UFL Preparing To Fly Solo In 2011

Sports News - February 15th, 2010 - Written By John Ritter

If the NFL does, in fact, impose a lockout in 2011, thus ending it's monopoly on football for at least a year, fans will likely be looking for alternatives for their football fix. The college game will be the prominent option, but another is the United Football League, an upstart franchise with a collection of NFL flops and Arena League refugees that just completed it's rookie year.

And while many football leagues have gone bankrupt under the NFL's shadow, the four-team league has an interesting future coming up if it can survive another year.

Officials are projecting about $45 million in costs next year, but almost half of that will be off-set with a new $20 million investment from two businessmen, who will each be awarded a franchise in 2010. One of the teams is rumored to be placed in Hartford, Conn. That brings the total to six teams, and will create 10 regular season games instead of four from a year ago.

The report comes via SportsBusiness Journal, and adds that the league's marketing department is implementing new ways for fans to warm up to the league before it's potential takeover in '11. Instead of games being played on Thursday, which proved futile last year when competing against college games at the same time slot, they will now be held on Friday's and Saturdays.

There is also a possibility the league will strike a deal with a television company with a little more viewership than Versus or HDNet.

"You are going to see on the marketing and business side big changes to terms of the approach and how we go about it," Commissioner Michael Huyghue said.

So while the NFL is in serious peril of losing billions of dollars via work stoppage, the UFL is gaining momentum as it prepares for a competition-less 2011.

The Florida Tuskers went wire-to-wire to win the championship in '09, going 6-1, and will be the favorites to repeat in most Online Sportsbooks.