Event Date: January 2nd, 1986
Event Description: Usher Readies For New Season
Source: Football News-UPI
NEW YORK -- The U.S. Football League Wednesday reaffirmed its plans to play a spring schedule this year and announced ownership changes for its Houston, Baltimore, Birmingham and Los Angeles, franchises.
“We have gone through our transition period,” USFL Commissioner Harry Usher said at an owners meeting in New York. “Now we are moving forward to the 1986 season.”
Former Houston owner Jay Roulier will become a partner in Los Angeles with a consortium led by actor Lee Majors.
“This should signal to everybody that we are here to stay,” Usher said. “Keeping a team in Los Angeles was something that we had to do to maintain our television contracts.”
Houston owner Jerry Argovitz has partnered with New York developer Steven Ross's, who will now control a one-half interest in the Gamblers.
In Baltimore, Myles Tanenbaum will maintain majority control of the Baltimore Stars, after the Stars merged with the Maulers during the off-season. Although Usher insisted it was a 50-50 partnership, Tanenbaum's financial responsibility will be greater.
In addition, the Birmingham Stallions will have a new owner in Harold Ripps who has promised to continue to work with the Birmingham city council which helped to bail out the team last year.
Television
The USFL, which extended its contract with ABC for the next two seasons, with an option for 1988, also has a deal with the ESPN cable network and a combination deal with a syndicate of satellite providers.
“We can move closer to prosperity with our current network television contract, but we also needed to expand our coverage to reach a broader audience.” Usher said.
Trump Unsure
Donald Trump said he was not sure whether his team would remain in New Jersey or move to New York.
He is currently working on a plan to build a domed stadium in Queens, near Shea Stadium. The Generals share Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., with the NFL's New York Giants and Jets.
“New York City wants us to come to New York City and New Jersey wants to keep us,” said Trump, whose Generals averaged 41,268 in attendance last year.
Trump was rebuked in his efforts to move the league to the fall after a group of owners led by John Bassett pushed back against the move.
Schedule
The USFL's 16-game regular season will begin on February 22nd and end July 6th with the championship game in Jacksonville.
Two division winners and four wild card teams will make the playoffs. Each division winner will receive a first-round bye.
The USFL will play Thursday, some Friday, Saturday and Monday night games for ESPN broadcasts. ABC games will again be played Sunday afternoons.
USFL Draft
The USFL territorial and open drafts are scheduled for January 6th and 8th. Each team will select 20 players via the Territorial Draft with the open draft slated for 13 rounds.
Merger Strategy
Usher would not comment on reports that the younger league is hoping to merge with the NFL at some point in the future.
NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle has rejected the idea out of hand, but the USFL has filed a pair of anti-trust suits on behalf of the Oakland Invaders and the ex-Philadelphia, now Baltimore Stars, claiming that the elder league has worked with city councils and other officials to damage those teams. A perceived victory in court could prompt the two leagues to consider merger talks.
The NFL has also come under fire by some members in Congress regarding the leagues’ reluctance to expand to cities in the so-called “Sun-Belt” such as Memphis, Birmingham and Phoenix.
Story-(UPI Modified For Simulation)
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