Will UFL move each team to it's market city in 2025. Pros and Cons

[MarkNelson]

Will UFL move each team to it's market city in 2025. I know it will cost more, but would it increase engagement of teams and improve credibility in markets that are lagging? 

[4th&long]

Will UFL move each team to it's market city in 2025. I know it will cost more, but would it increase engagement of teams and improve credibility in markets that are lagging? 

 

Unless we here a change by the league itself - doubtful.  Especially having a contract with Arlington for the hubs.

But agreed, city media/press and fan interest would rise notably if the league practiced in the home cities.

As I posted inanother thread its the 2020 XFL legacy teams that have a leg up (StL and DC) because of that 2020 short season   There is no reason why SA doesn't have 16-20k fans.  But what you say would help in all cities.

[Vamanos_Brahmas]

Will UFL move each team to it's market city in 2025. I know it will cost more, but would it increase engagement of teams and improve credibility in markets that are lagging? 


 

Unless we here a change by the league itself - doubtful.  Especially having a contract with Arlington for the hubs.

But agreed, city media/press and fan interest would rise notably if the league practiced in the home cities.

As I posted inanother thread its the 2020 XFL legacy teams that have a leg up (StL and DC) because of that 2020 short season   There is no reason why SA doesn't have 16-20k fans.  But what you say would help in all cities.

I responded to this on Reddit.  In a nutshell the AAF and the way it imploded and failed to pay companies killed whatever chance the XFL/UFL had to jump into the high numbers of fans the AAF drew.

Cities were burned (yet again) with the AAF's collapse and it's still fresh in people's minds so you're not going to get the initial buy-in from people or companies as you would have otherwise.

Coupled with the central training/practice model and you have less in-market access to teams so the reporting/human interest stories are fewer and the lack of marketing in the post-seasons has left a LOT of people wondering if the league still exists.  A non-rushed post-season where they can focus on engagement and human interest pieces will go a long way towards bringing attention to the league and fans into the stands.

Whereas I think it would be great to have teams practice in-market, it doesn't make financial sense yet.  What I WOULD like to see is a day or so before the game to have teams travel and set-up in-market to do fan meet/greets and otherwise make themselves known.  We had a couple of those late in the season and it went well to get people to see that we have a team and they're OURS... etc.

[johnnyangryfuzzball]

I could see a partial split. They still have that Arlington deal to burn one more year off, but I could see two hubs next year for the regular season. MAYBE more, if they go to 10 teams, an outside chance they do the USFL thing and have two teams practice in the same facilities, to cut down on travel expense.

But two hubs, that's the progression I see for '25. Where that second hub may be, I don't know. I don't think St. Louis, since that market is already solid. Birmingham, maybe.

[4th&long]

Will UFL move each team to it's market city in 2025. I know it will cost more, but would it increase engagement of teams and improve credibility in markets that are lagging? 






 

Unless we here a change by the league itself - doubtful.  Especially having a contract with Arlington for the hubs.

But agreed, city media/press and fan interest would rise notably if the league practiced in the home cities.

As I posted inanother thread its the 2020 XFL legacy teams that have a leg up (StL and DC) because of that 2020 short season   There is no reason why SA doesn't have 16-20k fans.  But what you say would help in all cities.

I responded to this on Reddit.  In a nutshell the AAF and the way it imploded and failed to pay companies killed whatever chance the XFL/UFL had to jump into the high numbers of fans the AAF drew.


Cities were burned (yet again) with the AAF's collapse and it's still fresh in people's minds so you're not going to get the initial buy-in from people or companies as you would have otherwise.

Coupled with the central training/practice model and you have less in-market access to teams so the reporting/human interest stories are fewer and the lack of marketing in the post-seasons has left a LOT of people wondering if the league still exists.  A non-rushed post-season where they can focus on engagement and human interest pieces will go a long way towards bringing attention to the league and fans into the stands.

Whereas I think it would be great to have teams practice in-market, it doesn't make financial sense yet.  What I WOULD like to see is a day or so before the game to have teams travel and set-up in-market to do fan meet/greets and otherwise make themselves known.  We had a couple of those late in the season and it went well to get people to see that we have a team and they're OURS... etc.

Vamanos,

What I'm also saying is if SA was part of 2020 they likely do better now.  That 2020 lead up to launch and short season did wonders for StL and DC and across the league.  Its stuck in STL and DC with winning teams, they definitely got people hooked where they were.

 

 

[Dome Dome Dome]

Nah. It'll be the status quo plus perhaps some expansion according to Moose. Won't see wholesale changes until 2026 I doubt.
 

[slammer66]

I doubt it will happen for several years.   The issue with them not being in market is coverage.  The local news isn't going to send people to Arlington to get stories so the media coverage is limited to game results only.   Football isn't just a game day sport.  It's a living breathing human drama and until they can get teams in market it's going to tough sledding to grow a fan base.   St Louis being the exception.  I'm not entirely certain what happened there.   They have a good team with one of the leagues top QB's,  possibly the top by resume.   But I think them once having an NFL team and losing it has something to do with it as well.  Perhaps they think they can earn an NFL team back.   

Building talent is a bit of a hinderance as well.   If the league creates a player by opportunity they go to the NFL as they should,  but if that player is just buried on the depth chart and not playing they are just going to deteriorate again and be lost.  I wish they had an agreement with the NFL for loaner contacts.   So essentially they could share players,  starters in the UFL and capable backup in the NFL.  

I'm also questioning what the fan experience difference is between the NFL and UFL.   Sure the NFL has better skill talent.  Fewer dropped passes,  better ball placement,  better running backs.  But the UFL games between good teams are coming down to the wire every week.   For whatever they have done wrong they have got the competitive balance down to an art.  The drama that unfolds at the end is just as exciting no matter if you're watching a high school game,  college, UFL,  or NFL.

[GregParks]

The contract with the city of Arlington will likely dictate they stay in that hub for 2025. After two season, they'll have a pretty good idea of growth potential and whether or not to continue with this venture. At that point, they'll have to make the decision about whether the positives outweigh the negatives of moving permanently into these cities or staying in a hub(s) for 2026. 

[Vamanos_Brahmas]

I doubt it will happen for several years.   The issue with them not being in market is coverage.  The local news isn't going to send people to Arlington to get stories so the media coverage is limited to game results only.   Football isn't just a game day sport.  It's a living breathing human drama and until they can get teams in market it's going to tough sledding to grow a fan base.   St Louis being the exception.  I'm not entirely certain what happened there.   They have a good team with one of the leagues top QB's,  possibly the top by resume.   But I think them once having an NFL team and losing it has something to do with it as well.  Perhaps they think they can earn an NFL team back.   

Building talent is a bit of a hinderance as well.   If the league creates a player by opportunity they go to the NFL as they should,  but if that player is just buried on the depth chart and not playing they are just going to deteriorate again and be lost.  I wish they had an agreement with the NFL for loaner contacts.   So essentially they could share players,  starters in the UFL and capable backup in the NFL.  

I'm also questioning what the fan experience difference is between the NFL and UFL.   Sure the NFL has better skill talent.  Fewer dropped passes,  better ball placement,  better running backs.  But the UFL games between good teams are coming down to the wire every week.   For whatever they have done wrong they have got the competitive balance down to an art.  The drama that unfolds at the end is just as exciting no matter if you're watching a high school game,  college, UFL,  or NFL.

But what can be done for coverage is virtual.  They could have cameras running during practice and make that available to local sports.  They could also set up video booths where players can be interviewed virtually after practices.

I'm not saying it's easily done, but with all the virtual meetings and such going on, it shouldn't be hard to set up SOME sort of communication between teams at practice and local stations for coverage.
---
The issue with 'loaner' contracts and all that is the whole non-salary financial side.  The NFL exposes itself to higher medical liability by having that player active on a non-NFL team... the NFLPA also wants to ensure that the players are protected in all ways and will have a big say in what can and can't be done.  It's not as easy as with other leagues that either own their minor leagues outright, or have contractual obligations in place and play concurrently with the major league's season to allow up and down movement.
---
Fan Experience will get there.  We've got 1-3 years behind us here (depending on how deep you look at it) and the NFL has 100 years or so.  First you've got to get fans invested and then the rest will come.  Having competitive games is great, having a level playing field is great... now you just need to market that to get people interested.

[GDAWG]

If the UFL increases its marketing, the Arlington Renegades will probably limit its marketing to the city of Arlington, Texas because of their name.  They are over in Tarrant County (by Fort Worth) but nobody in Dallas County cares about the Renegades at all.  With the exception of the stupidly named Panther City Lacrosse Club and the Frisco Fighters IFL team, every other sports team that resides in DFW markets to both Dallas County and Tarrant County.  The Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Stars, Texas Rangers, FC Dallas and Dallas Wings have a presence all over the DFW Metroplex, something that the Renegades are unlikely to have.  Dallas' new team, the Dallas Trinity of the USL Super League (Women's Soccer) is likely to have some sort of marketing presence in Tarrant County as well.

I get that the XFL made a deal with the city of Arlington to bring the Renegades back but as the Arlington Renegades in order for the XFL (and now UFL) to have their headquarters at Choctaw Stadium, but I have felt like by naming the team the "Arlington Renegades" it limits the team's ability to market itself all over the DFW Metroplex rather than the city of Arlington.