USFL - The Rebel League the NFL Feared but didn't Respect: THE TRIAL & THE FALL MOVE
The Trial
The USFL developed a loyal following in its three- year existence. The league had TV deals in place with ABC and ESPN and leases with stadiums that housed NFL teams. But if the league decided to move from the spring to the fall, stadiums like the Vet in Philadelphia would pullout of their lease agreements with their USFL tenants in favor of the NFL teams.
More importantly, a fall move created a conflict with ABC -- which carried the crowning jewel of NFL programming -- Monday Night Football. With the NFL controlling the networks, the USFL never had a chance to survive in the fall without a TV contract in place.
League expansion and overspending on college talent put a drain on the stability of the league as the USFL grew into 18 cities by 1985. Many teams were still losing money and the league strayed from the initial stance of staying patient and remaining fiscally conservative in signing big-name players. Generals’ owner Donald Trump was the biggest culprit – on his 1985 roster he had two Heisman Trophy winners and at least six well-established former NFL veterans on the team.
“The original premise of the USFL was to start slowly with a pro
league in the spring,” says Carl Peterson, general manager of the Stars in
June 2006. “Crawl before we walk; walk before we run; lets get through
five years and see where we are.”
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