With no 2009 schedule released and some owners admitting the league may shut down for a year, the future of the Arena Football League is in serious doubt.
With no 2009 schedule released and some owners admitting the league is doomed, the future of the Arena Football League is in doubt, as management scrambles to score capital and, more importantly, work on a sustainable business model.
A motion to suspend the season was narrowly defeated by owners Wednesday, failing to get a two-thirds majority. The fact that it came so close to passing should be seen as a lack of enthusiasm by owners like those with the Colorado Crush, who say they probably will pass on 2009 anyway.
Indeed, it’s the lack of a sustaintable business model that will probably seal the fate of the league. Teams with what appeared to be solid operations in terms of attendance and sponsorship, like the Utah Blaze, are in the red and didn’t appear to have a plan to turn that around. A conference call today may finally put an end to the drama.
The league, of course, says the 2009 season won’t be suspended. But let’s be realistic: without capital, a working business model and a schedule, there’s just no way teams can
