'88 Chronology-Owners Meetings

Event Date: August 1st, 1988

Event Description: USFL Owners Meetings

Source: PFW

The United States Football League owners will meet in Memphis today, and the agenda includes the appeal of the antitrust decision against the league by the N.F.L. and plans for negotiations with its players’ association. The league would not comment regarding recent reports of "secret" talks with the N.F.L.

Harry Usher, the U.S.F.L. commissioner, is still trying to bring about financial stability for the six-year old spring circuit. The U.S.F.L. was awarded damages via their anti-trust suit which was decided last year, but that is still moving through the appeals process.

For some U.S.F.L. owners, as long as they can keep alive the thought of merger or other form of consolidation, they also keep alive their chances for new investors. Publicly, the official N.F.L. line is “no merger” with the rival league. Privately, the word “amalgamation” has surfaced. 

Recent reports claim some U.S.F.L. owners have spent the last month talking with “their N.F.L. friends” in an effort to gain support, for some form of amalgamation.

However those discussions have led to more questions than answers.

For example;

If some of the U.S.F.L. teams are accepted into the N.F.L., would they be let in as new franchises with their rosters intact or would they have to start from scratch? 

Also how much of an indemnity should the U.S.F.L. owners have to pay?  If the two leagues do agree to some sort of amalgamation, what happens to the damages that have already been awarded by the court?

How would amalgamation impact the current televsion contracts as well as the reaction of the N.F.L. Players Association?

If the issue of amalgamation were to come to a vote, many N.F.L. owners appear to favor teams from the Sun Belt and they would join the senior league as expansion franchises. Another segment of the owners, those with financial issues, are interested more in large expansion fees.

For any form of amalgamation the N.F.L. would need to muster 24 votes. But as one owner said yesterday, “It may happen some day, but if there was a vote in the near future, chances would be slim with regard to getting it passed.”

more to come......