The Omaha Nighthawks might just be the moist popular team in the United Football League. Before they can even take the field for the very first time they have set a UFL record. For the very first time a UFL game has sold out. The Nighthawks play at Rosenblatt Stadium and it seats a very pedestrian 24 thousand. However a crowd of that size will be nearly double the previous reported UFL game attendance, and probably nearly three times the record for the actual UFL game attendance.
Of course bringing a crowd that size to the stadium will give the league a few headaches. Of course with a sell out crowd these are very good problems to have. Apparently this particular stadium has very limited parking. So the UFL and the Nighthawks are urging fans to car pool to the event. Omaha has a lot of public transportation and there will be bus shuttles running that should help move the crowd in and out of the stadium.
For the team and league this is a huge achievement. Getting people to come out and see the games live is a massive effort; believe me it is tough I spent the first and second quarters of 2010 trying to do much the same thing. Finally we are seeing fans willing to give the UFL a try, last year attendance wasn’t all that great but the fans were engaged and spent lots of money of souvenirs and apparel. That means the game Friday night has the potential to be the biggest money making UFL game in its short history.
More than that it proves the UFL was correct when it decided to attack smaller markets with no NFL team to compete with. They have found a gem in Omaha, and I am willing to bet right now Norfolk, Virginia will be just as good come year three.
Related Links:
•UFL Examiner • The Business of the UFL • Omaha Nighthawks news and notes •UFL Facebook Fan Group