Founded in 1920, the NFL remains the premier professional football league in the United States and the world, for that matter. There have been many leagues that have tried to compete with, and perhaps even complement, the NFL, but all have failed. Some have lasted longer than others, but in the end, the one that was first, the NFL, is the one that still stands tall above the rest.
That’s not to say that other leagues have not been able to survive. There is the Canadian Football League, which serves as the primary pro league in Canada. There is also the Arena Football League, which is played indoors and on shorter fields than the NFL’s standard 100-yard playing field.
While the CFL has been able to maintain a strong presence in another country, the AFL has shrunk from a league high of 19 member teams to only six today.
Many other leagues that have attempted to capitalize off of the NFL’s popularity in hopes that American football fans simply can’t get enough with only one pro league.
The Alliance of American Football league is the most recent league to start, and fail, in its quest to bring pro football to fans. Boasting an eight-team league with a strong regional presence and playing a 10-game schedule, the AAF debuted immediately after last year’s Super Bowl but then folded eight weeks into its season. The reasons for its demise were numerous, but a lack of funding was the ultimate downfall for the new league.
The AAF has plenty of company, however. The most notable and familiar pro league was likely the United States Football League. Although it lasted only three seasons, the new league went after big-name talent with huge, inflated contracts. The first, and biggest, name was UGA running back Herschel Walker, who was signed by New Jersey Generals team owner Donald Trump.
Perhaps the other most publicized league was the XFL, started by pro wrestling magnate Vince McMahon. It lasted only one season, as it tried to utilize player nicknames, colored footballs, and other gimmicks. The XFL and McMahon will make another attempt in 2020 with its second launch.
Numerous other leagues have tried and failed, including The United Football League, World Football League, and NFL Europe, which lasted longer than any other new league, mainly because of its alliance with the NFL as a developmental league. There are more, but their fates were the same as all others: doomed.
The reasons for these leagues not making it are various, from lack of funding, to poor planning, low TV ratings, lack of promotion, and less-than-stellar talent.
Perhaps the greatest reason for these leagues not making it has nothing to do with what they did or didn’t do properly. It has everything to do with the popularity of the NFL. It’s simply a monster of a professional sports league, with iconic franchises like the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, and New England Patriots — teams that have fans in every corner of the world. The NFL has the best players, in the best league, in what remains America’s favorite sport.
And for those reasons, no matter what any new pro football league does, it’s going to always remain an uphill battle against the NFL.
