United National Gridiron League coming to Orlando

Local team debuting in 2010 as part of Connecticut-based football organization
Orlando Business Journal - by Richard Bilbao

The United National Gridiron League, a New Haven, Conn.-based football organization, wants to establish a team in Orlando by 2010 to market local talent to the National Football League.

The premise behind the eight-team league is to act as a player developmental pool for the NFL where college-level athletes can showcase their skills to coaches and recruiters. The league has no affiliation with the NFL to date.

However, UNGL officials said the league aspires to act as a minor-league system for the NFL, much like the American Hockey League, AAA Minor League Baseball and the NBA Developmental League, which provide athletes a way to showcase their skills to the National Hockey League, Major League Baseball and National Basketball Association, respectively.

Ben Eison, UNGL president and co-founder, said the 2-year-old league will kick off its inaugural 32-game season in May with eight teams in Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas and Florida. The league hopes to grow to 22 teams by 2011.

The Florida team, which is finalizing contractual talks with the league, will be based in Miami and play at Florida International University. The league wanted to bring Orlando into the mix as well, because “we were looking for areas that were big in professional- or college-level football and also had the appropriate fan support,” Eison said, noting the growth of the University of Central Florida’s sports program.

Eison said the local team likely will try to play in the Bright House Stadium at the University of Central Florida, which was completed in 2007 and seats more than 45,000 people, to boost attendance through the local student body as well as off-campus fans.

Average tickets cost $10 per game, season tickets for games will cost less than $100, and league revenue will be generated through ticket sales, broadcasting rights, advertising, merchandise and sponsorships, said a league handbook provided to investors. Average attendance is expected to range between 30,000-40,000 people.

The league is securing about $15 million in operating capital from private investors, said Allen Schwalb, a local adviser and financier for the league. Schwalb is also involved with Arena Racing USA, a NASCAR-style racing organization set in an arena environment, which also is looking to expand to Orlando by 2010.

The UNGL already has secured more than $5 million in operating capital to kick-start its 2009 season and expects to get the remaining capital during the season, he said.

A local football team that could provide more sports diversity in Orlando and be another source for economic impact is good news, but in the current economy, there’s a lot of hurdles to jump to become established, said Sam Stark, president and CEO of the Central Florida Sports Commission.

It’s a position Orlando has been in numerous times before, Stark points out.

On the positive side: The annual Capital One and Champs Sports bowl games held at the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium produce as much as $73 million in local economic impact.

On the negative side: The local economy has caused leagues such as the Arena Football League, which suspended play in December to create a better long-term economic model for the league, to pull back.

As for the new league, Stark said he’ll remain optimistic that it can succeed — as long as it brings a sound business model to the table. “The league will only help Central Florida if it has longevity. However, if it comes and goes, it doesn’t do us any favors as a sports town.”

Fast facts
United National Gridiron League
Description: Independent football league providing recruitment talent for the NFL
Headquarters: New Haven, Conn.
Top officials: Ben Eison, president; Marvin Tomlin, CEO
Founded: 2007
2009 season kickoff: May 3
Contact: (877) 349-1852; (407) 869-5202,
www.ungleague.com

Financial adviser: Allen Schwalb
Contact: (407) 869-5202
www.AllenSchwalb.com

rbilbao@bizjournals.com | (407) 241-2888

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