Will the UFL Collapse and Fold This Offseason or Next?

[abuxb]

How did the Stallions get in here? This is the Battlehawks forum.

[SalaDaeng]

Let's face it, the history of these spring amatuer leagues is not good. None of them have survived. I don't think people realize how much money goes into running a business like this. Personally, I think it goes one more year then they pull the plug. The Battlehawks have been close but they should go all-in to win it next year starting with a new coach. It might be their last chance.

History of failed football leagues
https://www.audacy.com/wtic/blogs/rob-j ... ll-leagues

Sure, but stability (returning with all teams intact) and viewership improvements are good bedrocks to build on.

For 2025, UFL will return with eight teams in their current markets

TV ratings are up

Heading into Sunday’s title game, the 39 UFL telecasts averaged 832,000 viewers across FOX, FSI, ABC, ESPN and ESPN2, which was up 34% from last year’s average for all USFL and XFL games through the playoffs (619,000). The USFL averaged 715,000 viewers when it returned in 2022.

Johnston said with more time to plan the upcoming season, the league should do a better job of finding the best windows to show games based on what’s happening in both the home markets and in other sports nationally.

"This was a better platform for distribution, but I still think next year we’ll be better with our windows," Johnston said. "Because of the late timing of the merger coming together, they probably weren’t ideal windows. … There were better options for us. We seem to run into a lot of things that were already going on in some of our markets. Whether that’s St. Louis with the Blues or the Cardinals playing or in Memphis, where we have some events that are around the stadium. …

"There were a number of occasions where there were things going on in our markets and that was the best window we could have, and we were going head-to-head with not necessarily another sport, but an actual established event in that community that people were much more familiar with than a spring football game."

Continuity can't hurt but I'm worried about the novelty wearing off. That has happened every time.

I agree. Hell, the best team in the league the last three years can’t even intrigue their fans to show up.

It’s a real shame, because the opportunity to grow the league is lost on Birmingham

I'm not sure where it was posted but somebody already made this point. Alabama is all about college football. They have Auburn and Alabama so they probably don't want to get invested in a minor league team that will be gone in a few years.

Im a Stallions fan and our attendance woes is a combination of lack of advertising of the team, scheduling games against other high profile events in the area ( Talladega race weekend, Alabama and Auburn Spring football games and high profile shows next door in the arena) excessive heat during day games and severe weather is the main reason. Also a big thing keeping families away believe it or not is little league baseball and softball games/tournaments held every weekend. We love the team here but it's hard to go support that team when games aren't advertised by the local media or on billboards.

Sounds like a million things going on to compete with. I don't think the league will be around long enough to take root and move up in priority for those folks.

[Pink Freud]

Or He Hate Me. That was the best football name ever.

It also marked his entire league as a carnival midway act.

[49RH8R]

Or He Hate Me. That was the best football name ever.

It also marked his entire league as a carnival midway act.

That was their strategy to compete with the NFL. It worked for like 1 season then the shine wore off. I'm enjoying the Battlehawks while I can.

[SalaDaeng]

I'll say what most are already kind of feeling. Attendance and TV viewership are both down about 30%. Even our league leading attendance was down 20% for the home opener compared to last year. 32K fans compared to 40K last year. Predictably, it seems like interest and excitement are waning in only what, the 3rd year? I was hoping this time we'd buck the trend but it doesn't look like it at all. Let's win this thing this year before they pull the plug.