3 Reasons the United Football League Should Move to the Spring
3 Reasons the United Football League Should Move to the Spring
It would be nice to say I was enjoying the 2011 UFL season but I can't.
Mainly because the games can't be found anywhere! A few years ago many were excited about this new league with quirky uniforms on Versus, however things have changed, including the economy and the climate of sports.
As of late the league seem to be sliding backwards. The UFL games have disappeared from national and web broadcasts. The Virginia expansion team ended up replacing existing Florida team and another suddenly suspended operations.
What could be the issue? Maybe the league is not being heard through the noise that is fall football...
1. Being the Only Football Game in Town Has It Advantages
Currently the UFL has to compete with college, the NFL and countless high school games. Why fight Goliath?
The league is not just competing for an audience in the fall but for facilities too. I'm not saying that football stadiums are a ghost town in the spring, but the likelihood of having better quality stadiums available increase out of season.
Sponsorship dollars would be more available to the league in the spring. Companies know how popular American football is and many of them would likely role the dice on a new spring league. Take advantage of what the NFL and NCAA have built.
2. Get Television Exposure
When the UFL started out they were televised by Versus. This was great for those who were curious about the league because the games were very accessible.
Then there was the HDnet broadcasts, which were okay but required far more effort from the viewer.
During the HDnet era the league also had UFL On-Demand. This was great for those who watched college and NFL all weekend and needed a Tuesday night football fix. Now HDnet has everything but the UFL.
Now the league is only broadcast in local markets.
In the wasteland that is spring television, there are viewers for the most popular sport in the country. Football is America's NEW past-time, not baseball.
3. Be Truely Independant
The United Football League has vehemently denied they are anything but a pro football league.
Unfortunately, playing in the fall will always make the UFL an afterthought. As long as they are in the shadow of the NFL and NCAA with their countless divisions–no one is going to pay attention.
Until the UFL makes some sort of move, they will be looked at as the semi-pro football league with that Mark Cuban guy that nobody follows.
If you want to be more than a farm league for the NFL...Act like it!
Do What They Say Can't Be Done...Again
Many acronyms have popped up and claimed that they were going to be the next spring football league, but none of them have played a single game.
The All-American Football League even had a draft and still the league never played.
The latest incarnation of the USFL even made some noise for a while, but lately only post-cryptic messages about what teams they will have and where their franchises will be. But they have been releasing these kinds of messages for some time with no real movement forward.
The UFL should take the spring and run! It does not look like any of these leagues will cross the finish line anytime soon, so the UFL should plant their flag before someone else does.