'Spring Pro Football Is Here To Stay'. That's been the messaging and aim of the United Football League this entire off-season.
The UFL's actions in the lead-up to its second campaign, which kicks off March 28th on FOX, all back up that mission statement.
From the UFL announcing that they are accepting bids from expansion cities to the league putting boots on the ground in its markets to the official announcement of permanent headquarters in Arlington, Texas.
These actions aim to maintain faith and hope in the UFL's established fan base but, perhaps more importantly, develop newfound trust from non-fans who are skeptical of the league's existence, value, and lasting power.
Chances are that some casual NFL fans noticed the UFL's ads on FOX during Super Bowl LIX. It's a premium avenue in front of TV's largest audience to get the word out about UFL season 2, but the spots feel more like a reminder that the league is still around rather than a legit hook to reel in new fans.
Therein lies the rub.
The UFL has built a formidable niche audience despite barely being noticed on the sporting landscape's radar amongst the media and mainstream sports fans.
The league continues to produce players who excel on the NFL level, proving the value of its on-field product. The NFL is slowly incorporating the innovations the UFL and its recent predecessors brought forth. But will that be enough to stand the test of time?
Finding a way to thrive is the next evolutionary step past survival for the UFL. It's necessary if they want to realize its mission as a forever product.
Without a widespread marketing campaign, the UFL faces the never-ending issues these leagues routinely encounter when trying to lure new fans to sample and ultimately embrace the product.
Part of that entails obtaining more coverage and interest from sports media outlets. Accomplishing that will help shake the perception of the UFL as a minor league. The league may not offer the lure of major league stars but it needs to be seen as more than just a feeder operation, providing players and ideas to the NFL.
The UFL has to stand alone in its field to make progress in attracting more fans.
Since 2019, when the Alliance of American Football launched, there has been some form of prominent Spring Pro Football in the United States, albeit not without plenty of stops, starts, and hiccups.
The spectacular death of the AAF and the unfortunate demise of XFL 2020 didn't help quell the notion that there is no place or market in the United States for a league other than the NFL.
The reborn USFL and XFL, now merged as the United Football League, have tried to disprove the justified doubt and doubters of these leagues. The UFL's continued existence has done that. But to truly accomplish the league's mission of growth, they'll have to do more to win, at least some of them over.