Alliance League Pleased with Progress up to this Point
McMahon, Ebersol and Woods Pleased with Year 2
June 1, 2017
Stamford, CT - Vince McMahon, Charlie Ebersol, and Brian Woods are very pleased with the current landscape of the league and said the league was already three years ahead of their initial plan.
The report states that the league is 6% owned by Alpha Entertainment LLC(McMahon), 6% Legendary Field Exhibitions LLC(Ebersol), 7% Speros Sports LLC(Speros), 7% for FedEx Sports LLC(Smith), 7% RedBird Capital Partners LLC(Johnson), 14% Monumental Sports and Entertainment LLC(Leonsis), 7% Orlando Predators LLC(Siegel), 7% Wirtz Corporation LLC(Wirtz), 7% Crane Capital Sports LLC(Crane), 7% Greenberg Sports Group LLC(Greenberg), 7% Jobs Sports and Entertainment LLC(Powell-Jobs), 7% TD Sports and Entertainment LLC(Moglia), 7% Schultz Family Sports LLC(Schultz), 3% Spring League Football LLC(Woods) and 1% Austin Generals LLC(Harris).
Expenditures totaled $135M for the 2016-2017 fiscal season. Costs consisted of $45.5M from player contracts, $12M for Franchise Player contracts, $38M in front office/coaching contracts, $12M in stadium leases, $12M in traveling expenses, $13M in housing expenses, $1M on equipment, and $1.5M on marketing.
The league did receive $20M from TV rights with FOX, and $12M from ESPN, $41M from Monumental Sports and Entertainment LLC, $20.5M from Orlando Predators LLC, $20.5 Wirtz Corporation LLC, $23M from Crane Capital Sports LLC, $23M from Greenberg Sports Group LLC, $23M from Jobs Sports and Entertainment LLC, $23M TD Sports and Entertainment LLC, $23M Schultz Family Sports LLC, $10.5M from Speros Sports LLC, $10.5M from RedBird Capital Partners LLC, $10.5M from FedEx Sports LLC and $2M from Austin Generals LLC, $47M in ticket sales, and $11.5M in merchandise totaling $371M in total revenue.
The league ended the 2017 season with a $186M surplus.
Oliver Luck Outlines Immediate AAF Future
June 14, 2017
Stamford, CT - AAF Commissioner Oliver Luck that the summer months wouldn't lack excitement for the Alliance fans. Highlights from Luck's announcement consist of:
- The AAF season will expand from 10 games to 12 games starting next season
- Salary cap will increase from $3.5M to $5M, and salaries will go from $89,700 to $128,000 per player
- Salary for Franchise player will now be negotiable but still won't count against the cap
- The league re-upped on a one year television contract with ESPN and FOX for $25M each
- All twelve AAF franchises will have to trim their rosters from 40 to 35 by September
- AAF Expansion Draft will be held on October 15th on ESPN2
- The draft will consist of all newly signed AAF players, along with the players trimmed from the other twelve AAF franchises and the entire Austin Generals roster
- Coaching staffs to be hired and announced for the four expansion teams by late August
- Alliance League Players Union has been formed and negotiations will take place in January
- Ticket Prices are expected to increase 20% on average for the 2018 season
Roster Turnover is Real
June 20, 2017
Stamford, CT - Despite Vince Young's poor play and subsequent benching, the CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders swooped in and signed him to a 500k contract, while stealing a few other notable players from the AAF at the same time. The NFL and the NCAA also came and took a few of the league's best coaches. Roster and staff turnover is always expected but the league felt pretty good about the general talent direction.
- Houston Roughnecks QB Vince Young signed with the CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders.
- San Antonio Commanders OC Karl Dorrell left to become the Head Coach at the University of Colorado. Head Coach Mike Shanahan hired old friend Gary Kubiak as the new Offensive Coordinator. RB Storm Johnson and WR Jeff Maehl signed with the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-cats. OT Sam Baker and QB TJ Yates retired.
- Seattle Dragons Head Coach Raheem Morris was hired to be the Head Coach for the NFL's Atlanta Falcons. OC Jim Zorn was named Interim Head Coach. DC Mike Singletary stepped down. RB Vick Ballard signed with the CFL's BC Lions. DL Anthony Spencer retired. Former University of Miami Head Coach Al Golden was named as the new Defensive Coordinator and Mark Criner was hired to be the new LBs Coach and Special Teams Coordinator.
- Memphis Express OC Kyle Flood was hired as the new Head Coach at the University of Texas. Head Coach Greg Schiano hired former Notre Dame Head Coach Charlie Weis as the new Offensive Coordinator. DC Dave Wannstedt retired and former Memphis Express DC Mike Singletary was named as the new Defensive Coordinator and Assistant Head Coach. OL Gabe Carimi and Chris Scott retired.
- New York Guardians RBs Ahmad Bradshaw and Tashard Choice decided to retire. Choice was named as the RB Coach for Georgia Tech. DC Al Groh retired, and LBs Coach Antonio Pierce was promoted to the Defensive Coordinator position.
- Birmingham Iron OG Carl Nicks retired.
- Miami Blues RB Toby Gerhart retired. OC Kerwin Bell was fired and replaced by former University of Tennessee Head Coach Derek Dooley.
- Los Angeles Wildcats DL Greg Hardy retired to become a UFC fighter while OG Mike Golic Jr. retired to become an analyst on ESPN.
- Orlando Predators WR Cecil Shorts signed with the CFL's Toronto Argonauts. OL Mike Adams and DL Jared Odrick and Tyson Jackson retired.
- Washington Valor RB Rashad Jennings, WR Victor Cruz and DL LeTroy Guion retired. QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson signed with the CFL's Toronto Argonauts.
- Baltimore Brigade WR Eddie Royal retired.
- Chicago Alphas OL Michael Oher and DL Glenn Dorsey retired.
Ambrosie In as CFL Commissioner
June 29, 2017
Toronto, ON, CANADA - The Canadian Football League announced that Randy Ambrosie would be replacing Jeffrey Orridge as the league's commissioner. Jim Lawson, the interim commissioner said that Orridge and the league had differing views on the future of the league and that the board of Governors weren't satisfied with fiscal footing of the league. Ambrosie played nine seasons in the CFL from 1985 to 1993 and would be the first former player to serve as commissioner since 1997.