The USFL Lasts

Rocano

Banned
This is not recommended for British and other Old World Peoples.

So its not very important but whateva
 
Impact

hmmm This would have an impact upon the talent that the NFL could draw upon. After all, even though the 2 leagues would be playing at different times of the year if you played in one chances are that you wouldn't be able thru injuries or whatever to play in the other one.
 
USFL

USFL-US Football League

Lasted only 3 seasons, 1983-85, and only consisted of about 12 teams. They only played in the spring and never competed directly with the NFL. The reason that I say 12 is that they kept moving cities and even closing teams between seasons. As a student at UGA, Univ of GA, there was a big controversy when Herschel Walker left college and went into that league.
 
USFL-US Football League

Lasted only 3 seasons, 1983-85, and only consisted of about 12 teams. They only played in the spring and never competed directly with the NFL. The reason that I say 12 is that they kept moving cities and even closing teams between seasons. As a student at UGA, Univ of GA, there was a big controversy when Herschel Walker left college and went into that league.

Well, although they played at a different time of year from the NFL they did complete directly with the NFL for talent. While many of the teams were placed in smaller cities that didn't have NFL franchises they insisted on having teams in many of the bigger markets which also had NFL teams

Also, didn't the USFL eventually switch to a fall schedule and try to beat the NFL in an anti trust lawsuit which just made them look silly?

I think part of the problem is the USFL couldn't decide if it wanted to co-exist with (and supplement) the NFL or eventually compete against and merge with the NFL. The only way the USFL could have survived long-term is to become a developmental league for the NFL (and that would put it in competition with college football). I think the best outcome would have been an eventual merger, with the NFL taking a few of the most successful USFL teams and disbanding the rest.
 
It's all about talent. The NFL is only where it is because when an athlete laves college and goes into the draft he naturally goes into the NFL draft.

The USFL or any league for that matter can survive if the owners are willing to make their league a huge money pit and back up ridiclous rookie contracts at the draft then afterwards poach free agents ever year with insane contracts. When the NFL is stocked with aging athletes and D-II scrubs and terrible play while the College heroes and really good players are doing there thing in the USFL, congragulations you have a new default league!

At that point maybe the dying NFL merges with the USFL losing some scrubby teams at the time like Arizona or Seattle. The Big boys like the Packers, 49'ers, Raiders, Steelers, Chiefs, Cowboys, and Dolphins would survive but the middle of the road and bad teams might be replaced by USFL teams.

Of course this is completley disregarding stadium deals, TV deals, fan loyalties, and deals with a cities sports commision and tax payer funding and all the money issues that keep the NFL so firmly entrenched as the big boy football league (same goes for MLB with Baseball and NBA with basketball)
 
Fall

Also, didn't the USFL eventually switch to a fall schedule and try to beat the NFL in an anti trust lawsuit which just made them look silly?

They had announced that they were going to switch to a Fall season from Spring, but a couple of months before they were going to switch they folded. They did end up suing the NFL, but it didn't go anywhere. They were basically suing because the NFL had leaned on the media outlets to not show the games and the stadiums to not allow the games to be played there.
 
I thought it would have been neat if the USFL had let itself serve partly as a developmental league for the NFL, like NFL Europe is today, on a small scale.

With the spring schedule they wouldn't have to go head to head with colleges, and by tempting away athletes who would prefer to earn some money while developing and seeing if they had what it takes to make the pros, they would have a talent pool beyond just waiver-wire schluff.

If they did like minor-league baseball teams, farm-team arrangements would help both sides (so the minors could afford to pay the players). And aside from developmental players, you would also get local players not up to NFL standards a chance to get on the hometown roster.

And colleges would no longer pay their football coaches more than their Nobel prizewinners or their presidents, and they could quit the charade. College football players really would be student-athletes for the most part, because the ones who really only wanted to play ball would be out playing ball.
 
And colleges would no longer pay their football coaches more than their Nobel prizewinners or their presidents, and they could quit the charade. College football players really would be student-athletes for the most part, because the ones who really only wanted to play ball would be out playing ball.

Oh, you idealist! I say keep 'em in college, pay 'em, train 'em for their ultimate profession (playing football), charge $100 for a game ticket and have the NFL pay to support it. What better place to place these farm teams than in big universities with 30,000 to 50,000 young fun-loving people within a few miles, 70,000 seat football stadiums, training facilities, and fan bases numbering in the millions! Divide up the major colleges among the NFL teams. Think a combination of ROTC, corporate reaseach grants with student stipends, and drama/music departments which also entertain people. Colleges have many other functions besides providing degrees to academics Yes, get rid of the hypocracy by admitting what places like MegaState University are really all about. And, hey, if you can help support a great microbiology department off some of the proceeds all the better!
 
Ooh! I like it! ROTC vs. RDTC scrimmages (Reserve Offense/Defense Training Corps), uniform decals beyond the swoosh (like NASCAR), and the whole thing.

Seriously, though, it seems like it would be better if the college players who never make a pro roster could make at least some kind of honest money, at least the ones who don't get any real value out of their scholarships before dropping out.
 
One other thing. Baseball already does this, so it isn't that crazy. Colleges still have baseball, with a good quality of play, but kids who can play but aren't up for university study have the minor leagues to develop in.

And I didn't know NFL Europe folded.
 

Rocano

Banned
Ooh! I like it! ROTC vs. RDTC scrimmages (Reserve Offense/Defense Training Corps), uniform decals beyond the swoosh (like NASCAR), and the whole thing.

Seriously, though, it seems like it would be better if the college players who never make a pro roster could make at least some kind of honest money, at least the ones who don't get any real value out of their scholarships before dropping out.

Thats what the AAFL is for.
 
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