Professional football leagues have come and gone as the NFL has swatted away competitors.
But if a New Haven entrepreneur has his way, the next one will act as a complement to football's establishment league. Marvin Tomlin, a former University of New Haven football player who later worked in sports management, sees the United National Football League as a sort of Triple A for the NFL.
"[For players], it's NFL or bust," Tomlin said. "We're creating an entirely different professional development system."
The plan is for the UNFL to begin play in January. The season will run through April, so players coming off a college career will have an opportunity to showcase themselves for NFL teams in the months leading up to the draft.
The league is looking to have a minimum of eight teams next year. The locations have not been announced, but Tomlin said franchises will be based in college environments. Teams will be owned by the league, which has said it will pay players $1,000 a week. There are no immediate plans for a team in New England.
The UNFL announced Thursday that former NFL running back Joe Cribbs would be the first commissioner.
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