Aaronhere
07-15-2008, 05:04 PM
I did not include the following leagues in my research since they did play a game or their status as "major league" remains up in the air:
1989 - MINOR LEAGUE FOOTBALL SYSTEM - Representatives from fourteen teams have just completed two days of meetings in May to discuss logistics. According to founder Ed Watkins, the league, which would begin play on August 1, 1989, would not play its players, but believed that the league's growth potential will allow salaries to be given within a few years. Seventeen teams were oringially planned, but only fourteen were organized - Birmingham, Seattle, West Palm Beach (FL), Hayward (CA), Fairfax (VA), Portland (OR), Wilmington (NC), Raleigh, Colorado Springs, Omaha, Tulsa, Scranton (PA), Lowell (MA) and one Canadian team which will be based in Ottawa. Each franchise paid a $10,000 league entry fee and $2,000 to attend the initial league meetings. Nothing more was heard from the MLFS.
1991 - INDEPENDENT FOOTBALL LEAGUE - At a May 1991 press conference in Florida, organizers of the Independent Football League announced the formation of their new football league which is scheduled to begin play in August 1992. Sixty-four cities were listed as candidates for the sixteen charter franchises. The cities included Birmingham, Huntsville (AL), Mobile (AL), Atlanta (GA), Jackson (MS), Nashville (TN) and Memphis (TN). The IFL concept was based on a revenue sharing plan, fan ownership and wide-open games. The two main founders were William Rasmussen and Les White. Rasmussen, the league's media consultant, founded the cable sports network ESPN. White, the league's television coordinator, owned several television stations in North Alabama. White said he is already in discussions with one major network as well as several cable and regional outlets to televise the IFL's games. The league never got off the ground.
2000 - SPRING FOOTBALL LEAGUE - The league, consisting of the Houston Marshals, San Antonio Matadors, Los Angeles Dragons and Miami Tropics, did play a short 2-game schedule. The original schedule had four games listed for each team, but the league folded.
2009 - UNITED NATIONAL GRIDIRON LEAGUE - The league was originally called the United National Football League, and says it will begin play in January 2009 with a minimum of eight teams, including one based in the state of Alabama. Joe Cribbs, former NFL and USFL star, was hired as the league's commissioner in April 2008, after being let go by the AAFL's Team Alabama franchise when the league postponed their first season to 2009. The UNFL/UNGL plans to play a ten game season in January through April, bridging the gap between the Super Bowl and the National Football League's draft, which previously had been football-free. This timeframe was chosen in an effort to provide its players maximum exposure prior to the NFL Draft. Each of the teams will have a 60-man roster that will be comprised of a maximum of 40 I-A players, allowing for a minimum of 20 players from I-AA programs or below to be evaluated. Tomlin said the UNFL will be a development league for players who go undrafted by the NFL or wish to improve their draft status immediately after concluding college careers. To limit costs, no player would be paid more than anyone else ($1,000 a week) and salaries would come from the league office, with money generated by franchise fees initially. Interestingly, players would have to move on after two years in the UNFL. In several reports, and on their website, the league said it hopes to have twenty-two charter teams ready to play next year but could begin play with as few as eight. Two Texas franchises have already been sold and teams are being negotiated in Kansas and New York. Its business model centers on selling franchises and buying a franchise costs $1.5 million. Co-founder Marvin Tomlin expects tickets to sell for about $11 a game. Te league also claims it has spoken to the NFL Network, ESPN and Fox Sports about broadcasting games. omlin says the league will try to establish itself as a Triple-A version of the NFL with the long-term goal of partnering with the established league to help develop talent. Stay tuned.......
http://www.unflf.com/images/unglBanner.gif
1989 - MINOR LEAGUE FOOTBALL SYSTEM - Representatives from fourteen teams have just completed two days of meetings in May to discuss logistics. According to founder Ed Watkins, the league, which would begin play on August 1, 1989, would not play its players, but believed that the league's growth potential will allow salaries to be given within a few years. Seventeen teams were oringially planned, but only fourteen were organized - Birmingham, Seattle, West Palm Beach (FL), Hayward (CA), Fairfax (VA), Portland (OR), Wilmington (NC), Raleigh, Colorado Springs, Omaha, Tulsa, Scranton (PA), Lowell (MA) and one Canadian team which will be based in Ottawa. Each franchise paid a $10,000 league entry fee and $2,000 to attend the initial league meetings. Nothing more was heard from the MLFS.
1991 - INDEPENDENT FOOTBALL LEAGUE - At a May 1991 press conference in Florida, organizers of the Independent Football League announced the formation of their new football league which is scheduled to begin play in August 1992. Sixty-four cities were listed as candidates for the sixteen charter franchises. The cities included Birmingham, Huntsville (AL), Mobile (AL), Atlanta (GA), Jackson (MS), Nashville (TN) and Memphis (TN). The IFL concept was based on a revenue sharing plan, fan ownership and wide-open games. The two main founders were William Rasmussen and Les White. Rasmussen, the league's media consultant, founded the cable sports network ESPN. White, the league's television coordinator, owned several television stations in North Alabama. White said he is already in discussions with one major network as well as several cable and regional outlets to televise the IFL's games. The league never got off the ground.
2000 - SPRING FOOTBALL LEAGUE - The league, consisting of the Houston Marshals, San Antonio Matadors, Los Angeles Dragons and Miami Tropics, did play a short 2-game schedule. The original schedule had four games listed for each team, but the league folded.
2009 - UNITED NATIONAL GRIDIRON LEAGUE - The league was originally called the United National Football League, and says it will begin play in January 2009 with a minimum of eight teams, including one based in the state of Alabama. Joe Cribbs, former NFL and USFL star, was hired as the league's commissioner in April 2008, after being let go by the AAFL's Team Alabama franchise when the league postponed their first season to 2009. The UNFL/UNGL plans to play a ten game season in January through April, bridging the gap between the Super Bowl and the National Football League's draft, which previously had been football-free. This timeframe was chosen in an effort to provide its players maximum exposure prior to the NFL Draft. Each of the teams will have a 60-man roster that will be comprised of a maximum of 40 I-A players, allowing for a minimum of 20 players from I-AA programs or below to be evaluated. Tomlin said the UNFL will be a development league for players who go undrafted by the NFL or wish to improve their draft status immediately after concluding college careers. To limit costs, no player would be paid more than anyone else ($1,000 a week) and salaries would come from the league office, with money generated by franchise fees initially. Interestingly, players would have to move on after two years in the UNFL. In several reports, and on their website, the league said it hopes to have twenty-two charter teams ready to play next year but could begin play with as few as eight. Two Texas franchises have already been sold and teams are being negotiated in Kansas and New York. Its business model centers on selling franchises and buying a franchise costs $1.5 million. Co-founder Marvin Tomlin expects tickets to sell for about $11 a game. Te league also claims it has spoken to the NFL Network, ESPN and Fox Sports about broadcasting games. omlin says the league will try to establish itself as a Triple-A version of the NFL with the long-term goal of partnering with the established league to help develop talent. Stay tuned.......
http://www.unflf.com/images/unglBanner.gif