As we kick of 2010, major changes are underway to bring change to competitive pro football. After the limited success of the UFL, United Football League, that was in direct competition with the NFL, new upstart leagues have surfaced with the intent of playing in the near future. Though true, these leagues need to make some changes:
Get Some Marquee Sponsors: With any league of play, there needs to be money flowing in. The easiest way to obtain this money flow is through investors and sponsors. Leagues like the NFL and the defunct AFL have major sponsors like Russell Athletic, ADT, Visa, and more. New leagues need to reach out to get the same level of sponsors. The UFL was somewhat successful at this by bringing on sponsors like Men’s Warehouse, Motorola, and AOL.
Get a TV Deal, Even a Minor One: Another key to the success of a new league is a television deal. The only way that the UFL was truly able to launch effectively was there TV deal, even though it was small market. With their TV deal with HDnet and Versus, the UFL was at least able to obtain the attention of a select audience.
Keep the Fans in the Flow: The downfall of many upstart leagues, including the UFL, has been a lack of communication with its fans. The New USFL, a league that has delayed their start twice, has infrequently updated their site, which had led to numerous reports of trouble for the new league.
Over the next five Sundays, I will be bringing you, the fans, in-depth analysis of five new football leagues: the United Football League, the New USFL, Arena Football One, the All-America Football League, and the UNGL. I hope to bring to light the triumphs and struggles of these new leagues, all playing in the near future.
I don’t have a website, but I would like to see your story on the New USFL. I was a fan of the USFL, but the lack of any news on this league makes me doubt it will ever see the light of day. Some of us actually think it is an internet hoax. If you can find any real news on this league I would like to see it.