AbleDanger Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 What are everyone's thoughts on the new professional football league to begin Spring of 2007? It will differ from other minor pro football leagues in that each team will have a hosting Division I University. So these Universities will not only have a collegiate team to represent them but a professional team as well. All or most of the players will be alumni of the hosting University and all players will be required to have completed their 4 year college degree. You can vote here for which universities you would most like to see host a team... http://www.allamericanfootballleague.com/teams.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
28rdsknsfn28 Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 If they really do this it would be nice to see places without NFL teams get the teams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbleDanger Posted October 30, 2006 Author Share Posted October 30, 2006 If they really do this it would be nice to see places without NFL teams get the teams. Any Division I school is eligible. The University of Maryland right now has a strong second place in the on-line poll. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dg28daman Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 TRUNG CANIDATE!!!ANDRE LOTT!!!QUINCY CARTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!This is a dream come true... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seabee1973 Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 think wew could raise around 30 million and buy a team? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbleDanger Posted October 31, 2006 Author Share Posted October 31, 2006 think wew could raise around 30 million and buy a team? I don't know. How much do you have? :2cents: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swaroopm Posted October 31, 2006 Share Posted October 31, 2006 It's not 30 million. From the league website FAQ: "Financial requirements include the ability to pay an initial franchise fee of $2 million or more plus put in place a stand-by letter of credit for $12 million." Personally I think this is dumb. Note that in leagues like MLB, NBA, NHL, or NFL, there is no "league ownership." Rather, there is a collection of clubs, each with an owner, and those owners have banded together to create a "league" that they fund. Thus, being a team owner makes you a league owner. These leagues hire a commissioner to act as a league administrator. In this new league's setup, being a team owner apparently does not mean you have ownership of the league. Note they specify who has a majority interest: "The League is governed by its Board of Managers, who collectively own more than a majority interest in the League. The Board of Managers will select the Commissioner and other League executives responsible for its day-to-day operations. The ownership and capitalization of the League will be separate from that of the teams. The Board is structured as a self-perpetuating body whose members have staggered terms of office. This structure will ensure continuity and sound management. The Board alone has the authority and responsibility for all business matters, including football operations. The Charter Board is comprised of a blue ribbon group of individuals with extensive university, football and business experience." What person with millions of dollars to invest is going to invest it in a team in this league when that investment does not even confer real ownership of the league and when control is maintained by some other "Board of Managers" that has power to select the commissioner and so on? "The Board alone has the authority and responsibility for all business matters, including football operations." So, what do you get for your millions of dollars? A team's value is a function of its league. In my mind, right now a team in this league (and the league) has minimal value because the league has no track record. I haven't done any calculations to come up with a value but $2 million seems like a lot of money to invest in this type of scheme when we've seen the likes of the USFL and XFL go by the wayside. If that happens to this league, poof, say goodbye to the $2 million...meanwhile the "Board of Managers" is not out that kind of money because they are not necessarily the "private investors" who are funding the scheme. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbleDanger Posted October 31, 2006 Author Share Posted October 31, 2006 It's not 30 million. From the league website FAQ: "Financial requirements include the ability to pay an initial franchise fee of $2 million or more plus put in place a stand-by letter of credit for $12 million."Personally I think this is dumb. Note that in leagues like MLB, NBA, NHL, or NFL, there is no "league ownership." Rather, there is a collection of clubs, each with an owner, and those owners have banded together to create a "league" that they fund. Thus, being a team owner makes you a league owner. These leagues hire a commissioner to act as a league administrator. In this new league's setup, being a team owner apparently does not mean you have ownership of the league. Note they specify who has a majority interest: "The League is governed by its Board of Managers, who collectively own more than a majority interest in the League. The Board of Managers will select the Commissioner and other League executives responsible for its day-to-day operations. The ownership and capitalization of the League will be separate from that of the teams. The Board is structured as a self-perpetuating body whose members have staggered terms of office. This structure will ensure continuity and sound management. The Board alone has the authority and responsibility for all business matters, including football operations. The Charter Board is comprised of a blue ribbon group of individuals with extensive university, football and business experience." What person with millions of dollars to invest is going to invest it in a team in this league when that investment does not even confer real ownership of the league and when control is maintained by some other "Board of Managers" that has power to select the commissioner and so on? "The Board alone has the authority and responsibility for all business matters, including football operations." So, what do you get for your millions of dollars? Maybe it has to be that way in order for the league to keep the same concept. They maintain control that way. Greedy team owners making a premature shift from Spring to Fall is what brought down the USFL. I have to imagine that there are ways for the owners to make money (e.g., merchandise, ticket sales, etc.). And what does ownership in the league vs. the team in itself really matter if it all goes bust anyhow? It seems like an insignificant distinction to me. A team's value is a function of its league. In my mind, right now a team in this league (and the league) has minimal value because the league has no track record. I haven't done any calculations to come up with a value but $2 million seems like a lot of money to invest in this type of scheme when we've seen the likes of the USFL and XFL go by the wayside. If that happens to this league, poof, say goodbye to the $2 million...meanwhile the "Board of Managers" is not out that kind of money because they are not necessarily the "private investors" who are funding the scheme. I think anyone can see the business risk in this investment. What maybe gives this league a little more promise is how much research they have put into the concept, and its differences from other minor leagues that I can see: 1. Each team will be hosted by a University. The players will consist entirely (or primarily) of alumni from the hosting University. This will give the team an already existing fan base and players already known to that fan base. 2. The players are required to have obtained a four year college degree. I'm sure this appeals greatly to the hosting Universities and the league is probably getting a pretty good deal on leasing the facilities. 3. They are paying their players more than any of the other minor leagues, and will therefore attract the best secondary talent from all of the other minor leagues and graduating college players not linked to an NFL team. 4. They will remain a Spring league and never attempt to compete directly with the NFL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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