A brand new minor league football organization is going to be launching next year, and it sounds somewhat promising. Teams are going to be playing on eight college campuses throughout the country, and teams will be stocked with former players from the area and conference they’re representing.
Players also have to be college graduates (hence, no Clarett), and have no college eligibility left. They’ll make about $100,000 per year, so the guys from SEC schools will actually be taking a little bit of a paycut. That’s about it for the available specifics, but if you’ve got $15 million laying around, a team could be yours.
I am of the opinion that there can never be too many sports on TV, but I’d hate to see this happen at the expense of the Arena League. If that $100,000 salary is true (and that seems really high for a start-up league), then Arena’s in trouble. I don’t know if anyone in the Arena League makes even half of that. In fact, I think they all make the same thing, and I’m pretty sure it’s nowhere near the six-figure neighborhood.
Anyway, it’s interesting. More to come, I’m sure.
Matt Moore
It won’t kill Arena. AFL players make a bit more than you think, the latest article I could find says average salaries are 42k with the stars getting six figures.
Lots of people worried that the XFL was going to kill arena by paying lots more for the same players, and look how that turned out.
July 26, 2006 at 7:53 am
Bouj
How many Arena guys are college graduates?
Exactly. Arena will still have more than enough players.
July 26, 2006 at 12:24 pm
Jeff
You have to check this play to end the game last week in the CFL.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=42We4yUClgM&search=milt%20stegall
July 26, 2006 at 3:24 pm
NFL Adam
I like the AFL, too. But guys like Graz, Remy Hamilton, and Greg Hopkins could probably find work in this league. More people getting paid to play football seems like kind of a cool idea.
If they could just get rid of some of the other sports nobody needs.
July 28, 2006 at 6:11 pm