This is the UFL! (XFL/USFL Merger)

[DCarp1231]

If there’s one thing I want out of this merger, it’s better quality replica jerseys

[Ferdinand Cesarano]

23 minutes ago, McCall said:

I'm not big on them dropping Orlando. They have a great history of spring football.

 

Who owns the AAF's IP? It would be nice if a purchase of the name "Orlando Apollos" could have been arranged. (Even if not for use right now, but maybe for a year or two down the line, if things go well.)

[Cujo]

5 minutes ago, Ferdinand Cesarano said:

Who owns the AAF's IP? It would be nice if a purchase of the name "Orlando Apollos"

 

UXFL (or whatever this merged to be called) clearly isn't the business of spending once cent more than they have to to stay afloat. Reduced to 8 teams. Continuing hub cities. They're not dropping a penny for the rights to a team that played seven games total.

[McCall]

3 minutes ago, Cujo said:

 

UXFL (or whatever this merged to be called) clearly isn't the business of spending once cent more than they have to to stay afloat. Reduced to 8 teams. Continuing hub cities. They're not dropping a penny for the rights to a team that played seven games total,

Doesn't appear they're using hub cities.

[DCarp1231]

The supposed new league name is UFL (United Football League). If that’s the case, is this legally possible? The old UFL lasted from 09-12.

[Cujo]

9 minutes ago, McCall said:

Doesn't appear they're using hub cities.

 

I wouldn't hold my breath on that

[McCall]

2 minutes ago, Cujo said:

 

I wouldn't hold my breath on that

Every team that's reportedly staying has a stadium deal except Houston because TDECU Stadium is going to be undergoing renovations. But it was also said back before the merger talk that the XFL had an agreement for the Roughnecks to play at Rice Stadium, so either Houston team that stayed would play there. Of all the reports today, there was absolutely no mention of hub cities for games. Not sure about the continuation of the practice hub from the XFL.

[GDAWG]

37 minutes ago, McCall said:

Every team that's reportedly staying has a stadium deal except Houston because TDECU Stadium is going to be undergoing renovations. But it was also said back before the merger talk that the XFL had an agreement for the Roughnecks to play at Rice Stadium, so either Houston team that stayed would play there. Of all the reports today, there was absolutely no mention of hub cities for games. Not sure about the continuation of the practice hub from the XFL.

 

The speculation is that the practice hub of DFW would continue under the new league.  

 

And Houston would play at Rice.  

[GDAWG]

3 hours ago, McCall said:

I always figured Seattle wouldn't make it due to geography. But they supposedly have a stadium deal with Canton, so I don't know what's going on there. I think most figured the Maulers would just become "Canton". I'm not big on them dropping Orlando. They have a great history of spring football. One season shouldn't be enough reason to cut them. If New Jersey could get into Red Bull Arena, that would be great. And there's been that speculation about New Orleans playing at The Shrine. (or Yulman).

 

I think Canton got cut because nobody could decide who among the Maulers, Generals or Stars would be Canton.

[MJWalker45]

3 hours ago, Ferdinand Cesarano said:

 

Who owns the AAF's IP? It would be nice if a purchase of the name "Orlando Apollos" could have been arranged. (Even if not for use right now, but maybe for a year or two down the line, if things go well.)

I think whomever bought the rights to the AAF app has the names as well. 

3 hours ago, DCarp1231 said:

The supposed new league name is UFL (United Football League). If that’s the case, is this legally possible? The old UFL lasted from 09-12.

XFL apparently bought the rights to the name right before, or right after merger talks were publically announced.

33 minutes ago, GDAWG said:

 

I think Canton got cut because nobody could decide who among the Maulers, Generals or Stars would be Canton.

Too bad. I think the lack of time probably played a role here as well.

[DCarp1231]

Ya know, saving half the teams from each league isn’t a bad thing. Especially if the remaining teams are being “shelved” for 2025.

 

16 teams in a complete league reboot is a tall task.

[MJWalker45]

3 minutes ago, DCarp1231 said:

Ya know, saving half the teams from each league isn’t a bad thing. Especially if the remaining teams are being “shelved” for 2025.

 

16 teams in a complete league reboot is a tall task.

If they were all averaging around 15,000-20,000 it's workable, but it really sucks Seattle is on ice for the moment. 

[Captain Invader]

3 hours ago, GDAWG said:

 

I think Canton got cut because nobody could decide who among the Maulers, Generals or Stars would be Canton.

The Canton operation of the USFL had been doing marketing in the Cleveland area within the last month or so.  'Pop up tents' with a spin the wheel for prizes at local shopping areas promoting tickets for the USFL in Canton.

 

I guess, all for not.

 

[Cujo]

7 minutes ago, Captain Invader said:

Canton

 

3 hours ago, MJWalker45 said:

Canton

 

4 hours ago, GDAWG said:

Canton

 

6 hours ago, McCall said:

Canton

 

Way to stick it to the 50 fans who actually came out to watch last season!

[MJWalker45]

6 minutes ago, Captain Invader said:

The Canton operation of the USFL had been doing marketing in the Cleveland area within the last month or so.  'Pop up tents' with a spin the wheel for prizes at local shopping areas promoting tickets for the USFL in Canton.

 

I guess, all for not.

 

 

Just now, Cujo said:

 

 

 

 

Way to stick it to the 50 fans who actually came out to watch last season!

Canton came out for Pittsburgh games, but not for Generals games. That seems like that was the case with each hub. The USFL just using a generic. "Canton" and not choosing which team would actually fill the role makes it difficult for fans to bite on tickets. 

[Cujo]

They can't drop a team in Canton and just rebrand as "Ohio" to also represent Cleveland, Columbus and Cincy? It's been done before.

 

[Chawls]

14 hours ago, B-Rich said:

So, this is a map of their markets:

 

Kinda Texas-heavy (three out of the eight teams, nearly half). And NO west coast presence at all.  4 NFL markets, 4 non-NFL markets.  Interesting... 

 

Even geographically, it doesn’t make sense that they would exclude New Orleans in the merger.

[TBGKon]

2 hours ago, Chawls said:

 

Even geographically, it doesn’t make sense that they would exclude New Orleans in the merger.

In that case, maybe it was a logistical measure that caused it, like obtaining a venue lease in time for March 2024.

[McCall]

2 hours ago, Chawls said:

 

Even geographically, it doesn’t make sense that they would exclude New Orleans in the merger.

They don't have a stadium deal. All the teams without their own stadium are not included/"paused" (plus Seattle, Orlando and technically Canton). Houston's iffy at the moment because the Roughnecks had one at TDECU, but it's being renovated, so there seemed to be a deal with Rice Stadium that either Houston team could play at.

 

But, yeah. The Breakers have no stadium at this time.

[CS85]

Personally I'm fine with an 8 team league to start things off. Teams gotta have home fields and not hubs, and they have to be close enough to keep travel costs down and likely all teams will again practice/operate out of a central location.  They have to stabilize next season to demonstrate that they can begin and end a season without issue, turn a profit that stirs interest, and ideally build off of the gains the 2023 XFL made during their regular season.

 

They can likely keep the branding and materials allotted to un-included teams for easy, quick expansion should the league have a huge debut season, which would also be appealing financially, you'd think.

 

I'm assuming they'd also have to acquire the UFL trademarks and such.  It's a poor name for a league, IMO, but whatever.

 

I still think they should go with LOAF:  League of Alternative Football, with the catchphrase, "Let's Get This Bread."