The Alliance of American Football (AAF) has an interesting story — a football league that was created based off of a failure.
In 2016, after finishing the documentary This Was the XFL (part of ESPN Films’ 30 for 30 series), filmmaker Charlie Ebersol got the idea to launch the AAF. With all the research and analyzing that he had done for the film, Ebersol agreed with co-founder Vince McMahon that the XFL could have worked, but the league and the sport itself was handled horribly.
That’s when the Alliance of American Football was born, and the irony: It also involved the XFL. Well, kind of.
In late 2017, McMahon had explored the possibility of bringing back the XFL due to the then-struggles of the National Football League. When the rumor spread of the XFL’s return, Ebersol was already in the development stage of his product — and he took full advantage being ahead of the game plan after that.
The AAF would officially announce their existence on March 20th, 2018, and would start out by hiring a slew of football players, coaches, and executives — all with prior experience. Due to the disappointment in the XFL, that’s exactly what Ebersol would try to accomplish the opposite of by the hiring of former professional and championship-level coaches.
The first official team announcement and their head coach would set it off and would give us a peak on what kind of league we could expect: the Orlando Apollos were announced with Steve Spurrier — the former head coach of the University of Florida who won a national championship at the school. After the announcement in April, two months later, the full roster of the league would be announced, compiling of eight teams and their cities.
Below are two lists:
Afterwards, I give you my review of the Alliance of American Football, and then following that, I want to go over something with you as far as the league is concerned.
I’ve been very impressed with what I’ve seen the first two opening weekends of the Alliance of American Football, and I’m also happy to announce that I’ve officially declared my fandom for an AAF team: the Orlando Apollos.
Being a @MiamiDolphins, @MiamiHEAT and @FlaPanthers fan, and having a rooting interest in the Miami @Marlins and @MiamiHurricanes, it's only right that I declare my fandom for the only Florida team in @TheAAF: the Orlando Apollos. I'll be buying gear soon, guys. @aafAPOLLOS — Andrew Powell (@andrewrpowell) 15 February 2019
Being a @MiamiDolphins, @MiamiHEAT and @FlaPanthers fan, and having a rooting interest in the Miami @Marlins and @MiamiHurricanes, it's only right that I declare my fandom for the only Florida team in @TheAAF: the Orlando Apollos. I'll be buying gear soon, guys. @aafAPOLLOS
— Andrew Powell (@andrewrpowell) 15 February 2019
I can take it or leave it. I personally don’t mind kickoffs in a football game; I think it adds an extra element of entertainment value. But it’s not dramatic entertainment, so I don’t mind getting straight to the action at the 25-yard line. The AAF can do either one, but with the format they’re trying to accomplish (and being different than the NFL), having no kick-off for sure works out for them. Good call on the league’s part with that policy.
Oh my God, it was football heaven. And not just were they limited, but it was one, yes, ONE commercial in a break before we got back to action. That’s not all though, here’s the best part: During that one commercial, they kept the stream of the game up while the ad was playing — it was magnificent! And there’s zero TV timeouts. The AAF gets an A+++ rating from me on that one. As a result, we also get a shorter game at about two hours, which is fine with me. I enjoy the NFL’s three to four-hour games, but they get a bit exhausting at times. The Alliance broadcasts their games through CBS Sports Network, TNT, B/R Live, and NFL Network — they also offer live streaming on their mobile app and audio broadcast on SiriusXM.
Another cool feature that I enjoyed about the Alliance of American Football is during their instant replay process. When a play is reviewed, the AAF lets you see and hear what the officials are talking about during the broadcast. I wish the NFL would do that, but I understand why they don’t with the kind of media spotlight that’s on their league. You think referees get criticized now, it would be insanity for National Football League zebras if that happened.
The Alliance also gives us some arcade-style football with their PAT system. Instead of going for an extra point kick after a touchdown, teams are forced to attempt two-point conversions like it’s a group of friends having a Madden tournament. I support the extra entertainment value.
Their overtime format. When OT happens in the Alliance, they play under the “Kansas Playoff”: Each team starts at the 10-yard line of the opposition and is given four downs (one possession) to score — no field goals are allowed. After both teams have had the ball and the score is still the same, the game ends in a tie. I’m not a fan of that, and the Alliance of American Football fails to separate themselves from the NFL in this category. I highly suggest the AAF creating an overtime format that allows a team to win no matter what — it’s annoying watching a game for hours just to see a tie. Ebersol seems progressive enough to eventually get this, so don’t be surprised to see this change in the near future.
Back to the good stuff though: I have to thoroughly applaud the business side of the Alliance of American Football.
I do like how the AAF operates as a single entity and owns (and works operations) of all their teams — their league, their rules, their power. I get that, and I like that. But I do think the league would be a lot more competitive (and profitable) if these teams were owned by different billionaire individuals. You could even have a rule similar to the NFL where only people can own teams, not corporations. The Alliance would also create their own free agency frenzy by doing this, obviously by having owners bid on players through contracts. Just something to think about. With that being said, I do like how they let investors into the league. Just to name a few: Peter Thiel’s (love that guy) Founders Fund, The Chernin Group (the entity that owns Barstool Sports), Jared Allen, Slow Ventures, Adrian Fenty, Charles King’s M Ventures, and Keith Rabois.
Unlike the NFL, MLB, NHL, and NBA (who are getting more progressive on this), the AAF has already made the move to fully embrace sports betting. Making an investment into the Alliance technology platform was MGM Resorts International, who also got into a three-year deal to become the league’s official betting sports betting sponsor, as well as their exclusive gaming partner. This was the first time an American sports league has sold exclusive in-game betting rights to a sportsbook.
The league also offers their own fantasy football that’s built into mobile broadcasts, and low prices provided for fans is fully embraced by the AAF — including tickets that feature $35 sideline seats and cheap food.
For their contracts, the AAF gives out three-year contracts worth $250,000 that includes health insurance and an escape clause to the NFL — and like the National Football League, the contracts are also non-guaranteed. But here’s what I love about their contract system the most in what appears to be straight cut-throat competitive business: With the revival of the XFL seemingly on the horizon, the AAF made all of these second-tier professional football players enter into semi-long three-year deals, minimizing the XFL’s talent pool drastically and letting the AAF get a three-year head start over them. Cut-throat business, but that’s competition.
Overall, the Alliance of American Football is a pretty good product. I like the vibe that you get from it, the vibe of just having football around — who doesn’t like football, right? That alone keeps me around. (Man, I’m such an American.) As far as the actual play, it gives me the vibe of NFL preseason football, or a late-night game on Friday night between Colorado State and Central Michigan. I’m not too enthused with the overall play, but there’s certainly a lot of potential there.
With the NFL already getting involved with the product and recently getting a $250 million investment to keep the league afloat, things look bright (though right now the light keeps blinking a bit) for the future of the AAF — especially when we get to league expansion, which is what I wanted to talk to you about from earlier.
As the league expands to different cities and markets, so will the growth of the league and the revenue that comes with it — not just from a rising fan base, but also an influx of revenue from advertising and media contracts, as well as that sports gambling (which is becoming legalized at a rapid pace) partnership with MGM that I mentioned earlier.
Bumps in the road happen with start-up companies, and the Alliance of American Football is no different. But the investment from Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon is sure to help, and I understand completely why he did it: The league has got massive hype in the press right now, and ratings and fans are increasing at pretty solid levels — and like I just mentioned, they’re already getting help from the NFL, and potentially more. As a result, the league should survive.
On top of that, they've added a development league similar to the NBA's G-League. — Andrew Powell (@andrewrpowell) 16 February 2019
On top of that, they've added a development league similar to the NBA's G-League.
— Andrew Powell (@andrewrpowell) 16 February 2019
Which brings me back to expansion. As time grows, so will the number of markets. And that’s exactly what I want to evaluate with you.
What are the potential markets that could see AAF expansion?
“But the NFL already has the New York Giants and New York Jets.” Not so fast, my friend (Lee Corso voice). Yes, I get that New York City already has representation in professional football, but both teams play their games at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. What I’m talking about is the AAF actually touching one of the five boroughs in the actual city — it’s an untapped market in professional football as far as actual physical location. If I’m the Alliance, I’m hopping all over this. Imagine the advertisers and television broadcasters lining up for that.
After the St. Louis Rams left for Los Angeles, the city of St. Louis is surely craving for professional football — especially after a Super Bowl championship in 1999 and having icons like Kurt Warner and Marshall Faulk linked to their city. Why wouldn’t this market embrace the Alliance, especially considering the AAF’s connections to the NFL? And if you’re the AAF, why wouldn’t you take advantage of the circumstances? (Let’s be real, it was ugly how the Rams left.) If I’m an executive, St. Louis is ranked second on my list.
The capital city of California has already proven itself capable of having professional sports teams with the NBA’s Sacramento Kings. With no NFL tapping the market, being a capital city, being a major metropolitan, and being located in California (and with it having the fifth largest economy in the world), why wouldn’t you put a team in Sacramento? And here’s another positive about picking Sacramento for expansion: You get pretty solid weather all-year around, and who doesn’t love good weather? Sacramento and its population of 501.901 is perfect.
Being just two hours from Green Bay, Wisconsin (the home of the NFL’s Green Bay Packers), having proven professional sports franchises already with the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks and MLB’s Milwaukee Brewers, and being an untapped metropolitan for professional football with a population of 595,351, why not Milwaukee? Both the Bucks and Brewers have developed loyal, passionate fan bases, and with how big ‘cheese head culture’ and the game of football is in Wisconsin, the Alliance has a perfect opportunity to generate some revenue from this market.
Portland is another NBA-sized (and proven) market that would be perfect for the Alliance of American Football to expand into. Coming in with a population of 647,805 (the 26th largest city-population in the United States) and being a key city on the west coast, Portland would be a great selection. And also consider how big University of Oregon Ducks Football is all across the state. With no NFL or any other professional football in existence, it would be nonsensical to pass on the market of Portland and the state of Oregon. Cha-ching!
With Dallas being only a 44-minute drive away, and Arlington (where the Cowboys play) being only 23 minutes away at that, Fort Worth is a perfect city — and those aren’t the only reasons. Everybody already knows how big football is in Texas: It’s king. Also consider how big Texas Christian University Football is too, who play at one of the stadiums I mentioned in Amon G. Carter Stadium. (LaDainian Tomlinson, Andy Dalton, etc. from the NFL played there) Needless to say, the culture of football is pretty big in Fort Worth — perfect opportunity for the AAF.
When it comes to “football” and “expansion,” SEC-country has certainly got to be in the discussion. And how could you not have a mid-sized metro of Baton Rouge on your list, the home of LSU? The population of 227,715 and their passion for football would reward the AAF revenue stream well. And also imagine the advertising and other kind of business the league could do with the city being the capital of Louisiana. With the growing connections to the NFL and LSU in town, take the chance. After all, New Orleans is only an hour and a half away.
This is yet another mid-sized metropolitan located in SEC-country that is sure to bring a passionate fan base (Population: 186,239) to the Alliance of American Football. With the University of Tennessee in town, you get both connections and a place to play at Neyland Stadium. And with the state embracing the Tennessee Titans like they have in the NFL, the AAF would be sitting in a perfect spot to get those fans to obtain dual-fandom when it comes to professional football. I mean, really, you can’t lose in the south when it comes to football.
This is another city with strong potential for AAF expansion due it’s connections to a local university where football is king. This time we come to Ann Arbor, Michigan: the home of the University of Michigan Wolverines. And let’s also not forget about the connection to major metropolitan Detroit just 49 minutes down the road — a town who is craving for championship pro football with what they currently have with the Lions’ organization. The weather may be cold, but the connections to the University of Michigan, NFL and strong cash flow make up for it.
It’s only 43 miles from beautiful Miami, Florida — that alone should take the AAF to South Florida, and Boca Raton is a perfect town for the new league. Not only does Boca Raton have a population of 98,150, but you would also get expansion into the entire South Florida market — an area who has been massively loyal to the NFL’s Miami Dolphins despite the incredibly long-haul of .500 football. With the struggles of that organization, why not start your own pro football franchise to try and get some of those fans? And it’s near Miami, did I mention that already?
Raleigh is the capital of the state of North Carolina and has a city population of 479,332. And not just that, but it’s one of the fastest-growing metropolitans in the United States. It’s also another city with a connection to a major university: NC State. With the loyal base of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers and Charlotte just being under three hours away, Raleigh would be a perfect spot to land professional football. Also consider the close location of other key markets that are near Raleigh: Winston Salem, Durham, Chapel Hill, Greensboro, etc. Money is all around.
There’s no actual physical location to play in at Myrtle Beach, but you can claim the market. As far where the team would play, you would take it just minutes down the road to Conway to play at Coastal Carolina University’s Brook Stadium. Going to Myrtle Beach, you get three things: 1. An untapped state (not just the market) when it comes to professional football that also happens to be linked to Clemson Football and their passionate fan base. 2. The Myrtle Beach metropolitan area has a population of 431,964. 3. Weather, beaches, and fun. Duh.
Not only would you get another tropical metropolitan in your league, but you would also tap into another state that doesn’t have any professional football — and any professional sports at that. Growing up in Virginia, I can tell you that the citizens of my great home state are craving for a professional franchise. With that being said, the potential for revenue is ridiculous in this market, especially when you peep the population of 450,435. With the influx of revenue, weather, plenty to do, and with Old Dominion University down the road, take advantage.
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