Saturday Blitz
Fansided

Alliance of American Football offers another NFL alternative

By Matthew Bartlett

BLACKSBURG, VA - NOVEMBER 17: A general view of an end zone pylon during the game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and North Carolina Tar Heels at Lane Stadium on November 17, 2011 in Blacksburg, Virginia. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images)
BLACKSBURG, VA - NOVEMBER 17: A general view of an end zone pylon during the game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and North Carolina Tar Heels at Lane Stadium on November 17, 2011 in Blacksburg, Virginia. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Scheduled to launch in the spring of 2019, the Alliance of American Football is continuing to pick up steam as a post-college football alternative to the NFL.

256 players were selected in the 2018 NFL Draft. Dozens of others will latch on with NFL teams as undrafted free agents. However, at the end of the day there are a limited amount of roster spots. When the season nears and teams are forced to trim down to a 53-man active roster and a practice squad there will be even more players looking for work.

Some players who don’t make an NFL Roster, like rededicated quarterback Johnny Manziel, will look to the CFL. But there will always be more players that want to play professional football than there are opportunities.

One more player has emerged to meet that demand. The Alliance of American Football, scheduled to launch in February of 2019, intends to field eight teams. Five cities have been announced so far: Atlanta, Memphis, Phoenix, Orlando and Salt Lake. The announcements have taken places one after another. That’s made for an intriguing engagement plan that has kept the organization in the news throughout the offseason.

Headed by CEO Charlie Ebersol and Bill Polian, The AAF has brought together an impressive array of football personnel. J.K. McKay, Troy Polamalu, Hines Ward, Jared Allen and Justin Tuck have all taken roles in the fledgling enterprise. The number of highly-respected football minds in the organization is impressive. Rick Neuheisel, Steve Spurrier and Mike Singletary will coach in the league. Michael Vick has been named the offensive coordinator in Atlanta.

Next: Building the best college football super team

Other alternatives to the NFL have tried and failed. The Alliance of American Football hasn’t done enough yet to prove it will have a different fate. However, the level of planning and detail that have gone into it so far make it seem like it could be around for quite some time.

Home/College Football News