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Reb Baron

Las Vegas close to getting franchise in fledgling UFL

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I guess these guys didn't get your memo Chad.

Las Vegas close to getting franchise in fledgling UFL

By MARK ANDERSON

REVIEW-JOURNAL

The United Football League, a venture that includes Mark Cuban as its signature owner, is close to formally announcing Las Vegas as one of its eight start-up franchises.

The UFL plans to begin its season in August and play its championship game in Las Vegas.

The franchise cities are scheduled to be announced in early January, and commissioner Michael Huyghue said Monday it would be an upset if Las Vegas isn't among the eight.

"I think it's going to happen," Huyghue said. "We're getting close."

Billionaire entrepreneur and Wall Street investor Bill Hambrecht and Google executive Tim Armstrong are the league's major backers. According to a New York Times article, both men have pledged $2 million toward the league.

Sam Boyd Stadium director Daren Libonati said an agreement is close on a two-year deal with options. The team would play on Friday nights.

Libonati said he had two face-to-face meetings with Huyghue in the past two months, most recently about two weeks ago.

"They have been very, very positive conversations, probably the best conversations with all the leagues we've had from Day 1, starting back with the Canadian Football League and all the basketball leagues and the XFL," Libonati said.

"I've had a lot of places I've worked with, and I really like the direction of the UFL and its goals. The commissioner himself is first class to work with, and he has a great vision."

Huyghue and Libonati said the league is talking to three potential ownership groups to run the Las Vegas franchise, though neither would identify the groups. The commissioner said one group is based locally.

"I'd love to work with any of the three," Libonati said.

Cuban, the billionaire owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks who was the first to agree to own a UFL franchise, doesn't appear to be part of any of the three groups. Libonati said he believed Cuban would be the owner of the Los Angeles club.

Besides Las Vegas and Los Angeles, a team probably will be located in Orlando, Fla. The league also is considering Austin, Texas; Birmingham, Ala.; Columbus, Ohio; Louisville, Ky.; Memphis, Tenn.; Oklahoma City; Raleigh, N.C.; Sacramento, Calif.; and San Antonio.

If the UFL places a team in Las Vegas, it will not be the first professional football league to come here. The Arena Football League has had two teams here, most recently the Gladiators, who spent five seasons in Las Vegas before leaving for Cleveland in October. The XFL and the CFL had short runs.

The UFL potentially could be the highest-profile league to give it a go. It will play in cities that don't have NFL teams.

Each team owner would pay $30 million, the Times reported, for 50 percent interest in a club, with the league owning the other half. The goal is to take the teams public, and fans would own a third of each franchise, equal to the owner and the UFL.

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Being a basher of the LV bowl, this would be great news for it. One of my big gripes was the stadium. With another Franchise, you could at least pave the parking lot and add a few seats to SBS. Best case situation would be a 50K stadium with some shading. However, there is still a problem of getting the date to something in January. Also, the XFL didn't do much for SBS, so the AFL may have the same problem.

Go Cougs!!!!!!!!!!!

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Being a basher of the LV bowl, this would be great news for it. One of my big gripes was the stadium. With another Franchise, you could at least pave the parking lot and add a few seats to SBS. Best case situation would be a 50K stadium with some shading. However, there is still a problem of getting the date to something in January. Also, the XFL didn't do much for SBS, so the AFL may have the same problem.

Go Cougs!!!!!!!!!!!

The LV Bowl will NEVER be played in January...........the only January bowl that will ever be played in LV is a high ranked BCS matchup and a $4million + payout, and I don't see many slot available for that type of game.

The LV Bowl will always be played in the week prior to Xmas, that's what it was created for......to fill some rooms during a usually slow week...........if you want to see your MWC team ina post Xmas bowl, make it to the BCS bowl............other than that the MWC will be relegated to the 20 Who Cares Bowls.

I also doubt this fledgling football league will spend any money to upgrade SBS, since the new league.team/ownership will only be leasing SBS and not owning it.

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