'86 Chronology-Tumult

Event Date: August 5th, 1986

Event Description: USFL Owners Halt Meetings

Source: Football News

The U.S. Football League cut short an owners meeting with reports of ownership changes, mergers and indications that the league may look different next season.

The meeting, originally scheduled to last through Wednesday, ended abruptly a day early when New Jersey Generals owner Donald Trump shocked the owners when he announced that he was indeed selling the team and that he would consider “bidding out” the personal services contract of star running back Herschel Walker.

Commissioner Harry Usher emerged from the conference room to say the meetings had ceased and “several interesting things were discussed by the owners and an announcement would be made in the coming days”.

League sources already leaked word on the following;

—A move by Donald Trump to sell the Generals to Stephen Ross current majority owner of the Houston Gamblers;

—A move to merge, move or fold the poorly attended Los Angeles Express franchise;

—Chicago owner Eddie Einhorn has announced that he has no intention of fielding an expansion team in 1987 or 1988;

— A merger of the Michigan Panthers and Oakland Invaders with the team remaining in Oakland was discussed;

—A move by teams to allow some high salaried players the chance to move to the NFL or CFL;

—The league also received petitions for expansion franchises from a variety of cities including St. Louis, San Antonio, Las Vegas and Honolulu;