Finally some good news for the UFL and their fans

For the first time in the last three months I actually think the United Football League is doing the right thing. There are numerous reports out today that the UFL strongly considered adding a sixth team for the 2011 season, and that they even considered funding the team themselves. They also say that they had many meaningful meetings with potential investors but could not come up with something in time for the August start of year three. In all reality these are the first strong signs of life we have seen from this league it quite some time.

I applaud the powers that be within the UFL for deciding to pay off their reported six million dollars of debt before funding another team at a loss. Fiscal responsibility is a great value in an upstart league and long term it will serve this league well. However I think the league has to fundamentally change the way it has chosen to do its business up until now.

Vince McMahon and the money and the resources to run the XFL as a single entity system. So far the UFL founders do not appear to have or are not willing to risk that much. That means this league must turn more control over its franchises to the local owners. Once the teams are running the day to day of football operations the league can work on issues pertaining to the whole league like new TV deals, or big time sponsors, or even expansion.

I firmly believe the league has devalued the idea of owning a UFL franchise to a point that many are not willing to invest 20 million dollars and not have any say in how the team is operated. That needs to change.

Related Links:

• The Business of the UFL
• Joshua Lobdell.com