This is the UFL! (XFL/USFL Merger)

[GDAWG]

19 minutes ago, MJWalker45 said:

Seattle and DC not making the cut would be pretty crap. 

 

He said DC would make it.

 

 

[MJWalker45]

1 minute ago, GDAWG said:

 

He said DC would make it.

 

 

Not sure why my brain skipped over DC. Still, Seattle being left out doesn't make sense to me if they're trying to get as many tV slots available to them. 

[GDAWG]

3 minutes ago, MJWalker45 said:

Not sure why my brain skipped over DC. Still, Seattle being left out doesn't make sense to me if they're trying to get as many tV slots available to them. 

 

if they are not going with hubs, they might have been able to work something out in Philly and New Jersey, and if that is the case, they don't need Seattle.  

[Ferdinand Cesarano]

If this is the case, it's all the more reason that the combined league should retain the USFL name.

[TBGKon]

1 hour ago, MJWalker45 said:

Seattle and DC not making the cut would be pretty crap. 

I understand that Seattle had the fanbase, but geographically Seattle is an outlier.

 

[McCall]

Cutting Orlando is a mistake. Yeah they had a bad team last year, but Orlando has traditionally been one of the top spring league markets. And considering most of the USFL don't even HAVE actual home markets, it boggles my mind they would drop Orlando.

 

But as I and others replied to that tweet on TwiX, there have been so many changes from "multiple sources" throughout this whole thing, from 12 teams to 16 to an even split to maybe only 8 to those without home stadiums, ie, hub cities would be dropped to doing only hub cities and now to this, that I'm not buying of these new details until the league(s) come out and say what's what for themselves.

[BBTV]

If the Stars had a deal to play somewhere, it wouldn't be a secret.  With all the bookings and interest in all the suitable venues, that would be either leaked or officially announced (to nobody that cares) pretty quickly.

 

Subaru would be a disaster.  Franklin field would work great, but lots of potential scheduling conflicts.  Villanova would suck.  Easy to get there via rail, but are people really gonna do that for minor league?  It'd just be a suburban crowd... and only from one suburb.  The Linc would also be a disaster, plus they wouldn't be able to afford it.

[JH42XCC]

On 9/30/2023 at 11:50 AM, 4_tattoos said:

That was actually the name of a semipro league a couple of my high school teammates (and a coach) played in during the early 2000's. Not sure if it is still operating.

There was a proposed North American Football League that was going to launch in 2016, but never really got off the ground because the league's chairman and his wife ripped-off investors who were promised a functioning league and an affiliated production company for broadcasting games.

 

Anyway, the UFL seems like a great name for the newly merged league. Also, from what I'm hearing, the new league's alignment -- with all 8 USFL teams and 4 teams from the XFL, although nothing is official as of this post -- could look like this (with potential future home venues in parentheses):

 

• EAST
  • Birmingham Stallions (Protective Stadium
  • DC Defenders (Audi Field?)
  • Michigan Panthers (Ford Field?)
  • New Jersey Generals (Red Bull Arena or SHI Stadium)
  • Ohio Maulers [relocated from Pittsburgh]  (Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium)
  • Philadelphia Stars (Franklin Field or Subaru Park, though neither are ideal)
• WEST
  • Arlington Renegades (Choctaw Stadium)
  • Houston Gamblers (Rice Stadium)
  • Memphis Showboats (Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium)
  • New Orleans Breakers (Yulman Stadium)
  • San Antonio Brahmas (Alamodome)
  • St. Louis BattleHawks (The Dome at America's Center)

 

[McCall]

2 hours ago, JH42XCC said:

There was a proposed North American Football League that was going to launch in 2016, but never really got off the ground because the league's chairman and his wife ripped-off investors who were promised a functioning league and an affiliated production company for broadcasting games.

 

Anyway, the UFL seems like a great name for the newly merged league. Also, from what I'm hearing, the new league's alignment -- with all 8 USFL teams and 4 teams from the XFL, although nothing is official as of this post -- could look like this (with potential future home venues in parentheses):

 

• EAST
  • Birmingham Stallions (Protective Stadium
  • DC Defenders (Audi Field?)
  • Michigan Panthers (Ford Field?)
  • New Jersey Generals (Red Bull Arena or SHI Stadium)
  • Ohio Maulers [relocated from Pittsburgh]  (Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium)
  • Philadelphia Stars (Franklin Field or Subaru Park, though neither are ideal)
• WEST
  • Arlington Renegades (Choctaw Stadium)
  • Houston Gamblers (Rice Stadium)
  • Memphis Showboats (Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium)
  • New Orleans Breakers (Yulman Stadium)
  • San Antonio Brahmas (Alamodome)
  • St. Louis BattleHawks (The Dome at America's Center)

 

If this IS indeed the final roster of teams, wouldn't it make more sense to do a North/South division alignment?

SOUTH	NORTH
Arlington	Canton
Birmingham	DC
Houston	Michigan
Memphis	New Jersey
New Orleans	Philadelphia
San Antonio	St. Louis

 

Probably be better (schedulingwise) to do a 3-Division format:

WEST	CENTRAL	EAST
Arlington	Birmingham	Canton
Houston	Memphis	DC
New Orleans	Michigan	New Jersey
San Antonio	St. Louis	Philadelphia

 

 

One thing I do hope the USFL does, if indeed, they are calling the shots, is change the Renegades back to "Dallas".

[MJWalker45]

15 hours ago, TBGKon said:

I understand that Seattle had the fanbase, but geographically Seattle is an outlier.

 

Geography doesn't matter if Seattle gets more people in the seats at Lumen than Pittsburgh can get in Acrisure or even Highmark or Duquesne. We have to stop treating air travel like we're still in the 1950's. With cheaper airlines, and proper planning for discount seats and hotels fans can make the trip directly from most airports now. 

[McCall]

40 minutes ago, MJWalker45 said:

Geography doesn't matter if Seattle gets more people in the seats at Lumen than Pittsburgh can get in Acrisure or even Highmark or Duquesne. We have to stop treating air travel like we're still in the 1950's. With cheaper airlines, and proper planning for discount seats and hotels fans can make the trip directly from most airports now. 

Seems like the Maulers are gonna be playing in Canton, whether as a hub city or as their actual home (and identifier).

[ManillaToad]

8 hours ago, McCall said:

If this IS indeed the final roster of teams, wouldn't it make more sense to do a North/South division alignment?

SOUTH	NORTH
Arlington	Canton
Birmingham	DC
Houston	Michigan
Memphis	New Jersey
New Orleans	Philadelphia
San Antonio	St. Louis

 

Probably be better (schedulingwise) to do a 3-Division format:

WEST	CENTRAL	EAST
Arlington	Birmingham	Canton
Houston	Memphis	DC
New Orleans	Michigan	New Jersey
San Antonio	St. Louis	Philadelphia

 

 

One thing I do hope the USFL does, if indeed, they are calling the shots, is change the Renegades back to "Dallas".

 

North/South for me. 3 divisions of 4 makes it too likely that a team under .500 makes the playoffs so no thanks to that

[McCall]

26 minutes ago, ManillaToad said:

 

North/South for me. 3 divisions of 4 makes it too likely that a team under .500 makes the playoffs so no thanks to that

A 2-division format for a 12-team league with a 10-game schedule means you would only play your divisional opponents. An increase to a 12-game would still only mean you play 2 from the other division. 3 divisions of 4 means you can keep a 10-game schedule, play home and home against your division and 2 teams from each of the other 2 divisions, and the other 2 the next year. And it's not really any less likely that you get an under-.500 if you go the 3 division winners plus 1-3 wild card teams, regardless of division.

[Sykotyk]

10 hours ago, McCall said:

If this IS indeed the final roster of teams, wouldn't it make more sense to do a North/South division alignment?

SOUTH	NORTH
Arlington	Canton
Birmingham	DC
Houston	Michigan
Memphis	New Jersey
New Orleans	Philadelphia
San Antonio	St. Louis

 

Probably be better (schedulingwise) to do a 3-Division format:

WEST	CENTRAL	EAST
Arlington	Birmingham	Canton
Houston	Memphis	DC
New Orleans	Michigan	New Jersey
San Antonio	St. Louis	Philadelphia

 

 

One thing I do hope the USFL does, if indeed, they are calling the shots, is change the Renegades back to "Dallas".

City of Arlington aren't going to let that happen. 

[Sodboy13]

In reading these proclamations citing sources, it is best to focus one's emphasis on the "could" and "might."

 

Boosting up to twelve teams all in their home markets, some getting their first home season of spring football in this era, and some (PHI, NJ) having profound obstacles ahead in the way of venues is an instantaneous money pit, and remember this is the last year of Fox's financial commitment. Yes, I know they've said they're making money in the USFL. As I said in the Arena thread, these people say a lot of things.

[ManillaToad]

2 hours ago, McCall said:

A 2-division format for a 12-team league with a 10-game schedule means you would only play your divisional opponents

 

This isn't a con for me

[MJWalker45]

2 hours ago, McCall said:

A 2-division format for a 12-team league with a 10-game schedule means you would only play your divisional opponents. An increase to a 12-game would still only mean you play 2 from the other division. 3 divisions of 4 means you can keep a 10-game schedule, play home and home against your division and 2 teams from each of the other 2 divisions, and the other 2 the next year. And it's not really any less likely that you get an under-.500 if you go the 3 division winners plus 1-3 wild card teams, regardless of division.

Last year's USFL had two 4-6 teams representing the North division with two divisions. I'd rather the only way a 4-6 team make it in is as a champ, not as the 2nd place team as well. 

[McCall]

4 minutes ago, MJWalker45 said:

Last year's USFL had two 4-6 teams representing the North division with two divisions. I'd rather the only way a 4-6 team make it in is as a champ, not as the 2nd place team as well. 

That's the point I'm making. Three division winners plus wild card teams, NOT automatic second place teams. A two-division format doesn't automatically make it less likely than a three-division format. It's about the non-division winning teams. Which is why I specified "wild card" teams regardless of division. Meaning the remaining teams with the best records.

[TBGKon]

4 hours ago, MJWalker45 said:

Geography doesn't matter if Seattle gets more people in the seats at Lumen than Pittsburgh can get in Acrisure or even Highmark or Duquesne. We have to stop treating air travel like we're still in the 1950's. With cheaper airlines, and proper planning for discount seats and hotels fans can make the trip directly from most airports now. 

 

I don’t think the league would worry about fan travel when having teams in outlying locations, but more for the logistics of team travel.  Charter flights are expensive, especially for the longer ones.

[GDAWG]

I suspect the Maulers will be permanently in Canton, Ohio because I can't see this merged league getting into Acrisure.   I can't see how the Generals and Stars return, at least not in the cities that they were designated for anyways.  So the Gamblers are going to replace the Roughnecks in Houston. which is a weird move.  There had been rumors that before the news of merger talks were leaked, that the USFL was talking about placing the Breakers in New Orleans with the Shrine on Airline and Yulman Stadium as options.