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A Q&A With The UNFL
Authored by Andrew Perna - 19th February, 2008 - 4:42 pm
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The United National Football League is less than a year away from kicking off its inaugural season – so what better time than now to chat with their senior leadership about the current status of the next big thing to hit the gridiron?
I had a few conversations with Brian Massey, the Executive Director of Marketing, and Marvin Tomlin, the CEO and Founding Partner of the UNFL, last week and came away with some interesting information on football’s first-ever truly developmental league.
Enjoy this short Question-and-Answer session with Massey and Tomlin as they continue to work around the clock to get the UNFL out of the starting gates.
It’s rare that fans are able to track a professional sports’ league during its infantile stages. What is the UNFL currently working on – or maybe the better question would be what is the UNFL not working on – as it sits just eleven months from its inaugural kickoff?
Presently we are working on securing our team ownerships, national and regional sponsorships, and stadium agreements.
The league released a statement about two weeks ago that a pair of franchises have been purchased in Texas. When will the locations of the organizations be released to the public, and from start to finish how long did it take to complete negotiations with the league’s first-ever owner(s)?
We promised the owners that we would keep things confidential while they work to secure their General Manager. Once the GM is aboard, we will make the announcement. Overall, the process took about eight weeks.
What are the requirements for a player to participate in the UNFL, and how long do they remain eligible?
A player has to have exhausted his college eligibility. There will be no underclassman, and they will have two years of eligibility in the UNFL.
Have any NFL personalities, or legends, expressed interest in becoming a part of what you guys are trying to accomplish?
Yes, Derrick Mayes of the Green Bay Packers and Mike Keller, who played with the Cowboys under Tom Landry, have expressed some interest.
How long will the regular season run?
It will be fourteen weeks, which includes the preseason. Overall, our season will run from January to early April.
Have you settled on the playoff structure? Will all the league’s teams make the postseason, or will it be restricted to the best teams?
Yes we have, and it will resemble the NFL’s format. Best records, division winners, and wild card teams will qualify each year.
Do you have any prospects for who might run, or commission, the UNFL during its inaugural campaign?
As I mentioned, Derrick Mayes and Mike Keller, who has played professionally and been a part of the NFL, NFL Europe, and USFL, will likely become a part of the league. We also have other potential candidates that are being targeted.
Have you signed licensing agreements with any companies for advertisements or equipment?
Not at this point, but we have approached Under Armour, Russell, Riddell and Schutt Sports. We also plan to contact more companies in the near future.
Where do the founders see the UNFL in five years?
We see the UNFL as a fully-functioning, professional developmental league and the direct feeder of professional talent to the NFL – with twenty-two teams, a national fan base.
If you are interested in becoming a part of the UNFL, through ownership or otherwise, please contact the league using UNFLF.com.
Stay tuned to RealGMFootball.com as Andrew Perna will continue to cover the growth of the UNFL in the coming year. Andrew is a Senior Writer for RealGM.com. Feel free to contact him with comments or questions at Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com.
