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Two Tier League?

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  • Well, right now what do we have here in the US in terms of a "developmental league"? Yes, there is college ball....but I am thinking in terms of post college development. Look at all the players that don't make a roster that still could have talent that could be developed.

    There is the Arena League, and Canada I guess.

    The UFL went belly up in 2012.

    But there is supposed to be in the works a "New USFL", which IS supposed to try to be a "developmental league"

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_United_States_Football_League

    I note that Akron could actually become one of the USFL cities:

    By May 10, 2012, the Cuadra-led league was trumpeting Portland (OR), Salt Lake City (UT), San Antonio (TX) or Austin (TX), Columbus (OH) or Akron (OH), Oklahoma City (OK), Omaha (NE), Raleigh/Durham (NC), Birmingham (AL) and Memphis (TN) as team sites.[10]

  • A developmental league I'd be all in favour of, for sure. Whether it'd be one development team per NFL team, or perhaps separate teams whose players are all automatically entered in to the supplemental draft?

  • A developmental league I'd be all in favour of, for sure. Whether it'd be one development team per NFL team, or perhaps separate teams whose players are all automatically entered in to the supplemental draft?

    @gftchris said:

    A developmental league I'd be all in favour of, for sure. Whether it'd be one development team per NFL team, or perhaps separate teams whose players are all automatically entered in to the supplemental draft?

    Per the article, the New USFL would be more or less a spring league again, and that its players would be free to sign and play for any NFL team in the fall, so there apparently would not be any direct affiliation with any specific NFL team and USFL team.

  • @gftchris said:

    A developmental league I'd be all in favour of, for sure. Whether it'd be one development team per NFL team, or perhaps separate teams whose players are all automatically entered in to the supplemental draft?

    Per the article, the New USFL would be more or less a spring league again, and that its players would be free to sign and play for any NFL team in the fall, so there apparently would not be any direct affiliation with any specific NFL team and USFL team.

    @the-gipper said:

    Per the article, the New USFL would be more or less a spring league again, and that its players would be free to sign and play for any NFL team in the fall, so there apparently would not be any direct affiliation with any specific NFL team and USFL team.

    I think having a direct link from minor league teams to NFL teams would be exciting. My idea is as follows.

    You have 1 NFL-D team per division. Put each team into a city that makes geological sense for each division, but also has enough population to be successful as a minor league team. (For the AFC North I would suggest Columbus). You start playing football at the begining of March, and you play a 6 game season. Top 4 teams go to playoffs. Hold the D-League Championship the day before round 1 of the draft.

    Now this is equally important. You create and UDFA signing period. The day right after the draft is over, each division holds their own NFL-D Draft Where each team picks based off of their finishing within the division the year before. You do lets say 4 rounds. The day after the NFL-D Draft UDFA signing period opens up to fill the rest of the teams rosters. At any point after the NFL-D league draft, teams can sign players for their minor league club based on waiver wire order.

    After this you go through the whole NFL season. Once the season is over, teams can only move up to, lets say 70 players. This will allow the D-League to fill it's own rosters with lower level players that need more time developing, where as it might be hard to fill the minor league rosters if teams were allowed to hold onto 90 players during the offseason.

    Minor league clubs could either be owned by a person seperate from all 4 owners of the teams in the division, would all 4 owners could own the team together as equal share holders. The latter might be more preferable since it would allow their people to fill the team with people the want (GM, Scouts, Coaches, Ect.)

  • Why would the minor league play their games between the end of the NFL season and the draft? Wouldn't it need to wait until after the draft so they could fill their rosters?

    This would also require all of the North teams to be domed stadiums pretty much.

    Plus, there are other sports going on then (college bball mainly). I would think it would be more of a spring/summer thing (though it might be hot as hell).

  • Why would the minor league play their games between the end of the NFL season and the draft? Wouldn't it need to wait until after the draft so they could fill their rosters?

    This would also require all of the North teams to be domed stadiums pretty much.

    Plus, there are other sports going on then (college bball mainly). I would think it would be more of a spring/summer thing (though it might be hot as hell).

    @mld-woody said:

    Why would the minor league play their games between the end of the NFL season and the draft? Wouldn't it need to wait until after the draft so they could fill their rosters?

    This would also require all of the North teams to be domed stadiums pretty much.

    Plus, there are other sports going on then (college bball mainly). I would think it would be more of a spring/summer thing (though it might be hot as hell).

    Teams wouldn't want a minor league season happening when they are doing offseason workout. Fact is, clubs are still going to want to take their shots on UDFA and 1-2 year players and get them onto the team to learn plays and get time in with their coaches. Having a minor league team using players that could be on their rosters during this important time would hinder them not help them. Every year several UDFA make NFL rosters and stick with teams. Teams are not going to want to see that current crop of players go through a minor league system before they can sign them.

    By playing the season in March and April, the rosters could be filled with those that didn't stick with teams during the previous year and by creating a rule where teams couldn't sugn up to 90 players until after the draft, would allow the minor league rosters to fill up with players that didn't end the season on a team or get signed to teams once FA opened.

  • @mld-woody said:

    Why would the minor league play their games between the end of the NFL season and the draft? Wouldn't it need to wait until after the draft so they could fill their rosters?

    This would also require all of the North teams to be domed stadiums pretty much.

    Plus, there are other sports going on then (college bball mainly). I would think it would be more of a spring/summer thing (though it might be hot as hell).

    Teams wouldn't want a minor league season happening when they are doing offseason workout. Fact is, clubs are still going to want to take their shots on UDFA and 1-2 year players and get them onto the team to learn plays and get time in with their coaches. Having a minor league team using players that could be on their rosters during this important time would hinder them not help them. Every year several UDFA make NFL rosters and stick with teams. Teams are not going to want to see that current crop of players go through a minor league system before they can sign them.

    By playing the season in March and April, the rosters could be filled with those that didn't stick with teams during the previous year and by creating a rule where teams couldn't sugn up to 90 players until after the draft, would allow the minor league rosters to fill up with players that didn't end the season on a team or get signed to teams once FA opened.

    @harry-buffalo said:

    Teams wouldn't want a minor league season happening when they are doing offseason workout. Fact is, clubs are still going to want to take their shots on UDFA and 1-2 year players and get them onto the team to learn plays and get time in with their coaches. Having a minor league team using players that could be on their rosters during this important time would hinder them not help them. Every year several UDFA make NFL rosters and stick with teams. Teams are not going to want to see that current crop of players go through a minor league system before they can sign them.

    By playing the season in March and April, the rosters could be filled with those that didn't stick with teams during the previous year and by creating a rule where teams couldn't sugn up to 90 players until after the draft, would allow the minor league rosters to fill up with players that didn't end the season on a team or get signed to teams once FA opened.

    Perhaps it could be played after roster cuts have been announced that make up the squad? And, with an age limit of, say, 25.

  • @harry-buffalo said:

    Teams wouldn't want a minor league season happening when they are doing offseason workout. Fact is, clubs are still going to want to take their shots on UDFA and 1-2 year players and get them onto the team to learn plays and get time in with their coaches. Having a minor league team using players that could be on their rosters during this important time would hinder them not help them. Every year several UDFA make NFL rosters and stick with teams. Teams are not going to want to see that current crop of players go through a minor league system before they can sign them.

    By playing the season in March and April, the rosters could be filled with those that didn't stick with teams during the previous year and by creating a rule where teams couldn't sugn up to 90 players until after the draft, would allow the minor league rosters to fill up with players that didn't end the season on a team or get signed to teams once FA opened.

    Perhaps it could be played after roster cuts have been announced that make up the squad? And, with an age limit of, say, 25.

    @gftchris said:

    Perhaps it could be played after roster cuts have been announced that make up the squad? And, with an age limit of, say, 25.

    The problem with that is that roster cuts don't take place till preseason. By the time NFL-D rosters are set and those teams have had their own offseason, we would be into the regular season for the NFL.

    While that could work well for develope mental purposes, the major issues is games having to be played during the actual football season which would likely hurt revenue making ability for minor league teams. Having the season during late winter early Spring would give the NFL something they want and that's a nearly never ending exposure of their brand.

  • Actually, I personally would rather see a developmental/minor league team play in the fall...when the "parent clubs" are playing. Just like baseball. That way players that were cut by the NFL teams out of training camp could latch on to a D League team.....and if necessary be "called up" to play during the season.

    This concept could allow for the elimination of the "practice/taxi squad". Someone gets hurt....you pluck a replacement from the D league....a guy that is in the middle of playing a season....that you know is in shape.

    Or, maybe with this concept you could have a single team affiliated with several parent clubs. With a dozen D League teams each one could have say 3 parent clubs where maybe 10-12 of the players on the D-Legue roster "belong" to one of the parent clubs. I however would not want them to be in the same division.

  • Actually, I personally would rather see a developmental/minor league team play in the fall...when the "parent clubs" are playing. Just like baseball. That way players that were cut by the NFL teams out of training camp could latch on to a D League team.....and if necessary be "called up" to play during the season.

    This concept could allow for the elimination of the "practice/taxi squad". Someone gets hurt....you pluck a replacement from the D league....a guy that is in the middle of playing a season....that you know is in shape.

    Or, maybe with this concept you could have a single team affiliated with several parent clubs. With a dozen D League teams each one could have say 3 parent clubs where maybe 10-12 of the players on the D-Legue roster "belong" to one of the parent clubs. I however would not want them to be in the same division.

    @the-gipper said:

    Actually, I personally would rather see a developmental/minor league team play in the fall...when the "parent clubs" are playing. Just like baseball.

    Possibly... but when do you play that you are not stepping on either an NFL or college broadcast? Either of which the league is loathe to do...

    In any case it is just hard to see the economic viability of any plan. Even the NFL Europe league finally succumbed despite the dual potential payoff of player development plus spreading the gospel of the NFL.

    The other leagues that have successful, minor-league farm systems, e.g., baseball and hockey, have the advantages of both fewer players and more games (many more games) to help make them viable.

  • @the-gipper said:

    Actually, I personally would rather see a developmental/minor league team play in the fall...when the "parent clubs" are playing. Just like baseball.

    Possibly... but when do you play that you are not stepping on either an NFL or college broadcast? Either of which the league is loathe to do...

    In any case it is just hard to see the economic viability of any plan. Even the NFL Europe league finally succumbed despite the dual potential payoff of player development plus spreading the gospel of the NFL.

    The other leagues that have successful, minor-league farm systems, e.g., baseball and hockey, have the advantages of both fewer players and more games (many more games) to help make them viable.

    @tour2ma said:

    Possibly... but when do you play that you are not stepping on either an NFL or college broadcast? Either of which the league is loathe to do...

    In any case it is just hard to see the economic viability of any plan. Even the NFL Europe league finally succumbed despite the dual potential payoff of player development plus spreading the gospel of the NFL.

    The other leagues that have successful, minor-league farm systems, e.g., baseball and hockey, have the advantages of both fewer players and more games (many more games) to help make them viable.

    The reason NFL Europe didn't work was because it was in Europe. The reason the UFL and USFL didn't work is because they tried to directly compete with the NFL. And NFL funded developmental league in the US would likely be successful as long as season were played outside the NFL season or at least corilated in a way with the NFL during the season to make it relevant and interesting for people to watch.

  • @tour2ma said:

    Possibly... but when do you play that you are not stepping on either an NFL or college broadcast? Either of which the league is loathe to do...

    In any case it is just hard to see the economic viability of any plan. Even the NFL Europe league finally succumbed despite the dual potential payoff of player development plus spreading the gospel of the NFL.

    The other leagues that have successful, minor-league farm systems, e.g., baseball and hockey, have the advantages of both fewer players and more games (many more games) to help make them viable.

    The reason NFL Europe didn't work was because it was in Europe. The reason the UFL and USFL didn't work is because they tried to directly compete with the NFL. And NFL funded developmental league in the US would likely be successful as long as season were played outside the NFL season or at least corilated in a way with the NFL during the season to make it relevant and interesting for people to watch.

    @harry-buffalo said:

    The reason NFL Europe didn't work was because it was in Europe. The reason the UFL and USFL didn't work is because they tried to directly compete with the NFL. And NFL funded developmental league in the US would likely be successful as long as season were played outside the NFL season or at least corilated in a way with the NFL during the season to make it relevant and interesting for people to watch.

    Something slightly less serious, but still with a vested interest for each team, would definitely be a good thing. Play it over the summer, somehow, and it's all good.

  • @the-gipper said:

    Actually, I personally would rather see a developmental/minor league team play in the fall...when the "parent clubs" are playing. Just like baseball.

    Possibly... but when do you play that you are not stepping on either an NFL or college broadcast? Either of which the league is loathe to do...

    In any case it is just hard to see the economic viability of any plan. Even the NFL Europe league finally succumbed despite the dual potential payoff of player development plus spreading the gospel of the NFL.

    The other leagues that have successful, minor-league farm systems, e.g., baseball and hockey, have the advantages of both fewer players and more games (many more games) to help make them viable.

    @tour2ma said:

    Possibly... but when do you play that you are not stepping on either an NFL or college broadcast? Either of which the league is loathe to do...

    Wednsday....and since it is a minor league, it doesn't have to have a huge presence on national TV, does it?

    In any case it is just hard to see the economic viability of any plan. Even the NFL Europe league finally succumbed despite the dual potential payoff of player development plus spreading the gospel of the NFL.

    Well, gee, maybe these minor league ball players would only get paid like the top 1%, instead of like the top 0.1%. A max of a couple of hundred K....and not millions. (and remember, under certain versions of the plan as discussed there would be affilation with the "Major League" Club...which would provide financial support)

    The other leagues that have successful, minor-league farm systems, e.g., baseball and hockey, have the advantages of both fewer players and more games (many more games) to help make them viable.

  • @harry-buffalo said:

    The reason NFL Europe didn't work was because it was in Europe. The reason the UFL and USFL didn't work is because they tried to directly compete with the NFL. And NFL funded developmental league in the US would likely be successful as long as season were played outside the NFL season or at least corilated in a way with the NFL during the season to make it relevant and interesting for people to watch.

    Something slightly less serious, but still with a vested interest for each team, would definitely be a good thing. Play it over the summer, somehow, and it's all good.

    @gftchris said:

    Something slightly less serious, but still with a vested interest for each team, would definitely be a good thing. Play it over the summer, somehow, and it's all good.

    But NFL owners are not going to want a developmental league that plays it's season during the summer, because they are going to want the players in that leage on their own teams rosters during the time learning systems and plays and getting coaching time from NFL level coaches. Plus that is the one time of the year where rosters are at a full 90 people per team, so anything you can put onto the field in the NFL D league during that time wouldn't look very good. The whole point, at least as the NFL and NCAA cureently stands, is to create a developmental teams where the bottom quarter or so of every NFL roster, and then for the best that are left unsigned, to get more exposer to coaching and more playing time.

    Because of that you would need to have the season during a time of the year where teams have not filled their rosters yet, or at least have it during a time where you can have teams set their rosters below 90 in order to fill the D-League.

    Now you could have a developmental league that is actually there during the NFL season, but it comes down to when would those teams play their games during the week. Monday, Thursday, and Sunday are obviously out because the NFL isn't going to want them playing on days where they normall have another game scheduled. They won't do Saturday because they won't want to mess with the NCAA. So that leave Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. Friday might be the best bet, but at the same time that interfiers with High School, but you would likely still see better attendense and viewership during Friday Night games thatn Tuesday or Thursday night games.

  • Since we have more or less discounted having this league be a true "relegation" type league, I would envision it to be more of a true "minor league" where young players can hone their skills and older players can try to prove they still have something.

    E.g. many of the players that do not make rosters after NFL training camps can latch on to these 'minor league' teams. Or, as I said, have this minor league have 10-12 players per team whose contracts are owned by the big club.

    A practice squad type player such as a Garret Gilkey could play for this team...who belongs to the Browns.

    And you could have a Vince Young play here....like I said, in an effort to show he has something.

  • Would teams want their developmental, practice squad players exposed to injury in a second rate league?

    How much would players develop given the likely level of competition? of coaching?

    It may happen, but I can't see it being economically self-sustaining... even with a TV contract. And I cannot see NFL owners taking a profit cut to sustain a developmental league.

  • Here is about as good as I can get it with the "minor league" teams and their NFL affiliations:

    EAST:

    Hartford Underwriters affiliated with Pats, Giants, Steelers

    Orlando Oranges affiliated with the Bucs, Dolphins, Jags

    Louisville Sluggers affiliated with the Bengals, Colts, Rams and Falcons

    Chesapeake Bay Aircraft Carriers affiliated with the Ravens, Redskins and Panthers

    Columbus Carnations affiliated with the Browns, Lions, and Bills

    WEST:

    Grand Rapids Groundhogs affiliated with the Jets, Eagles and Packers

    Memphis Blues affiliated with the Bears, Titans, Saints and Chiefs

    El Paso El Caminos affiliated with the Cardinals, Cowboys and Broncos

    Albequerque Antelopes affiliated with the Chargers, 49ers and Packers

    Salt Lake City Saddles affiliated with the Seahawks, Raiders, and Vikings

  • Would teams want their developmental, practice squad players exposed to injury in a second rate league?

    How much would players develop given the likely level of competition? of coaching?

    It may happen, but I can't see it being economically self-sustaining... even with a TV contract. And I cannot see NFL owners taking a profit cut to sustain a developmental league.

    @tour2ma said:

    Would teams want their developmental, practice squad players exposed to injury in a second rate league?

    How much would players develop given the likely level of competition? of coaching?

    It may happen, but I can't see it being economically self-sustaining... even with a TV contract. And I cannot see NFL owners taking a profit cut to sustain a developmental league.

    Those players can get injured just as easily now. The level of competition would be much higher that at the college level. And the coaching would be controlled by the league or the affiliated teams. The UFL had coaches like Marty Schottenheimer, Jim Fassel and Dennis Green. It would not be that bad.

    And they could make money because A. they control the revenue stream, and B. the player costs, as noted earlier would be much much less overall.

  • Since we have more or less discounted having this league be a true "relegation" type league, I would envision it to be more of a true "minor league" where young players can hone their skills and older players can try to prove they still have something.

    E.g. many of the players that do not make rosters after NFL training camps can latch on to these 'minor league' teams. Or, as I said, have this minor league have 10-12 players per team whose contracts are owned by the big club.

    A practice squad type player such as a Garret Gilkey could play for this team...who belongs to the Browns.

    And you could have a Vince Young play here....like I said, in an effort to show he has something.

    @the-gipper said:

    Since we have more or less discounted having this league be a true "relegation" type league, I would envision it to be more of a true "minor league" where young players can hone their skills and older players can try to prove they still have something.

    E.g. many of the players that do not make rosters after NFL training camps can latch on to these 'minor league' teams. Or, as I said, have this minor league have 10-12 players per team whose contracts are owned by the big club.

    A practice squad type player such as a Garret Gilkey could play for this team...who belongs to the Browns.

    And you could have a Vince Young play here....like I said, in an effort to show he has something.

    @tour2ma said:

    Would teams want their developmental, practice squad players exposed to injury in a second rate league?

    How much would players develop given the likely level of competition? of coaching?

    It may happen, but I can't see it being economically self-sustaining... even with a TV contract. And I cannot see NFL owners taking a profit cut to sustain a developmental league.

    @the-gipper said:

    Those players can get injured just as easily now. The level of competition would be much higher that at the college level. And the coaching would be controlled by the league or the affiliated teams. The UFL had coaches like Marty Schottenheimer, Jim Fassel and Dennis Green. It would not be that bad.

    And they could make money because A. they control the revenue stream, and B. the player costs, as noted earlier would be much much less overall.

    One thing we wouldn't see if this minor league played during the same time of year is teams giving up their practice squad players. There is more to the practice squad than just getting to hold onto a guy in a spot where he can get coaching and you can watch his development. They are used during actuall practices as scout team guys, which is important to the teams.

    I will also just mention again, that the league has to be profitable in order for it to function. And I mean stand along profitable. The NFL isn't going to want to make another league that bleeds money. That is why I have such a big fear with it taking place in the fall. It would have to not only fight for time against it's big brother, the NFL, but also NCAA football. It would become a 3rd and distant after thought and delute fans with too much football. On top of that players themselves might not like it, becasue they want to play in the NFL, not NFL-D. But if the only way to get signed is to play in NFL-D they have to risk injury that can put them out a whole season. By having the games in March-April that allows these low level players to not only have a chance at the big boy NFL, but the chance to play in NFL-D. And in the off chance they get injured in the spring while playing, they have 6 months to recover before the regular season starts.

    Plus on top of that it is during a period in time a lot of football fans are sitting in front of their TV's or Computers desperate for football news. Putting games during that time frame would give us something to watch and follow that matters to our teams and if they timed everything correctly it could litterally lead right into draft weekend.

    Something else to make the league exciting for fans would be to create a draft for players, so instead of having teams go on a FA signing spree after the season is over, they would have to wait until after a draft period where teams got far shots at who's contracts they pick up.

  • @the-gipper said:

    Since we have more or less discounted having this league be a true "relegation" type league, I would envision it to be more of a true "minor league" where young players can hone their skills and older players can try to prove they still have something.

    E.g. many of the players that do not make rosters after NFL training camps can latch on to these 'minor league' teams. Or, as I said, have this minor league have 10-12 players per team whose contracts are owned by the big club.

    A practice squad type player such as a Garret Gilkey could play for this team...who belongs to the Browns.

    And you could have a Vince Young play here....like I said, in an effort to show he has something.

    @tour2ma said:

    Would teams want their developmental, practice squad players exposed to injury in a second rate league?

    How much would players develop given the likely level of competition? of coaching?

    It may happen, but I can't see it being economically self-sustaining... even with a TV contract. And I cannot see NFL owners taking a profit cut to sustain a developmental league.

    @the-gipper said:

    Those players can get injured just as easily now. The level of competition would be much higher that at the college level. And the coaching would be controlled by the league or the affiliated teams. The UFL had coaches like Marty Schottenheimer, Jim Fassel and Dennis Green. It would not be that bad.

    And they could make money because A. they control the revenue stream, and B. the player costs, as noted earlier would be much much less overall.

    One thing we wouldn't see if this minor league played during the same time of year is teams giving up their practice squad players. There is more to the practice squad than just getting to hold onto a guy in a spot where he can get coaching and you can watch his development. They are used during actuall practices as scout team guys, which is important to the teams.

    I will also just mention again, that the league has to be profitable in order for it to function. And I mean stand along profitable. The NFL isn't going to want to make another league that bleeds money. That is why I have such a big fear with it taking place in the fall. It would have to not only fight for time against it's big brother, the NFL, but also NCAA football. It would become a 3rd and distant after thought and delute fans with too much football. On top of that players themselves might not like it, becasue they want to play in the NFL, not NFL-D. But if the only way to get signed is to play in NFL-D they have to risk injury that can put them out a whole season. By having the games in March-April that allows these low level players to not only have a chance at the big boy NFL, but the chance to play in NFL-D. And in the off chance they get injured in the spring while playing, they have 6 months to recover before the regular season starts.

    Plus on top of that it is during a period in time a lot of football fans are sitting in front of their TV's or Computers desperate for football news. Putting games during that time frame would give us something to watch and follow that matters to our teams and if they timed everything correctly it could litterally lead right into draft weekend.

    Something else to make the league exciting for fans would be to create a draft for players, so instead of having teams go on a FA signing spree after the season is over, they would have to wait until after a draft period where teams got far shots at who's contracts they pick up.

    @harry-buffalo said:

    One thing we wouldn't see if this minor league played during the same time of year is teams giving up their practice squad players. There is more to the practice squad than just getting to hold onto a guy in a spot where he can get coaching and you can watch his development. They are used during actuall practices as scout team guys, which is important to the teams.

    I will also just mention again, that the league has to be profitable in order for it to function. And I mean stand along profitable. The NFL isn't going to want to make another league that bleeds money. That is why I have such a big fear with it taking place in the fall. It would have to not only fight for time against it's big brother, the NFL, but also NCAA football. It would become a 3rd and distant after thought and delute fans with too much football. On top of that players themselves might not like it, becasue they want to play in the NFL, not NFL-D. But if the only way to get signed is to play in NFL-D they have to risk injury that can put them out a whole season. By having the games in March-April that allows these low level players to not only have a chance at the big boy NFL, but the chance to play in NFL-D. And in the off chance they get injured in the spring while playing, they have 6 months to recover before the regular season starts.

    Plus on top of that it is during a period in time a lot of football fans are sitting in front of their TV's or Computers desperate for football news. Putting games during that time frame would give us something to watch and follow that matters to our teams and if they timed everything correctly it could litterally lead right into draft weekend.

    Something else to make the league exciting for fans would be to create a draft for players, so instead of having teams go on a FA signing spree after the season is over, they would have to wait until after a draft period where teams got far shots at who's contracts they pick up.

    Well, again, it is supposed to be a "minor league". How much competition with MLB are the AAA games that are played around the country. This league may not even have a national TV contract, but just a variety of local TV contracts. If a team were in Salt Lake, then it would get local revenue and sponorships that could be sufficient.

    And if putting MAC or WAC games on TV can be profitable for like ESPN, why not this?

    And having it in the spring is not really sensical. The point is to fill the rosters of these teams with players who did not make the NFL rosters....and to have them playing and staying in football shape in case they need to be brought up. OK, so maybe each NFL team has a practice squad of 6-8 players that stays with the parent club. What about the other 20 players that get cut that don't make the PS? What about those veterans...like a Vince Young that could use a chance to show what they can do instead of just being out on the street. If they play in the spring, they cannot make the jump to the big club. They can't be "called up" so to speak.

    And, no, I don't think the league would absolutely have to stand on its own financially. NFL teams make enough money that they could support a D league. It wouldn't cost