The UFL agrees to drop transfer fee to 25k

There is no real nice way to say this, so I will just have to say it. The United football League and Commissioner Michael Huyghue just got played. This upstart league drew a line in the sand and wanted NFL team’s to pay up a 150,000 transfer fee for UFL players who were signed to NFL active rosters. In response 15 NFL teams worked out 2010 UFL players and not one of them were signed. We can only guess, but it looks like the UFL players themselves went back to their Commish and asked for the payment to be reduced so they could pay it themselves and transfer into the NFL.

This is what is known as a power play, the NFL teased the players and the UFL with that notion of brining them in and paying the fee. Then the slammed the door shut forcing the players to go back to Huyghue in open rebellion. They NFL played him and force him to this concession. It was a ridiculous line to draw in the first place, but in the eyes of the UFL at least they are getting something.

On the positive side, since most UFL players make just 50k a year anyway, Huyghue has effectively dropped his payroll by 50% in a lot of cases. It seems clear that UFL players who draw NFL team interest will simply pay the fee themselves and be free. What we do not know yet, is how this will affect player recruitment for the third UFL season.

Related Links:

• The Business of the UFL
• The Business of the NFL
• Joshua Lobdell.com