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Friday, February 10, 2012
United Football League Bringing Professional Football to Sacramento
by Stephen Gillis, published on March 3, 2010 at 9:51 PM
Storyline: Sacramento Life
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Professional football is coming to Sacramento.
The United Football League is moving the California Redwoods from the Bay Area to Sacramento for the fall 2010 season, UFL Commissioner Michael Huyghue announced at a press conference today.
"It's an exciting day for the UFL," he said.
The California Redwoods, which played in San Francisco and San Jose last year, will be relocating to Sacramento for the UFL's second season. The new season marks the UFL's expansion, with two more teams being added and the season length extending from six games to 10. The Sacramento team will be renamed, and fans can submit a team name at the UFL's website.
Mayor Kevin Johnson was at the press conference welcoming the league to the city.
"Can Sacramento support this league? Absolutely," he said, adding that the team should bring more than $10 million to the area as well as provide jobs and entertainment.
Team owner Paul Pelosi said that the UFL has tremendous talent and is full of NFL-ready players, adding that 30 UFL players signed with NFL teams following last year's season. Pelosi was confident that Sacramento was a great city for the new team.
"We know Sacramento is a great sports town," he said. "I'm a great believer in Sacramento and the area."
The team will play all of its games at California State University, Sacramento's Hornet Stadium, a 22,000-capacity stadium that normally hosts Sac State football. Huyghue said that the UFL will pay for a $500,000 turf field to be installed at the stadium, saying that the all-purpose field will be used by the university as well.
"When the UFL comes to a market, we make contributions," he said.
The expanded season will start in September and end the day after Thanksgiving, according to Huyghue. Sacramento defensive lineman Chris Cooper played for the Redwoods last year and said he is excited about the new team.
"Sacramento has the fan base that you want. You come to a town like this, and you bring people who enjoy football," said Cooper, who has also played for the San Francisco '49ers and Oakland Raiders. "People do want to see pro football in Sacramento."
Cooper said he expects the team to improve from last year's 2-4 record.
The team will continue to be coached by Dennis Green, who also will serve as the general manager. Green was the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings throughout the 1990s and coached the Arizona Cardinals for three years. He was also an assistant coach under Bill Walsh during the '49ers' Super Bowl-winning 1988 season.
The team will be assembled from previous Redwoods players, but players will also come from a draft and open tryouts. They will play the other five teams in the UFL, which has teams in Las Vegas; Orlando; Hartford, Conn., and two other cities that will be announced at the end of the month.
Green said he was excited to bring professional football to Sacramento.
"The uniqueness of coming to Sacramento means a lot to me," he said. "Sacramento is an incredible sports city."
Photo Captions
1. UFL helmet
2. UFL Commissioner Michael Huyghue
3. Paul Pelosi, Michael Huyghue, Kevin Johnson, Dennis Green
4. White UFL helmet
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http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2010/03/01/daily34.html
however the artificial turf cost is stated as $1.04 mil of which the team/league will pay $300K.. Who is correct ? ...and if there is a disparity....who is making up the difference...especially with the university's current budget problems affecting student cost and curriculum retention?
I seem to recall that most of the NFL teams were going back to actual turf.
Increase of injuries, ambient temperatures on warm days, maintenance etc were all cited as reasons for this reversal.
Appreciating the "mud bowl" aspect of football on rain drenched turf...is that a primary reason for the switch...usability of the field for both practice and games, even in inclement weather?
Lame
Every team that has come has failed and gone out of business
The taxpayers have paid to fix up that stadium numerous times.
see you in the hot dog line!!