Over the years, we have seen numerous attempts by professional football leagues to compete with the NFL. On one hand, there can never be enough football, especially in some larger markets who are unserved by the NFL. On the other hand, we can expect the best talent to remain in the NFL, with the castaways being relegated to the spinoff leagues. Enter the Universal Football League. Jim Fassell, Ted Cottrell, Jim Haslett, and Dennis Green will be the head coaches, and the UFL has just held their "Premier Season Draft".
Play will begin in October, with the Championship game held Thanksgiving weekend. Games will tentatively be held on Thursday and Friday evenings. Check out their website if you are interested in learning more.
So far, the rosters are as follows. You will recognize a lot of the players.
| UFL LAS VEGAS | |
| DB | ARCHULETA, ADAM (ARIZONA STATE) |
| DE | AWASOM, ADRIAN (NORTH TEXAS) |
| P | BAUGHER, DANNY (ARIZONA) |
| OG | BOONE, JASON (UTAH) |
| NT | BRYANT, WENDELL (WISCONSIN-MADISON) |
| LB | BUTLER, EZRA (NEVADA) |
| DB | DADA, WALE (WASHINGTON STATE) |
| T | GAUSE, GEORGE (SOUTH CAROLINA) |
| DB | GAUSE, PAUL (SETON HALL) |
| K | JACAS, ANDREW (FORT VALLEY STATE) |
| TE | JACKSON, NATE (MENLO COLLEGE) |
| T | JOYCE, BRANDON (ILLINOIS STATE) |
| WR | KIRCUS, DAVID (GRAND VALLEY STATE) |
| TE | KUHN, SCOTT (LOUISVILLE) |
| NT | LONG, GABE (UTAH) |
| LB | MOORE, BRANDON (OKLAHOMA) |
| RB | PALMER, RONNIE (ARIZONA) |
| LB | STILLS, GARY (WEST VIRGINIA) |
| RB | THOMPSON, TYSON (SAN JOSE STATE) |
| WR | THURMAN, ANDRAE (SOUTHERN OREGON) |
| LB | TOAL, BRIAN (BOSTON COLLEGE) |
| DB | TURNBULL, NICK (FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL) |
| DB | WILLIAMS, CHAZ (OREGON) |
| RB | WHITEHEAD, TERRENCE (OREGON) |
| UFL NEW YORK | |
| QB | BACHER, CJ (NORTHWESTERN) |
| DB | BROWN, TREY (UCLA) |
| DB | CELESTIN, OLIVER (TEXAS SOUTHERN) |
| NT | CLEBERT, RICHARD (SOUTH FLORIDA) |
| DE | FOUNTAIN, MAURICE (CLEMSON) |
| TE | GHENT, RONNIE (LOUISVILLE) |
| RB | GROSS, TYRONNE (EASTERN OREGON) |
| T | GUTEKUNST, SAM (GERMANY) |
| C | HARVEY, JASPER (SAN DIEGO STATE) |
| QB | JOHNSON, BRIAN (UTAH) |
| WR | KINOSHITA, NORIAKI (JAPAN) |
| DB | LOFTON, DAVID (STANFORD) |
| LB | MAGRO, MARC (WEST VIRGINIA) |
| DB | MAZE, TERELL (SAN DIEGO STATE) |
| T | NORELL, RAY (BUFFALO) |
| T | PRUNEDA, RAMIRO (MONTEREY TECH) |
| RB | RUBIN, JOE (PORTLAND STATE) |
| WR | SANDERS, STEVE (BOWLING GREEN) |
| RB | SAPP, CECIL (COLORADO STATE) |
| NT | SAVE, BRYAN (COLORADO STATE) |
| DE | SPICER, MICHALE (WESTERN CAROLINA) |
| RB | TOEFIELD, LABRANDON (LSU) |
| LB | WILLIAMS, NATHAN (MURRAY STATE) |
| RB | WOODS, SHANNON (TEXAS TECH) |
| UFL ORLANDO | |
| NT | BLEDSOE, FRED (ARKANSAS) |
| QB | BOLLINGER, BROOKS (WISCONSIN) |
| FB | CRUZ, RONNIE (NORTHERN STATE-SD) |
| DB | DOSS, MIKE (OHIO STATE) |
| DB | FASSITT, GREG (GRAMBLING) |
| WR | GESSNER, CHAS (BROWN) |
| TE | HEINRICH, KEITH (SAM HOUSTON STATE) |
| NT | LONG, RIEN (WASHINGTON STATE) |
| DB | MASON, GRANT (MICHIGAN) |
| LB | MCGARIGLE, TIM (NORTHWESTERN) |
| RB | PERRY, CHRIS (MICHIGAN) |
| T | PETITTI, ROB (PITTSBURGH) |
| OG | PILLAR, ZACK (FLORIDA) |
| DE | POWELL, ERIC (FLORIDA STATE) |
| LB | SCHLEGEL, ANTHONY (OHIO STATE) |
| DE | SCHOBEL, BO (TCU) |
| WR | THOMPSON, DOMINIQUE (WILLIAM & MARY) |
| CB | TRIBBLE, DEJUAN (BOSTON COLLEGE) |
| NT | TRIPPLETT, LARRY (WASHINGTON) |
| DB | VINNETT, DARIUS (ARKANSAS) |
| T | WAND, SETH (NORTHWEST MISSOURI ST) |
| TE | WIGGINS, JERMAINE (GEORGIA) |
| RB | WILSON, QUINCY (WEST VIRGINIA) |
| DB | WRIGHT, TJ (OHIO UNIVERSITY) |
| UFL SAN FRANCISCO | |
| FB | ARMSTRONG, ODIE (NW OKLAHOMA ST) |
| RB | AYANBADEJO, FEMI (SAN DIEGO STATE) |
| QB | BOYD, SHANE (KENTUCKY) |
| WR | BRACKINS, LARRY (PEARL RIVER CC) |
| LS | BROWN, KAI (BROWN) |
| QB | FITZGERALD, MARCUS (MARSHALL) |
| DE | GUNN, MARQUIES (AUBURN) |
| RB | HUTSONA, DARRELL (WASHINGTON STATE) |
| LB | KWATENG, PRINCE (NORTHWESTERN) |
| TE | LEDBETTER, BRANDEN (WESTERN MICHIGAN) |
| T | LEKKERKERKER, CORY (CALIFORNIA-DAVIS) |
| LB | MARTIN, JOE (SAN DIEGO STATE) |
| QB | O'HAGAN, LIAM (HARVARD) |
| T | RIMPF, BRIAN (EAST CAROLINA) |
| WR | SAMS, BJ (MCNEESE STATE) |
| T | STAMPER, BRIAN (VANDERBILT) |
| NT | STEWART, JASON (FRESNO STATE) |
| DE | SUGGS, DAMON (GEORGIA SOUTHERN) |
| DB | TREAUDO, AHMAD (SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY) |
| DB | UNDERWOOD, MARVIEL (SAN DIEGO STATE) |
| DB | UNERTL, JEREMY (WISCONSIN-LA CROSSE) |
| RB | WASHINGTON, JOHN DAVID (MOREHOUSE) |
| WR | WEST, JOE (TEXAS EL-PASO) |
What are the odds of this league holding up? See any names worth discussing?