Alliance of American Football
Most recent season or competition: XFL | |
Official website | AAF.com |
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The Alliance of American Football (AAF) was a professional American football minor league.[3][1][4] The AAF consisted of eight centrally owned and operated teams in the southern and western United States, seven of which were located in metropolitan areas with at least one major professional sports franchise.
Founded by Charlie Ebersol and Bill Polian in 2018, the AAF began play on February 9, 2019. The league was scheduled to have a 10-week regular season and conclude with a championship game on April 27. After eight weeks of play, however, the league's football operations were suspended by controlling owner Thomas Dundon on April 2.[5][6] Two days later, the AAF allowed players to leave their contracts to sign with NFL teams.[7] The AAF filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on April 17, 2019, with the league's sole season left incomplete.[1][8]
The AAF positioned itself as an "upper-level minor league" serving as a transition between the college game and the NFL.
History
The league was formally organized on February 6, 2018 as an interlocked web of five Delaware limited liability companies: Legendary Field Exhibitions, AAF Players, AAF Properties, LFE 2, and We Are Realtime, LLC. Each in turn was controlled by Ebersol through his own entity as manager, Ebersol Sports Media Group, Inc., while minority investors held stakes in one or more of the LLC entities.
The AAF was announced on March 20, 2018. Ebersol sought to focus on creating a solid football product in the hopes that it would attract fans. He hired a team of experienced football players, coaches and executives to prepare the league for launch.
Ebersol attended the first XFL game in Las Vegas in 2001, and remembered how disappointed his father was by the poor quality of play.[13] To ensure professional-level football at launch, the AAF set out to hire coaches with professional football coaching and championship experience.[14] On April 7, 2018, the first team, Orlando, was announced with its coach Steve Spurrier.[15] By June 2018, the league had announced its eight inaugural teams and their cities.[12]
On July 30, 2018, the Alliance announced the league had signed 100 players.[16] In August 2018, the league held the Alliance Scouting Combine at three locations and four dates: August 4, 2018, in Los Angeles, California; August 18 in Houston, Texas; and August 25–26 in Atlanta, Georgia.[17] By August 24, 2018, 205 players were signed.[18] These dates provided an opportunity for players cut at the NFL roster deadline, and each player signed a non-guaranteed three-year contract worth a total of $250,000 ($70,000 in 2019; $80,000 in 2020; $100,000 in 2021),[19] with performance-based and fan-interaction incentives allowing for players to earn more.[20]
In July 2018, Starter, through G-III Sports, which manufactured NFL jerseys and apparel in the 1980s and 1990s, was named the official on-field apparel and game-day uniform supplier for the AAF, marking a return for the brand to professional football after an almost 20-year absence.[21] On September 20, the league announced four eastern inaugural franchises' names and logos.[22] The four western teams' logos and names were revealed five days later.[23]
Inaugural season
On October 16, 2018, the Alliance announced its schedule (indicating the day and location, but not the time, of each game) which had two games each on Saturday and on Sunday most weekends.
The AAF began its inaugural, 10-week season on February 9, 2019.[12] The first points in AAF regular season history were scored by kicker Younghoe Koo of the Atlanta Legends, who made a 38-yard field goal against the Orlando Apollos. The first touchdown came in the same game with Orlando quarterback Garrett Gilbert connecting with Jalin Marshall for a 16-yard score.[26] The first shutout was recorded by the Birmingham Iron when they defeated the Memphis Express, 26–0, in Week 1.[27] The first onside conversion (see Rules section, below) was attempted during Week 3, with Atlanta successfully completing a 48-yard pass against Birmingham.[28] The first safety was registered by Atlanta against the Arizona Hotshots in Week 4.[29] The first overtime game occurred in Week 7, with Memphis defeating Birmingham.[30]
A four-team playoff was to be capped with the league's championship game, initially scheduled to be held at
Cessation of operations
On April 2, 2019, the AAF suspended all football operations, on orders from AAF chairman Tom Dundon.[32] League co-founder Bill Polian stated:
I am extremely disappointed to learn Tom Dundon has decided to suspend all football operations of the Alliance of American Football. When Mr. Dundon took over, it was the belief of my co-founder, Charlie Ebersol, and myself that we would finish the season, pay our creditors, and make the necessary adjustments to move forward in a manner that made economic sense for all. The momentum generated by our players, coaches and football staff had us well positioned for future success. Regrettably, we will not have that opportunity.[32]
Players found out about the suspension through the Internet before their coaches confirmed the news.[33] Players were evicted from the hotels where their teams were being housed—with some being personally charged for unpaid hotel bills[34]—and required to pay their own way home; they also lost their health insurance and were forced to cover their own medical bills from injuries sustained during play.[35] League employees were notified via an April 2 letter from the AAF board, which did not give a reason for ending the season,[32] that their jobs were terminated as of April 3 with no severance.[34] Ebersol and Dundon refused public comment;[34] Ebersol would eventually speak out on April 17, stating that he had been advised not to speak by his attorneys. He insisted that the money he raised was there and had been vetted up until immediately before the season, claimed that reports of players being saddled with hotel and medical bills were either fake news or fraudulent charges, and could not ensure that all those owed money would be paid.[36]
On April 4, the AAF announced through their official Twitter account that players were eligible to leave their contracts to sign with NFL teams.[7] The contracts that players had originally signed included a stipulation that they could leave to sign with NFL teams at the conclusion of an AAF season.[37] The league did not issue any public statement until April 6, when the AAF.com website was updated with a statement, which read in part:
This week, we made the difficult decision to suspend all football operations for the Alliance of American Football. We understand the difficulty that this decision has caused for many people and for that we are very sorry. This is not the way we wanted it to end, but we are also committed to working on solutions for all outstanding issues to the best of our ability. Due to ongoing legal processes, we are unable to comment further or share details about the decision.[38]
At the time its football operations were suspended, the AAF had played eight weeks out of a scheduled ten-week regular season.
Bankruptcy liquidation
On April 17, Ebersol Sports Media Group, Inc. and the five AAF operating entities filed for joint Chapter 7 bankruptcy (liquidation) in Texas’ Eastern District.[8] In the filing, the league claimed assets of $11.3 million, liabilities of $48.3 million, and approximately $536,000 in cash.[39] The AAF counted its player contracts among its assets in the bankruptcy filing, blocking players from joining the Canadian Football League.[40] This block was lifted a day after the bankruptcy filing.[41]
The league's uniforms and equipment were stored in a lot in
Teams
Team[23] | City | Stadium | Capacity | Head coach[45] | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Eastern Conference | ||||||
Atlanta Legends | Atlanta, Georgia | Georgia State Stadium
|
24,333 | Kevin Coyle | ||
Birmingham Iron | Birmingham, Alabama | Legion Field | 71,594 | Tim Lewis | ||
Memphis Express | Memphis, Tennessee | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
|
58,325 | Mike Singletary | ||
Orlando Apollos | Orlando, Florida | Spectrum Stadium
|
44,206 | Steve Spurrier | ||
Western Conference | ||||||
Arizona Hotshots | Tempe, Arizona | Sun Devil Stadium
|
57,078 | Rick Neuheisel | ||
Salt Lake Stallions | Salt Lake City, Utah | Rice–Eccles Stadium | 45,807 | Dennis Erickson | ||
San Antonio Commanders | San Antonio, Texas | Alamodome | 64,000 | Mike Riley | ||
San Diego Fleet | San Diego, California | SDCCU Stadium | 70,561 | Mike Martz |
Rules
Ebersol deliberately avoided making radical changes to the rules of the game so as to make it recognizable to the U.S. public. He stated that he used the average length of a feature film, slightly over two hours, as the basis for a typical fan's attention span.[9]
- Teams had 52 players on each roster, with some selected by a territorial draft.[46] The territory assigned to a team consisted of at least five colleges plus designated professional teams, one Canadian Football League, and four NFL teams (players from colleges outside the AAF footprint being allocated based on their most recent professional team). Only one quarterback could be taken from their region.[47]
- For the inaugural season, a quarterbacks-only "Protect or Pick" draft was conducted in November 2018 in which teams could retain their allocated quarterback or select an unprotected quarterback from another team.[48]
- For the inaugural season, a quarterbacks-only "
- Telecasts featured no television timeouts and 60 percent fewer "full-screen commercials," with the league aiming for an approximate real-time game length of 150 minutes, down from just over 180 in the NFL.[49][50] In turn, the AAF aimed to charge more money for the remaining commercial slots, also alluding to product placement opportunities that did not interrupt the game telecast.[9]
- There were no extra point kicks; teams had to attempt two-point conversions after a touchdown.
- Defenses were forbidden from advancing ("rushing") more than five players on or across the line of scrimmage, and no defensive player could offensive tackles.[51]The "illegal defense" penalty for violating these rules was a 15-yard penalty.
- There were no kickoffs; possession at the start of each half, and after touchdowns and field goals, began on a team's own 25-yard line, in line with the NFL touchbacks. After a safety, the scoring team received possession at their own 35-yard line.[52]
- In lieu of an onside kick, a team could keep possession of the ball by attempting an "onside conversion", a scrimmage play from their own 28-yard line and gaining at least 12 yards (essentially, a fourth-and-12 play).[53] A team was not allowed to attempt such a play after a field goal or touchdown unless it was trailing by 17 or more points, or during the final two minutes of the first half, or during the final five minutes of the second half.[54][55] The onside conversion play was also available after any safety,[citation needed] played from the 18-yard line.[51]
- The play clock ran only 35 seconds, five seconds shorter than in the NFL, but still longer than the CFL's 20 seconds, timed from the spotting of the football. (The league originally proposed a 30-second play clock,[50] but Ebersol concluded it would negatively impact the quality of play.)[9]
- Players could not throw the football into the stands or hand it off to a spectator following a touchdown.[56] While other leagues (particularly the NCAA) have similar rules in place using rationale based on sportsmanship, the primary motivation for the AAF rule appears to be economic as its footballs (manufactured by Wilson Sporting Goods and marked with distinctive red, blue, and white stripes) contain expensive tracking technology. The penalty for such behavior was unsportsmanlike conduct, a 15-yard penalty, and if it is determined to be deliberate, a fine can be assessed to the offending player.[57] Other touchdown celebrations are generally tolerated.
- Trent Richardson of the Birmingham Iron was penalized during the first week of AAF play, when a ball he spiked after scoring a touchdown bounced into the stands. AAF officials later determined that Richardson's actions were accidental and did not assess the fine, also apologizing for the penalty.[57]
- There were no automatic instant replay reviews of scoring plays or turnovers as there are in the NFL. Each team was given two coach's challenges, which they could use at any time outside the two-minute warning, and received a third if both challenges were successful. After the two-minute warning in each half and during overtime, the replay booth had sole authority to call for a replay review.[50]
- Outside organizations handled head-safety protocols.[58]
- In the event of a tie at the end of regulation, a single Kansas Playoff." Each team would begin on their opponent's 10-yard line and be given one possession (four downs) to score, with no field goals allowed. Had a score remained tied after each team was given their possession, the game would end in a tie. Both teams would be given one timeout per overtime possession. The coin toss winner could choose to possess first or defer.[9] Had the AAF reached the postseason, accounts differed on what system would be used; early reports had repeated rounds of the Kansas Playoff played until a winner was determined,[9] but later reports stated that the AAF would use sudden death (golden point), which had been abolished at all other levels of football by the time of the AAF's debut.[59]
- Playoffs would have consisted of four teams, the top two teams from each conference.[24]
- Officiating crews had standard seven-official system used in the NFL and CFL (the eighth officiating member was the center judge). AAF officiating also had a ninth member, called a sky judge, an off-the-field official who reviews every play using technology like a booth review. The sky judge could call or take away penalties missed or made by the field officials.[51]
Business
The Alliance operated as a single entity, with all teams owned and operated by the league, under the name Legendary Field Exhibitions LLC.
MGM Resorts International made an investment in the AAF tech platform,[61] and entered a three-year sponsorship agreement to become the league's official sports betting sponsor and exclusive gaming partner. The deal marked the first time any sports organization had sold exclusive in-game betting rights to a sportsbook.[62][63] Scott Butera, MGM's director of interactive gaming (the division that signed an agreement with the AAF), was formerly the commissioner of the Arena Football League before his 2018 ouster.[64] Under the terms of the agreement, MGM Resorts International owned all rights to the tech platform in the event the league ceases operations, preventing an investor from buying the league solely for access to the technology.[65] Gambling functions were never implemented on the league's app,[65] and many planned features for the app never materialized due to technical glitches and impracticality.[60]
The league also had player bonuses and scholarships, with player bonuses based on performance and fan interaction, players were to earn a year's scholarship in post-secondary education for each season of play.
The AAF coaching salaries varied by title, with $500,000 for head coaches, $200–250,000 for coordinators, and $75–150,000 for position coaches. Each AAF team employed between 11 and 13 total coaches, putting the total coaching staff expenditures at around $2 million per staff and $16 million for the entire league.[70]
Dundon investment
On February 18, 2019, the league announced that
Ebersol had admitted prior to the start of the season that, on numerous occasions, the AAF had come dangerously close to folding before its first game due to various unstated complications.
In early March 2019, it was revealed by Bill Polian that the AAF and
Ultimately, the AAF lost an estimated $88 million overall, earning only $12 million in revenue against its $100 million expenses.[4]
Legal matters
In late February 2019, a lawsuit by a venture capitalist in Los Angeles became public, as the AAF issued a statement denying a claim by Robert Vanech that the league was his idea and that he had a handshake agreement with Charlie Ebersol; Vanech is seeking financial damages and 50 percent ownership of the league. As at 2024 the matter has not been resolved. [83][84]
Also in late February, the league revealed that it had been unable to secure a league-wide
In April 2019, after the league suspended football operations, two players—punter Colton Schmidt of the Birmingham Iron and linebacker Reggie Northrup of the Orlando Apollos—filed a class action lawsuit in California, claiming that they were misled about the financial viability of the league and that the league entered contracts with players in bad faith.[86]
Also in April, two former front-office league employees filed a class action lawsuit in California, claiming that the league violated the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 1988, which requires large companies to give at least a 60-day advanced notice before large layoffs.[87]
Reggie Fowler was arrested April 30, 2019, on charges related to operating a massive cryptocurrency scam in 2018, the funds for which were used to fund his AAF investments.[88]
In November 2022, the trustees handling the AAF bankruptcy filed a lawsuit against Dundon seeking the remainder of the $250 million investment he had publicly promised, alleging he owed the $184 million debt to the league. Dundon countersued Ebersol for the $70 million he had previously invested.[89]
Key people
Executives
- Charlie Ebersol, co-founder and CEO
- Bill Polian, co-founder and Head of Football
- J. K. McKay, Head of Football Operations
- Troy Polamalu, Head of Player Relations
- Hines Ward, Head of Football Development
- Tom Veit, Head of Business Operations
- Mike Pereira, Officiating Consultant
- Dean Blandino, Officiating Consultant
- Player Engagement Board Of Advisors
Source:[90]
Board of directors
- Tom Dundon, chairman[73]
- Dick Ebersol[58] (ousted midseason)[60]
- Keith Rabois[91]
Media
As part of its formation, the AAF announced broadcast deals with
CBSSN's game of the week was called by
Reception
Critics
The AAF received mixed to positive reviews opening night.
Viewership
Overnight
In March 2019, building upon these ratings successes, both CBS and TNT added games to their packages; Turner Sports shifted two additional Saturday afternoon games from B/R Live to TNT (with B/R Live streaming a Skycam-only feed of the games as a companion), while CBS announced that it would shift two games from CBS Sports Network to broadcast television, including a regular season game on April 6, 2019 (in the afternoon prior to CBS's broadcast of the 2019 NCAA Final Four), and one of the conference championship games.[111][110] However, due to the suspension of football operations, these games were left unplayed.
Notable players
The following lists notable AAF players:[112]
- Daniel Brunskill (offensive lineman)
- Nick Folk (kicker)
- Garrett Gilbert (quarterback)
- Younghoe Koo (kicker)
- D'Ernest Johnson (running back)
- Greg Ward (running back)
See also
- XFL (2020)
- United States Football League (2022)
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- ^ Savidge, Nico (April 10, 2019). "Former AAF employees allege defunct pro football league violated labor law". The Mercury News. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
- ^ DeSilva, Matthew (May 3, 2019). "How the collapse of a football league is tied to crypto's biggest banking scandal". Quartz. Retrieved May 5, 2019.
- ^ Florio, Mike (November 15, 2022). "AAF collapse sparks $184 million lawsuit against Tom Dundon". ProFootballTalk. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
- ^ "Leadership". aaf.com. Archived from the original on February 12, 2019. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
- ^ Balakrishnan, Anita; Salinas, Sara (March 20, 2018). "Peter Thiel's venture firm is backing a new football league to rival the NFL". CNBC. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
- ^ a b Florio, Mike (December 20, 2016). "CBS unveils AAF broadcast teams". Pro Football Talk. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
- ^ Feldman, Jacob (March 14, 2019). "CBS Adds More Alliance of American Football Games to Broadcast Schedule". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
- ^ Dachman, Jason (February 8, 2019). "At Dawn of AAF Era, Technological Innovation Drives Live Productions". Sports Video Group. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
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- ^ Steinberg, Leigh (July 26, 2018). "AAF: The League That Fills The NFL Offseason Void". Forbes. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
- ^ a b Ourand, John (January 31, 2019). "Alliance Of American Football Signs Deals With Turner, NFL Net". SportsBusiness Daily. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
- ^ Media, N. F. L. (February 7, 2019). ".@nflnetwork's coverage of @TheAAF kicks off Sunday at 8p ET w/ the Salt Lake City Stallions vs. Arizona Hotshots. @DanHellie @MJD & Marvin Lewis are on the call". Retrieved February 12, 2019.
- ^ "Marvin Lewis, Terrell Davis and Andrew Siciliano among new names revealed for AAF broadcasts". Awful Announcing. February 2, 2019. Retrieved February 9, 2019.
- ^ Alper, Josh (February 7, 2019). "SiriusXM will air AAF games". NBCsports.com. NBC Universal. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
- ^ "SAN ANTONIO COMMANDERS ANNOUNCE ESPN SAN ANTONIO 1250 AM/94.5 FM AS OFFICIAL RADIO PARTNER". ESPN San Antonio. January 7, 2019. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
- ^ "XTRA 1360 to be Fleet's flagship station in 2019". aaf.com. Archived from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
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- ^ Smith, Michael David (February 10, 2019). "AAF off to a solid start". Profootballtalk.com. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
- ^ Kirshner, Alex (February 11, 2019). "5 things the NFL and college football could learn from the first weekend of the AAF". SB Nation. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
- ^ "From his Hollywood Haven, Julian Edelman reflects on LIII MVP, his path and being a perfect Patriot § 10 Things I Think I Think". Football Morning in America. NBC Sports. February 11, 2019. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
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Further reading
- Haislop, Tadd (April 3, 2019). "Why is the AAF folding? Who to blame for Alliance of American Football's collapse". Sporting News. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
- Kercheval, Ben (April 3, 2019). "AAF 2019: What went wrong and what happens next following league's sudden shutdown". CBS Sports. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
- McCann, Michael (April 2, 2019). "Chaos and Fallout: The Legal Impact of the AAF's Potential Collapse". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
- Redford, Patrick (April 4, 2019). "The AAF's Sudden Collapse Left Players High And Dry With Bills For Housing And Injuries". Deadspin. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
- Schleifer, Theodore (April 2, 2019). "It turns out Silicon Valley cannot disrupt the National Football League". Recode. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
- Sherman, Rodger (April 4, 2019). "The AAF Failed Because All Minor League Football Does". The Ringer. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
- Michael Rothstein, Seth Wickersham (June 13, 2019). "Inside the short, unhappy life of the Alliance of American Football". ESPN. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
External links
- Official website (archived, 16 Dec 2018)