Anchorage, Alaska

[spider]

Anybody think that a team would work in Anchorage? They do have a nice arena for hockey.

What league would Anchorage be a fit? The Alaska Aces play in the ECHL.

[hawkeye]

I'd say they'd fit perfectly in the NIFL. The have a few teams in the Pacific Northwest. If they could work a deal on airfaire I think they'd be all set!

[Micro67]

Ankorage v. Corpus Christie or something like that. I'd definitely tune in to that game. I know that when the AF2 had the Islanders and they played the Blizzard. If anyone had that on DVD, I'd buy it today.

It seems odd to me that the NIFL doesn't have a national T.V. contract yet. Other leagues have T.V. contracts. I think the ABA even has a world wide T.V. deal of some sort.

[arcticfox]

spider, why would you ask about Anchorage?

The Sully seats about 6,700 and the board is very low. I don't know if you can compete with the fishing in these parts but I would love to see a team in this area, any indoor football would be great.

[Hockey]

Does anyone know the budgets for the NIFL? I found the Salary Cap is $25k per season, including assistant coach costs. The league dues of similar leagues is 1k per month and 10k to get in.

The board at the Sully can be raised pretty high and the video replay board could be used as the scoreboard.

Travel is an issue since bus is out of the question. So you are looking at an additional 150k a season (I am assuming the Alaska team would pick up the travel costs of the lower 48 teams to be included in the league).

I am thinking the budgets are in the 300k range, so the Alaska team would probably have to have around 3,500 a game to break even, which is really high at this level, I think.

But, who cares, lets do it.

[Tater]

Not to burst your bubble, but Alaska for football would be pretty dumb.

NIFL franchise fee is $200K and monthy dues are $1500 at the moment, but might be increased to $2K shortly.

UIF has a $10K franchise fee and monthly dues haven't been discussed yet. They have a lot of work to do, by the way. They haven't got much in writing yet. Commish is already falling down on the job, so much for that idea being the end all.

Nevertheless, indoor football won't work in Alaska. Spider, you've brought this up every year for three years, and I don't think you even live in Alaska. What's up with that?

[RMc]

Everett, WA is the closest NIFL city to Anchorage...it's about 1,420 miles away, as the crow flies.

Every city on the west coast is closer to Everett than Anchorage is. So are Winnipeg, Duluth, Minneapolis, Omaha, Denver, Wichita, Phoenix and Cuidad Jaurez, Mexico.

New York and Houston are closer together than Anchorage and Everett. So are Los Angeles and Kansas City, Denver and Toronto, and San Francisco and Omaha.

Short answer: it's too far.

[arcticfox]

Living here in Alaska, I say bring it on!!! At least for a year or two.

[exit322]

If the Anchorage team could bring in enough attendance/sponsorship to fund at least a good chunk of the cost for visiting teams to fly there, then why shouldn't they have a team?

If it's well-funded, and has promise of "making it," then why shouldn't they have a team?

[spider]

Been out of state for the past few weeks. Yes, I'm very interested in fielding an indoor team in Anchorage. I know that the hockey team is doing well and I believe that an indoor team would work as well.

No I don't live in Alaska. I would stay there however during the season.

[Jamie]

Been out of state for the past few weeks. Yes, I'm very interested in fielding an indoor team in Anchorage. I know that the hockey team is doing well and I believe that an indoor team would work as well.

No I don't live in Alaska. I would stay there however during the season.

All it takes is money. If you've got the deep pockets, do it, or go to Anchorage and find the investors and sponsors. Then contact the NIFL and sign up. I don't believe for a minute that they would turn you down if you present a reasonable business plan and pay the fee.

By reasonable business plan I mean, as stated above, the ability to supplement the visiting team's travel costs. Ideally, you line up a charter airline as one of the investors or sponsors. I think that is how Wang did it with his AF2 team in Hawaii.

[JB]

Just my two cents but that would be a huge breakthrough if you could start a football team in Anchorge. Obvious obstacles and hurdles but if they can pull it off in Hawaii....

Very interesting.

[Pounder]

Um, Hawaii folded.

[JB]

Um, Hawaii folded.

Yeah I know but they folded because of bad management from the front office, the team was not marketed properly. Anyway my point was what a big breakthrough it would be for Alaska and for football, with the right people in place of course. The more football the better. Any organized men's pro football is better than anything else out there. :lol:

[eightleggedfreak]

I'd think you would need a few more western teams first. I couldn't see the Alaskan team flying down to Florida.

It works in hockey because you can bring in teams and play 2 or 3 games, like a baseball series. Football teams play once a week.

It'd be hard. But I'd love to see it happen; the more football the better, as they say. I already have a name for them: the Alaska Kodiaks.

[minnfan]

Um, Hawaii folded. Yeah I know but they folded because of bad management from the front office, the team was not marketed properly. Anyway my point was what a big breakthrough it would be for Alaska and for football, with the right people in place of course. The more football the better. Any organized men's pro football is better than anything else out there. :lol:


A matter of numbers. Not enough in Anchorage to support a team, travel costs much too high and virtually no visitors to buy occasional tickets as was true in Hawaii.

Hawaii may have suffered poor management and bad marketing, but I doubt that was the reason for folding. With no competition, the teams existance was hardly a secret. It was travel costs that did them in.

Hawaii had twice the population, concentrated at that, and no bad weather to keep folks away. Anchorage has no advantages, other than being the only game in town, and just as bad an expense situation.

I lived in Anchorage for a time, many years ago, would like to see an Alaskan indoor team, but it just isn't going to happen.

[nksports]

I'd hold off on an Alaskan team unless some stability is reached in indoor football. Most of the NIFL teams are poised to fold after this season. I'd be surprised if more than seven or eight teams are back next year.
It looks like one UIF team isn't going to make it (Peoria). The UIF doesn't have any team close anyway.
af2 might work, but they are the most expensive to get in.
The only way any league would agree to take an Alaskan team would be if that team assumes all travel costs for the visiting teams.

[Jamie]

Most of the NIFL teams are poised to fold after this season.

That statement has been true after nearly every season... yet they are completing their fifth year. Some teams will be gone, but the league will continue.

[Pounder]

I think MORE than one UIF team is poised to fold. There are rumors in Lexington. The Black Hills numbers have seriously cratered. Tennessee Valley folk don't appear to be enjoying the move, and if they go, I can't see Tupelo staying around. Of course, I can't see why Tupelo has endured all this time.

The NIFL is announcing a "Twin Cities" expansion, from what I just saw on the main OSC board. Come freaking on, people, who keeps buying into that crap?

[nksports]

Most of the NIFL teams are poised to fold after this season.

That statement has been true after nearly every season... yet they are completing their fifth year. Some teams will be gone, but the league will continue.

I think they keep going by getting new suckers, I mean, invetors who seem to come in after others go out. One team just folded (New Jersey). You have one team where the team had all of its equipment confiscated (Cincinnati). Another where the team was evicted from its arena because it wasn't paying its rent (one of the Florida teams). Several that are weeks in arrears in paying players and coaches. And you have a large number of teams that are drawing fewer than 1,000 a game.
Dayton is doing well at the box office despite its owners being bankrupt, which may entice a new owner. The "Twins Cities" franchise is going into a town that has already lost a team in the past.
The NIFL seems to be built on a house of cards.
On the UIF, I just read that Peoria is having some sort of problem with its owner (probably undercapitalized) and somebody was asking that the owners of the hockey team there take it over. They were also saying that Peoria may change leagues depending on what happens with a new arena in a nearby city (Bloomington, Ill., I think). It sounded like they wanted to be in whatever league a new team in the other city went in.