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February 12, 2012

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United Football League looks for progress in second season

Comissioner Michael Huyghue discusses the league’s future

By (contact)

Tuesday, July 20, 2010 | 2:05 a.m.

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Steve Silver

UFL commissioner Michael Huyghue fields questions at a press conference inside Sam Boyd Stadium.

The months leading up to the second United Football League season have played out quite a bit different than the ones before the league's first year for Las Vegas coach Jim Fassel.

Fassel said he spent much of his time before the inaugural season trying to convince players to give the league a shot. It wasn't anything like that this year as the Locomotives began assembling their roster.

Fassel became the listener instead of the recruiter. Last month during a Las Vegas mini camp, Fassel said more players than expected looked into playing in the UFL in 2010.

"I got a lot of phone calls," Fassel said. "A lot of guys wanted to be a part of this."

The UFL is hoping that interest extends past just the players. In order for the league to be successful, it needs to increase attendance and television ratings this year.

Three Las Vegas home games last year averaged an announced attendance of about 13,000 spectators, but there appeared to be fewer than that in the Sam Boyd Stadium stands. The television ratings on Versus were also below-average.

"Everything is incremental; we still have to be patient," UFL commissioner Michael Huyghue said. "Like any new business, it takes a while to build, and we want to manage growth and expectations."

The league lost $30 million last season, according to Huyghue, and expects to finish 2010 at a deficit as well. Minimizing that loss and keeping it significantly lower than 2009 will be the focus.

"We're on track to break even by year three," Huyghue said. "We have confidence that we're on the right track as far as financials."

The 2010 UFL season kicks off Saturday, Sept. 18, when Las Vegas hosts the Florida Tuskers in a championship rematch from last season. The Locomotives and the Tuskers, who play in Orlando, are the only UFL teams that stayed in the same city for 2010.

The California Redwoods, based in San Francisco, became the Sacramento Mountain Lions. The New York Sentinels morphed into the Hartford Colonials. The UFL also added a team, the Omaha Nighthawks.

Because of the player interest Fassel spoke of, each team was able to add at least one talented NFL veteran. Las Vegas lured linebacker and local product Ed Hartwell, while California grabbed Daunte Culpepper as its quarterback.

Florida and Omaha each grabbed notable NFL running backs Dominic Rhodes and Ahman Green, respectively.

"While the objective is not constantly to have a rotating door of players just in one year and to build some continuity, I think it's good people are seeing that this league is a platform league," Huyghue said. "In many ways, quality players can improve their positioning in the National Football League."

Huyghue wants Las Vegas fans along for the UFL's ride. He said the league established a lot of momentum with the community in its first year and saw no reason why it shouldn't continue.

"This could be an opportunity for Vegas fans to show they are deserving of pro franchises in general," Huyghue said. "This is a great opportunity to embrace this team and speak for this community. A lot of people are looking at this league, from the NBA to hockey and other sports."

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