whole thing this year, will definitely be one of them two out of the West.

None of the cities have an MLB team allthough Akron is real close to Cleveland so Columbus would be the smart choice if you want decent attendance. Which is a shame as I would go for Akron for The Black Keys connection.

In the U.S. the NBA and baseball are going on as well as MLS and NHL>

I dont think they will need huge ratings to be a winner, if they play Fri/Sat night they should be ok, there is room for Spring Football to survive as shown in the past.

Seems like there will be some competition from the other sports also on tv during that time period, but still think it can be a success. Like the idea of picking areas that have a love for college football as a few players from the area could help to boost attendances before the fans have committed to following the teams.

Will be interesting to see what the rules are for which players can take part in the league.

Sounds an interesting idea, and one that should work if done properly. Competition from other sports aside it should definately attract viewers to the TV screen who get withdrawl symptoms after the NFL and NCAA seasons finish.

Derbyblue wrote:What other big sports are going on in the time period March-June in America? Could have a big impact on the TV deal they get, if it was aired in the UK it probably wouldn't get a lot of viewers as it obviously doesn't have the same pull as the NFL but also a lot of the Football tournaments are in the interesting stages during this period, also I know the IPL is held in this period and the F1 will be ongoing guess there's still Rugby and normal Cricket around too?

It almost certainly wouldn't be on in the UK at all...
It should do alright even if the TV deal isn't fab if it operates properly as an NFL developmental league with funding from above to cover for a slightly inferior TV deal.

crazy_dave23 wrote:

Derbyblue wrote:What other big sports are going on in the time period March-June in America? Could have a big impact on the TV deal they get, if it was aired in the UK it probably wouldn't get a lot of viewers as it obviously doesn't have the same pull as the NFL but also a lot of the Football tournaments are in the interesting stages during this period, also I know the IPL is held in this period and the F1 will be ongoing guess there's still Rugby and normal Cricket around too?

It almost certainly wouldn't be on in the UK at all...
It should do alright even if the TV deal isn't fab if it operates properly as an NFL developmental league with funding from above to cover for a slightly inferior TV deal.

I know that it probably won't be but I can hope for some sort of highlights show at least right? Would help to fill the massive gap from the Draft to Preseason.

It could get airtime in the UK.
ESPN and ESPN America would have interest I'd think, and plenty of time to air it.
There are others that may too, Premier Sports or even Eurosport (although I accept it isn't "Euro").
I wonder as it's a tie up with the NFL, whether they'd show content on their site for it?

Fingers crossed at least!