May 2008

"We're working with Joe Cribbs on Alabama (franchise) prospects. We're going to put teams in locations that can grab the biggest fan base. Alabamians love football and the state deserves pro football," UNFL co-founder Marvin Tomlin said. Cribbs, a Birmingham resident and former player for the USFL's Birmingham Stallions, was hired as the league's commissioner last week. Cribbs was most recently president of the AAFL's Team Alabama franchise before being let go when the league postponed their first season to 2009. "They were very upfront with me about their intentions. They were willing to make (long-term) assurances to me. I would not have jumped back into this unless I felt it was really viable. I think, from everything they've laid out, this one will work," Cribbs said.

Tomlin said Birmingham is the most likely destination for the Alabama franchise, but he didn't rule out locating a franchise in Mobile or Huntsville. One thing the league has ruled out is playing at 60,000-seat Legion Field. The league would like their teams to play at smaller facilities. Tomlin said a possibility would be Hoover's Regions Park, which seats 15,000 for football. "I'd rather have people not able to get in the game than have to play in a half-full stadium," said Tomlin. The league's goal is to average between 15,000 and 30,000 fans a game. Like the AAFL had planned to do, the UNFL will try to obtain leases to play in college stadiums that are sitting dormant and have a built in fan base nearby. "We want to grab that college crowd because most of these players will be right out of college. We want to have a college community support their professional franchise,” Tomlin said.

The UNFL plans to play a ten game season in January through April, bridging the gap between the Super Bowl and the National Football League's draft, which previously had been football-free. This timeframe was chosen in an effort to provide its players maximum exposure prior to the NFL Draft.

Each of the teams will have a 60-man roster that will be comprised of a maximum of 40 I-A players, allowing for a minimum of 20 players from I-AA programs or below to be evaluated. Tomlin said the UNFL will be a development league for players who go undrafted by the NFL or wish to improve their draft status immediately after concluding college careers. To limit costs, no player would be paid more than anyone else ($1,000 a week) and salaries would come from the league office, with money generated by franchise fees initially. Interestingly, players would have to move on after two years in the UNFL. "If you're not getting tryouts or contracts by then, it's time you start thinking about getting a real job," said John Pace, the UNFL's Director of Football Operations. Players would also be ineligible once they sign with another professional team.

Pace and Tomlin began thinking about forming a new league in 2006 when two small-school players they represented went undrafted by the NFL.

The league hopes to have twenty-two charter teams ready to play next year but could begin play with as few as eight. Two Texas franchises have already been sold and teams are being negotiated in Kansas and New York. "We want to build a brand regionally first and then take it nationally," Tomlin said. Its business model centers on selling franchises and buying a franchise costs $1.5 million. Tomlin expects tickets to sell for about $11 a game.

Cribbs says the UNFL has no intentions of taking on the football giant known as the NFL. "This league is not trying to compete with the NFL. It's trying to complement the NFL. This is a true developmental league. It's not a destination or a last-stop league. We want this to be affordable for fans who crave more football," said Cribbs.

Tomlin, who played briefly in the Canadian Football League, and league President Ben Eison are New Haven, Connecticut businessmen who are providing the funding for the league.

The league also claims it has spoken to the NFL Network, ESPN and Fox Sports about broadcasting games.

Tomlin says the league will try to establish itself as a Triple-A version of the NFL with the long-term goal of partnering with the established league to help develop talent. "We'll prove we're different. Most of the reasons why other leagues failed is because they tried to compete with NFL markets. We can't compete against the NFL financially. I tell everyone that there’s one professional football league, and that’s the National Football League,” Tomlin said.