'83 Chronology-New Kid In Town

Event Date: July 22nd, 1983

Event Description: New Kid In Town

Source: UPI

The new sports kid in town is being welcomed with open arms.

Logan Young, a 42-year-old millionaire businessman with ties to Arkansas, has been granted the Memphis franchise for a USFL team, one of four expansion teams for 1984. Young has yet to name the team.

The Memphis Park Commission is expected to grant Young a lease for use of Liberty Bowl Stadium for next season.

The commission has another lease proposal from the newly formed International Football League, but it is believed Young will be given the lease since the USFL has one season of experience and the IFL has not played a down.

Young said he is prepared to remain as full owner or he may consider selling a partial interest in his franchise to local investors.

“I have some friends in Memphis who probably would be willing to buy limited interest in the team,” he said. “I think it would be good for several reasons for others to be involved in ownership, but I am not interested in selling any part of the team until we've put together a front office and coaching staff.”

Young had been in the forefront of a drive to get an NFL franchise for Memphis. But when the league said it would not expand for the next few years, he began looking for another place to plunk down his money and found the USFL ready and waiting.

Memphis is no stranger to professional football. The Memphis Grizzlies were one of the strongest franchises in the old World Football League, which went under after one season.

John Bassett, former owner of the Grizzlies and now owner of the USFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is chairman of the new league's expansion committee and has been one of most vocal supporters of Memphis as a pro sports town.

Charles Cavagnaro, Memphis State athletic director, was general manager of the now-defunct Memphis Tams of the American Basketball Association. He said another pro team will be good for the city.

“It's going to be interesting,” Cavagnaro said. “I think obviously the community has demonstrated in the past that it wants pro football desperately.”

The athletic director said a USFL franchise would not draw fans away from the Memphis State Tigers since the new league plays its games in the spring and summer.

Story-(UPI)