What's Next for the UFL?

The United Football League officially announced itself yesterday to the press and the rest of the football world. The league announced their $20 million training complex in Arizona, unveiled both a new league logo and the official Web site, the final eight cities to fill the six slots for teams and the announcement that a television deal is in the works.

Other information was announced and league commissioner Michael Huyghue had several interviews and new quotes about the league. Take a visit to ufl-football.com and you will see a video of Huyghue welcoming you to the league as well as a blog keeping you up to date on it.

The Web site also other information about the league and has given the fans the chance to name each of the league's franchises. The day was big, giving the league a little bit of momentum heading into 2009 and much bigger announcements to come as early as next month.

With that said, one must look ahead, past this announcement, and wonder: What's next?

The biggest factor in a fledgling new league are the teams that will be on display. Hartford, LA, Vegas, New York, Orlando, San Francisco, Monterrey (Mexico), and Salt Lake city are the final eight cities destined to fill the six slots for the 2009 inaugural season.

For the UFL to have a fast following both the final six cities and their nicknames must be chosen carefully. A team name can make or break a team, same can be said for the uniforms.

One must hope that the UFL team uniforms won't be of the '76 Bucs or the World Football League variety. Hopefully the actual team names are responsible as well, since the WNBA can be copied only so many times by other leagues.

The final six teams must be the right ones. Monterrey and Salt Lake city are possible expansion sites for the UFL in the future, but should be considered underdogs at this point. American football in Mexico is a wild card, and while the NFL did have some success in Aztec stadium, it's hard to say what a team long term would be able to do there.

Utah has rich college football tradition and no pro football team. The Jazz have been successful there for years and having games on Thursday/Friday nights with a home team in place could generate some viewers in the religious state of Utah.

Plus, throw local hero (and soon to be ex-49er) Alex Smith on that list, and you have yourself a keeper. The league must also be sure that the final six owners (whomever they may be) are good for the league and can withstand losses for a number of years.

Would be a shame to see UFL teams relocating every season and ownership switching faster than Al Davis firing coaches. 

Once the teams are put into place the general managers and coaches could immediately follow. The UFL Web site states that, "Coaches and general managers will consist of current and former NFL coaches, general managers, coordinators & assistant coaches and possibly some NCAA Division I-A coaches."

A statement like that can help the imagination run wild. There are several excellent former NFL head coaches who aren't a head coach at the moment, and some successful coaches at the college level are never given another job after leaving their first. The league needs respectable assistants and successful head coaches.

There is a wide pool out there that UFL gm's should be able to tap into. Speaking of general managers, who could they be? Don't count out former NFL front office members (such as a Rick Mueller or Ted Sunquist) or up and coming assistants. 

The NFL lives and dies by it's television deal, without it, the league would never have been where it is today. The same can be said about the UFL. The league talked of being in final negotiations with a national cable sports network, which could mean the Vs. network, Fox Sports Net, or even ESPN (which seems the least likely due to their NFL interests).

One national prime time game a week seems to be the case, with the other games being broadcast on another small network or even local channels. Anything about the UFL and a TV deal is nothing but speculation at this point, so the final outcome could be anyone's guess.

One thing the UFL should keep in mind? Flex Scheduling. NBC's Sunday Night Football is demolishing ESPN's Monday Night Football because of this rule. Having games set four to six months before the actual season begins, only to see the two teams have losing records when it's time for the game to actually be played becomes something networks fear.

With the flex scheduling option, the UFL can assure both the network and its fans that the best game between the best teams will be played every week in prime time. 

The UFL and commissioner Michael Huyghue have a very busy schedule for the next few months, especially January. The league will announce team names/locations, coaches/general managers, and a TV deal, among other things next month. Or at the very least, that what we believe will be announced at some point in early 2009.

The league, according to the important dates listed on its Web site, will also have their combine at some point in January. The draft is going to be held in mid-April and at this point, it's unclear if the draft will be just of incoming NCAA rookies, veteran players, or a combination of both. Mini-camps, training camps, and the preseason/regular season are spread out more evenly.

It is January when the league could face a potential traffic-jam; hopefully they are ready to withstand it. 

The UFL is here, at least for now, and it's getting closer. Fans of the new league have something to look forward to and there is much excitement in the air. The UFL still has much work to do and things to finalize before the first game is to be played.

Hopefully, they will continue to follow their plan and fans won't become impatient. A delay in league play for 2009 seems highly unlikely at this point and for now all signs point to kickoff come September.

Let's get ready for some football!!