So the UFL experiment isn’t going very well. Commissioner Michael Huyghue announced that training camp has been pushed back and the season will now start in mid-September as opposed to Aug. 13. This is coming about because of -- what else -- money.
UFL Delays 2011 Season To Mid-September
In a letter to fans, the Commissioner notes the uncertainty of the sports industry as a whole with the NFL and NBA lockouts, and also notes the struggling economy while explaining the move.
Huyghue says that the UFL isn’t blaming either of those things for their struggles instead pointing to the “realities of an unsettled pro sports industry.”
The idea behind starting in August was so that meaningful UFL games were being played at the same time as meaningless NFL games. Now, with a mid-September start, I would guess some of the interest in the UFL will be washed away with the NFL season already started.
At this point, isn’t the best solution for the NFL to buy -- at a very low rate -- the entire UFL? They can use it as a minor league of sorts and work truly as partners with the other league.
If they don’t do that, I’m not sure the UFL will ever really get off the ground. They need the NFL more than the NFL needs them. They need to turn their relationship with the NFL into an actual partnership.
It seems that everything the NFL touches turns to gold. Why not try it with the UFL?
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