The USFL is Back! Kinda...

The UFL didn't make any money fom TV deals and it didn't attract eyeballs.

 

A new league is only going to work if it pays enough money to get players that would otherwise play in the NFL. As much as this country loves football, not enough people are going to spend time or money watching second or third tier football. Yeah, you can play in the spring, but the NFL and college football are always front and center in headlines with signing day, the combine, the draft, free agency, training camp, etc., always reminding us that this new league isn't the real thing.

Arena Football is relatively successful because it's a different game, so it can be a fun novelty thing and something to do in a minor league town. Minor League baseball works because people like the experience of going to the ballpark as much as they like seeing big league level ball and the minors can offer a tremendous stadium experience.

 

These TV deals won't make them any money. I've been Googling and can't find how much money, if any, CBS Sports Network paid for those rights. The AFL on NBC deal worked so that NBC got the first 8 million in ad money to recoup production costs, AFL got the next 3 million and then a 50/50 of remaining revenues. My guess is that the CBS deal is something similar, only on a smaller scale. So I still don't see how this makes the owners a profit or makes their games more popular; the AFL filed for bankruptcy in 2009 despite national TV deals with NBC (2003-07) and a new deal with ESPN (2007). I can't see a scenario where a network pays a minor football league money for the rights to show the games; as you suggested, these games are essentially broadcast filler and aren't worth a substantial investment by the network.

The more I think about it, the only deal that has a chance of being profitable today is to do what the USFL did: compete directly for players.

The NFL is locked into a labor deal until 2020. That means the restrictive rookie caps are in place and are a perfect place to compete. RG3 signed a four year deal for $21 million; a league backed by a few billionaries could have easily offered him over 30 million for that same 4 years. Start competing for rookies, knowing that the NFL teams are hamstrung in what they can offer. You would just have to offer a few million more and guarantee more of the money; this is the one time the NFL really can't win the bidding war. Pick off a few big names in free agency and build around that. Also, allow players to come out after their freshman year. While the NFL is picking over Luke Jaeckel, the new league could be signing Manziel and Clowney. The league would get eyeballs in a hurry and a TV deal.

And it would send the NFL into chaos. In order to compete for the top rookies, the NFL owners would need to tear up the CBA to change the rookie salary caps. But there is no way the players do that without the NFL giving in on a few other issues; the players would hold all the leverage for once. With enough backing, it could work.

 

AKA, the ABA model.

 

And they should stick with the Griz...which they haven't consistently.

 

There's but one way to make any of these leagues really work. Allow teams to draft right out of high school.

 

Who will back the USFL? No one is stepping up now with real money.

 

Interesting thought. Nike is on line 1.....

 

we in the shockey household will NEVER run down the USFL or pooh-pooh the possibility of its rebirth -- mrs. shockey and i are one of several successful usfl/media marriages. we met when she worked in the league's p.r. dept. and i was with the ny daily news. 27 years and the creation of three stooges later i'm proud to report we're still going strong... matter of fact, before we met we both attended the wedding of one of my best buds in the biz and another usfl p.r.-woman.

so we're all believers in the concept that the more sports leagues there are the better the relationship prospects for sportswriters become... and we need all the help we can get... 8)

 

Donald Trump still thinks you should have had a fall wedding.