Will Birmingham play in the Independent Football League?
September 5, 1991
At a press conference held at a Hooter's restaurant in Ft. Myers, Florida,
organizers of the Independent Football League announce the formation of their
new football league which is scheduled to begin play August 21, 1992. According
to their press release, the league's first game will be Atlanta at Birmingham in
Legion Field.
The league hopes to have 64 teams by 1995, but will target only 16 charter
franchises for their inaugural season.
The IFL will be considered an Alabama-based organization.
Other cities listed in close range to Birmingham are Huntsville, Mobile,
Atlanta, Jackson, Nashville, and Memphis. A team of league representatives will
be traveling to each city on the list to meet with city officials.
The IFL concept is based on a revenue sharing plan, fan ownership, and wide-open
games.
Each team would play 18 games and conference champions would play for the chance
to appear in the Ultra Bowl, which will be played January 30, 1993.
Independent Football League co-founder William Rasmussen
Current plans are to have four conferences; Blue (South), Green
(North/Midwest/Southwest), Orange (West), and Red (East). Each conference will
have four regions. Birmingham figures to be in Blue Conference's Region Two,
along with teams located in Mobile, Atlanta, and Jackson (MS).
A major rule change would be that the quarterback could throw the football from
anywhere on the field, regardless of where the line of scrimmage is. Other
changes being considered are allowing teams to decide on one point, two point, or
three point extra points after a touchdown.
The two main founders are William Rasmussen and Les White. Rasmussen, the
league's media consultant, founded the cable sports network ESPN. White, the
league's television coordinator, owns several television stations in North
Alabama. White says he is already in discussions with one major network as well
as several cable and regional outlets to televise the IFL's games.
"There will be no Donald Trumps or George Steinbrenners in the IFL. The
franchises will be run more or less by the fan clubs and the board members they
elect," White said. Minor owners would be able to buy memberships for their team
for $200 to $10,000. This setup is similar to how the National Football League's
Green Bay Packers operate.
The executive director of the Birmingham Park and Recreation Board, Melvin
Miller, said that he had limited telephone contact with IFL officials regarding
rental of Legion Field. According to Miller, no serious contract talks have
occurred. The World League of American Football's
Birmingham Fire already hold a 'most favored tenant' status, which means the
city cannot give another professional football team a financial arrangement of
equal value.
Don Newton, president of the Birmingham Area Chamber of Commerce, said he
received a letter from the IFL earlier this week. "The letter simply said how
wonderful they are and if we are great and good and wonderful and want to take
them to our bosom, that we might get a franchise. I wrote them back a
one-paragraph letter and told them we are already supportive of the
Birmingham Fire of the World League and we cannot support another team,"
Newton said.
Epilogue
The Independent Football League never made it past the planning stages.
