Will Birmingham play in the National Spring Football League?
March 13, 1990
A new professional outdoor football league is announced in New York. The
National Spring Football League names Birmingham as one of the 30 cities under consideration for a franchise.
Bill Byrne, the league's chief executive officer, made the announcement. Byrne
is very familiar with upstart football leagues, as he was a franchise owner in
both the World Football
League and the United
States Football League.
The league will choose between eight and 12 cities for inaugural franchises. Key
television markets of Boston, New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles will be the
league's first focus. Next will be cities that previously had teams in the USFL
or the National Football League, such as Birmingham, Baltimore, Memphis,
Portland, Jacksonville, Orlando, and St. Louis. Those cities are prime
contenders because they already have the facilities to host professional teams.
Consideration would also be given to college football hotbeds such as Lincoln,
Columbus, Iowa, Arkansas, South Bend, and the Carolinas. Beyond all those
cities, the league is also considering Albuquerque, Dallas, Denver, Honolulu,
Las Vegas, Miami, New Haven, Philadelphia, Portland, Sacramento, Salt Lake
City, and Tucson.
The league hopes to begin play in the spring of 1991. Current plans are for each
team to play 16 games, evenly split between home and away, in March, April, May,
and June. Future seasons would increase the number of games to 20.
The cost of a franchise is $125,000 but that also includes territorial rights.
Also, an additional $150,000 is required for league expenses. Each franchise
must also have $300,000 in a 'rainy day expense fund'.
NSFL commissioner Don Maynard (left) with
former University of Alabama legend Joe Namath
when both were with the New York Jets
The league will enforce a yearly operational cap of $3.5 million, of which only
$1.5 million could be used for salaries.
Only one franchise has fully committed, the Tampa Bay Bandits. Former USFL owner
Donald Trump is considering the New Jersey franchise. "He'll be involved. Now we
have to see if he can live within the cap," Byrne said.
Former New York Jets great and Pro Football Hall of Fame member Don Maynard has
been named league commissioner. "My main concern is that we stay a spring
league. It's a shame the USFL wanted to move to the fall."
Rumor has it that Kenny Stabler is wanting to organize the team located in
Alabama, most likely in Mobile.
April 18, 1990
At a press conference held in mayor Arrington's office, Tex Schramm announces
that Birmingham is the second American city to receive a franchise in the
World League of American
Football.
While no official statement was made by the NSFL, this action has likely ended their
interest in Birmingham.
June 4, 1990
At a two-day Las Vegas weekend meeting for potential owners, the league
announces the first six inaugural franchises; Charlotte, Chicago, Ohio,
Portland, Southern California, and Tampa Bay. Representatives from Australia and
New Zealand were also in attendance, as they are expected to be a part of the
league's future plans.
"I am very excited with the outcome of these meetings. This league will give a
lot of opportunities to players, coaches, and front office people who otherwise
may not get a chance. I believe our concept will work," Maynard said.
The remaining franchise locations will be announced after the June 18-19 league
meeting in Chicago.
June 12, 1990
Charles Yancy, owner of the SNFL's Tampa Bay Bandits, is threatening to pull his
club out and set up his own rival league. Yancy believes Byrne has violated his
exclusive Florida territorial rights by speaking with possible owners of a Miami
franchise. Byrne says Yancy has only paid $25,000 of the required $125,000
franchise fee, which gives him every right to continue negotiations with others.
Yancy says he may continue to help the NSFL form, but his Bandits would not be a
member.
Byrne is already counting the Bandits out but doesn't understand Yancy's
motives. "My league is in good shape. At this point, Tampa Bay under Charles
Yancy doesn't figure. I don't know what they're trying to prove. He's starting
litigation before he's even opened an office. We're not dead, but there's no
doubt he threw a wrench into what we were trying to do. When you threaten to
serve papers on people and say 'Bill Byrne's a thief' and that sort of thing,
well, what's he trying to accomplish?"
June 15, 1990
Maynard says that one of the league's innovations is there won't be a player
draft. Players will say and play in their home region - no shipping a player
from West Texas to Portland to play for three months.
Currently, plans are for each team to play 14 games and the league will enforce
a $30,000 salary cap for players.
"Television is a possibility, we're talking to three or four organizations about
televising our games. But if a team can average 30,000 fans - at a price the
average guy can afford - it (a franchise) should be able to break even," Maynard
said.
June 22, 1990
Yancy's rival league, the North American Spring Football League, held a two-day
meeting in Charlotte.
Among other items, the most notable was their "consolidation" of the National
Spring Football League.
Don Maynard will also become commissioner of the NASFL.
Epilogue
Despite "consolidating" a rival league, the North American Spring Football
League never played a single game, most likely due to
the NFL-backed World League of American Football starting up at the same time.
Contact Gene Crowley
Last update: December 09, 2020
