The NFL has changed for the worst. I am not talking about the poor attempt for extreme drunk fans with the XFL or the poor marketing attempt of the USFL. I am talking about this short lived World League of American Football (WLAF) and NFL Europa.
These were supposed to be the equivalent of MLB minor leagues to develop on demand players for the NFL. But it failed. So, the NFL returns their watchful eye to the collegiate athlete. But there is a problem using the NCAA as their personal “minor league”. This is a plea for the NFL to start up the WLAF and get their hands out of the collegiate athletic system.
Families pay their hard earned money to make sure their Timmy or Suzy get an education, which is never enough so loans are becoming a necessity. Students graduate with a five figure debt, not talking about those who continue on to professional careers that finish their education easily with a six figure debt.
The WLAF should be the solution for the NFL draft not the universities that have to constantly adjust to the United States Department of Education whims to meet their student’s needs. There are students who come into a financial aid office crying because they need that one last $1000 to keep from going home and there are no more options. The final solution, if it is an option, to get a micro loan from the pockets of the institution.
But, never the athlete . . . especially the football player.
Who needs the football player anyway?
- NFL – The NFL has limited themselves to make money no matter the human cost.
- The Institution – There is no way that the University or College would put their books, libraries or their academic achievements ahead of their precious football team.
- NCAA – The existence of the NCAA is dependent on the amateur athlete and is constantly in the news due to corruption (google news search)
- States without NFL teams – The monopoly of the NFL and taking advantage of the amateur athlete and the institution has controlled the opportunity for a true NFL experience in many states.
- Sofa fans – Those fans that will never leave the couch, unless of course they score with NFL tickets. These are fans that would never leave the comfort of their living rooms for any thing except for maybe more beer.
So what is needed fix the NFL and have become something that everyone can watch and invest locally.
- Anytime the NFL drafts a collegiate student or graduate (if the NFL mimics the NBA soon High School graduate) the NFL must pay a penalty. The NFL must give the institution an exact (100%) amount of salary, in one lump sum. For example; if the draftee receives a five year contract for 2 million then the institution get the full 2 million on signing the athlete. Note: the money can’t go to any athletic group, it is back to each of the students via financial aid office.
- Bring back the WLAF. If the NFL draft directly from the WLAF there isn’t a penalty to any institution, unless the draftee was a member of the WLAF for under one (1) year.
- The WLAF must be established, first, in states that do not have an NFL team.
- The WLAF can’t be established in any state with one established NFL team until all other states have at least one WLAF team.
- The WLAF can’t be established in any state with two established NFL teams until all other states have at least two WLAF teams.
- The WLAF can’t be established within a 60 mile radius from an established NFL stadium and/or city home of a NFL team.
- The WLAF must be established like the minor league in the MLB. The NFL will get their recruits after two years exclusively with the WLAF.
- The WLAF will not be able to recruit any individual that has not completed a secondary degree, military service or recognized apprenticeship program.
- If a WLAF team recruits any student without a completed secondary degree (AS, BS) the WLAF team must pay a penalty twice.
- WLAF team will pay equal amount of annual salary to the institution, directly to the student body via financial aid office for a total of two years.
- WLAF will pay 1/2 of the bonus received from the NFL, if the player goes to the NFL. If there is no bonus then the WLAF and NFL team will be frozen from the next NFL draft.
- If there is a trade within the WLAF with a penalized player the new WLAF team will be responsible for the remainder financial penalty to the originating institution.
- The football season of the NFL will be played only on Sundays, Monday night and limited to two games on a US Holiday.
- The football season of the WLAF will be played on Saturdays, Thursday and limited to two games on on a US Holiday.
- The football season of the NCAA will be played on Saturdays only and no games on any US Holiday.
- Each WLAF team will have to be affliated with an NFL team, until further notice.
All established independent leagues (ie Empire League) will automatically become part of the WLAF status and a draft will assign affiliation. Not one established independent team in any football semi-pro league will be left out of the WLAF.- The WLAF will be divided up into four division (loosely based on time zones):
- Pacific (Including Hawaii and Alaska)
- Mountain
- Midwest
- Atlantic (Including Puerto Rico)
- At the end of the season the top of division will play each other in playoffs:
- Pacific vs Moutain
- Midwest vs Atlantic
- The determination of home advantage is win/loss during regular season, with a tie breaker being the over stats of the players.
- The winners of the playoffs will go the super bowl equivalent, National Bowl.
- The national bowl location will be on a rotating basis. Each WLAF team home will host the National Bowl and will not host again until all WLAF team homes have been given the opportunity.
- Any WLAF team town may forfeit hosting the National Bowl, if so, the next WLAF team on the list will be hosting. Any forfeiting town will not be moved to the bottom on the order, but will have to wait until all other WLAF team homes have given the opportunity for hosting the National Bowl.
- The WLAF may not expand outside the United States until every states has an establish WLAF team.
- No WLAF team may not move out of the state unless another WLAF team will be taking its place.
- WLAF teams must use train or (hybrid) bus travel during their regular schedule. The divisions are located, exception Pacific, within the same time zone and can be traveled through non air transportation.
- The WLAF teams will not all have the same budgets. Those WLAF teams that have stronger NFL or local support will have an advantage over those who do not. This will give each team an equal playing field when it comes to away games.
- There are three travel exceptions:
- WLAF teams located or playing in Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico.
- WLAF teams playing in the playoffs.
- WLAF teams playing in the National Bowl.
- WLAF rules will adhere to all NFL rules.
- WLAF will not have broadcast blackouts.
- WLAF sponsors will be a five tiered:
- Local – At least 25% of the budget must come from local sponsors. Local will be a 100 mile radius. National chains, even though they may be independently owned and operated, will not count as local.
- Those WLAF teams with the top five highest number and percentage of Local sponsors will be rewarded with a 1% end of year WLAF profits towards their team. Which means that if a WLAF team in Charleston, WV has 300 local sponsors and it reaches the minimal 25% budget requirement will receive the 1% profit over the team in Richmond, VA has 20 local sponsors and have reach the minimal 25% budget requirement.
- State – No more than 75% of the budget. This is sponsorship within the border of the state. This will not include bordering states.
- Division – No more than 25% of the budget. Division will include a sponsor within the time zone of the WLAF team.
- National – No more than 25% of the budget.
- International – No more that 10% of the budget.
- Local – At least 25% of the budget must come from local sponsors. Local will be a 100 mile radius. National chains, even though they may be independently owned and operated, will not count as local.
- The top five WLAF teams with full capacity attendance records in relation to the local population will receive a 1% profit. Which means if Center Valley, PA (population 6,282) has a stadium that seats 8,000 with attendance averaging 7,500 per game will receive the 1% profit over the team in Rapid City, SD (population 59,607) has a stadium that seats 12,000 with attendance averaging 10,000 per game. Even though Rapid City had the higher attendance record it is not as impressive as Center Valley.
- This does not include ticket sells, it is actual attendance.
- Each WLAF team will be required to have a PR division with a marketing outreach budget no less than 5% of total budget.
- Each WLAF teams will be required to do community outreach the entire year for a total 10 hours a month off season and 20 hours pre/post season and 10 hours during the season.
- WLAF will require each team member to have two sessions with a qualified financial adviser.
- All WLAF team mascots will be animals and cannot have mascots that represent a person, persons or a group alive or historical can be used as a WLAF team mascot.
- All WLAF team names must be an animal. No color, person, person or a group alive or historical can be used as a WLAF team name.
- All WLAF team members during pre/post season and during the entire season will be a representative of the WLAF and NFL affiliate. During such times, out of athletic uniform, the player will be in business or business casual at all public WLAF public events.
The NFL monopoly has been getting away with using the collegiate athlete long enough. There should be a minor league system to develop players available to play in the NFL. Education funds should not be used to develop NFL players. 90% of all college students receive federal funding for a higher education and still need private loans to supplement educational cost. All NCAA football athletes receive special scholarships, room and board funding all at the cost of the entire student body. While the NFL reaps the rewards of a glorified minor league without spending a dime.
It is time to change the NFL and stop the use of collegiate athletes. No more handouts. No more full scholarship for athletes. It is time for the NFL to put forth their own system to develop players or at least reimburse all 2 and 4 year colleges that receive federal assistance for their student bodies until the re-establishment of the WLAF.
It is time for the NFL to stop making stadiums and start making futures.
