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Dec. 18, 2007
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Las Vegas close to getting franchise in fledgling UFL

By MARK ANDERSON
REVIEW-JOURNAL

The United Football League, a venture that includes Mark Cuban as its signature owner, is close to formally announcing Las Vegas as one of its eight start-up franchises.

The UFL plans to begin its season in August and play its championship game in Las Vegas.

The franchise cities are scheduled to be announced in early January, and commissioner Michael Huyghue said Monday it would be an upset if Las Vegas isn't among the eight.

"I think it's going to happen," Huyghue said. "We're getting close."

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    • Billionaire entrepreneur and Wall Street investor Bill Hambrecht and Google executive Tim Armstrong are the league's major backers. According to a New York Times article, both men have pledged $2 million toward the league.

    Sam Boyd Stadium director Daren Libonati said an agreement is close on a two-year deal with options. The team would play on Friday nights.

    Libonati said he had two face-to-face meetings with Huyghue in the past two months, most recently about two weeks ago.

    "They have been very, very positive conversations, probably the best conversations with all the leagues we've had from Day 1, starting back with the Canadian Football League and all the basketball leagues and the XFL," Libonati said.

    "I've had a lot of places I've worked with, and I really like the direction of the UFL and its goals. The commissioner himself is first class to work with, and he has a great vision."

    Huyghue and Libonati said the league is talking to three potential ownership groups to run the Las Vegas franchise, though neither would identify the groups. The commissioner said one group is based locally.

    "I'd love to work with any of the three," Libonati said.

    Cuban, the billionaire owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks who was the first to agree to own a UFL franchise, doesn't appear to be part of any of the three groups. Libonati said he believed Cuban would be the owner of the Los Angeles club.

    Besides Las Vegas and Los Angeles, a team probably will be located in Orlando, Fla. The league also is considering Austin, Texas; Birmingham, Ala.; Columbus, Ohio; Louisville, Ky.; Memphis, Tenn.; Oklahoma City; Raleigh, N.C.; Sacramento, Calif.; and San Antonio.

    If the UFL places a team in Las Vegas, it will not be the first professional football league to come here. The Arena Football League has had two teams here, most recently the Gladiators, who spent five seasons in Las Vegas before leaving for Cleveland in October. The XFL and the CFL had short runs.

    The UFL potentially could be the highest-profile league to give it a go. It will play in cities that don't have NFL teams.

    Each team owner would pay $30 million, the Times reported, for 50 percent interest in a club, with the league owning the other half. The goal is to take the teams public, and fans would own a third of each franchise, equal to the owner and the UFL.

    Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2914.



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    Sid wrote on December 19, 2007 07:13 PM: That was funny football junkie, are you one of those writers that is on strike?


    Football Junkie wrote on December 18, 2007 02:45 PM: Yuk! Why don't they start a league that will sell? Some suggestions:

    BFL - The game is played in a giant vat of Bud Light
    QFL - For the gay guys
    GFL - Something for the gangs to do besides terrorize the neighborhood.
    LFL - Ladies only; the QB will really wear a dress
    KKKFL - The only pro league with White players
    HFL - The Ho's blow the fans instead of the plays
    LVFL - Teams score by bribing the officials.

    Unfortunately, for Vegas it's the ZFL .. zilch, zip, zero chance of getting a real football league.


    gp wrote on December 18, 2007 02:06 PM: I enjoyed watching the XFL and the USFL. If the USFL stayed with spring football, they could have lasted longer. I like the different rules in the various leagues. Yeah, I would watch this new league. The only drawback is Mark Cuban is a big jerk. He has no class.


    Chris wrote on December 18, 2007 01:36 PM: On the UFL -- Why bother?
    On TimeRangers suggestion of the NBA - PLEASE NO!


    TimeRanger wrote on December 18, 2007 01:14 PM: Sorry, it just won't work. The only Pro system that has a chance of working in Vegas is the NBA. Why? Because it is played indoors, only needs 20-25,000 seating capacity to be successful, and Vegas is within easy reach of other successful NBA markets - LA, Phoenix, Denver, San Francisco.


    GOD wrote on December 18, 2007 08:53 AM: This league is already dead in the water.

    Marky Mark Cuban should stick to financing liberal films that demoralize the U.S. and courageous soldiers fighting for us overseas.

    Can you say, "Where'd the Gladiators go?" --- buh bye.


    ws wrote on December 18, 2007 08:29 AM: Whoo Hooo!!!! - you can NEVER have too much football!! Bring it on!! - with all the tech money being invested, maybe they will bring some innovation to the game - like sensors in the players pads, ball and in the field for real time vector streaming or cameras in all the players helmets . . . . .the NFL has no competition – thus-- no innovation -- they could stand to take some of the bad-call power away from the officials . . .


    Jerry Wayne wrote on December 18, 2007 07:21 AM: I like how this is set up. There should be a development league for the NFL, with NFL Europa done, this could be it. Is this what they intend? Cause $90 million doesn't sound like enough money for start-up and the ability to lure players from the NFL.


    Michael wrote on December 18, 2007 06:54 AM: We’re running out of alphabet letters. WFL, CFL, XFL, AFL, UFL …

    Remember the story line of “The Producers”. For those who didn’t see the play here in town or elsewhere, I recap the story line. You can make more money from a flop than a success. All you need is creative accounting. And, a big name lead man to attract “investors” who are too stupid to realize they’re being taken.

    Say hello to the UFLop.


    Thomas L. wrote on December 18, 2007 05:44 AM: UFL sounds like a waste of money. Cuban should keep spending on the sport of the future: MMA.


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