New AAF majority owner threatens to fold league after 1 year if NFLPA won’t help
By Adam Spencer
Published:
The Alliance of American Football kicked off play a couple of months ago, but already there are financial problems.
To get an influx of cash earlier this year, the league sold off a majority ownership share to Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon, but now it appears Dundon is threatening to shut the league down.
Per a report from USA TODAY, Dundon said the AAF won’t survive if the NFL Players’ Association doesn’t allow young players to participate in the league during the offseason:
“If the players union is not going to give us young players, we can’t be a development league,” said Dundon, who in February committed to invest $250 million into the league. “We are looking at our options, one of which is discontinuing the league.”
That’s obviously a big threat to make, and it’s a lot to ask of the NFLPA — an organization that won’t want to put young players under contract with the NFL at risk of a major injury.
The AAF seems to be growing in popularity, and is providing many veterans and young players a chance to showcase their skills. Will it be able to survive to Year 2, though? That’s in doubt after Dundon’s comments.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
