The
2011 UFL season was the third season of the United Football League. The season, which was affected by franchise shifts and schedule delays due in part to the UFL's lingering financial issues (as well as a failure to capitalize on the
National Football League'sThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
player lockout), began on September 15, 2011 and would have run through October 28, with a championship game set for the following weekend. The regular season was abandoned after the games of October 15 (with 2 weeks remaining), and the
Championship GameThe 2011 UFL Championship Game was the third championship game of the United Football League and took place on October 21, 2011, the concluding weekend of the league's truncated third season...
moved up to October 21, when the Virginia Destroyers claimed their first UFL title by defeating the 2-time defending champion
Las Vegas LocomotivesThe Las Vegas Locomotives are a professional American football team based in Las Vegas, Nevada who play in the United Football League. The team plays its home games in Sam Boyd Stadium, home field for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Jim Fassel is the franchise's head coach, president, and...
17-3 at
Virginia Beach Sportsplex-External links:[]Category:Sports venues in Hampton RoadsCategory:United Football League venuesCategory:Soccer venues in VirginiaCategory:Sports in Virginia Beach, VirginiaCategory:Visitor attractions in Virginia Beach, Virginia...
.
Pre-season planning and changes
Though it hoped for as many as 6 teams, the UFL entered the 2011 season with four teams, including having a presence in a new market, the
Hampton RoadsHampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
area of
VirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, which was granted an expansion franchise in August 2010, the Virginia Destroyers. The Destroyers' first off-season was marked with front office and coaching upheaval:
Jim SperosJim Speros is an American businessman and former American football player and coach from Great Falls, Virginia, best known for his ownership of teams in the Canadian Football League and United Football League.-Early career:...
had been named owner of the Destroyers before relinquishing control back to the league, who would assign control to former Hartford Colonials owner
Bill MayerWilliam E. Mayer is the owner of the United Football League's Virginia Destroyers. He previously served as the owner of the Hartford Colonials, formerly the New York Sentinels, of the same league. and is the Senior Partner of Park Avenue Equity Partners....
in August 2011. The Destroyers off-season would see two coaches leave (see "Coaching Changes" below) as well as a general manager, Doug Williams, who resigned in February 2011 to accept the head football coaching position at his alma matter,
Grambling State UniversityGrambling State University is a historically black , public, coeducational university, located in Grambling, Louisiana. The university is the home of legendary football coach Eddie Robinson and is on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail.-Academics:Grambling State University provides over...
.
The UFL went back from 6 to 5 teams on January 12, 2011, when the league announced it was "ceasing operations" of its Florida Tuskers franchise and moving the Tuskers' coaching staff and list of protected players to Virginia to serve in the same roles with the Destroyers in lieu of an expansion draft. The relocated coaching staff included Tuskers head coach
Jay GrudenJay Gruden is an American football coach and former quarterback. He is currently the offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals and was formerly the head coach of the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League. He is also a decorated player and coach in Arena Football League history,...
, who replaced original Destroyers coach
Joe MogliaJoe Moglia is the current head football coach of the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. Moglia is also the current Chairman and former CEO of TD Ameritrade, the largest online discount brokerage firm in the world in terms of the number of retail online equity trades placed each...
(who was reassigned to the open head coaching position in
OmahaThe Omaha Nighthawks are a professional American football team based in Omaha, Nebraska, which plays in the United Football League, joining the league as an expansion team in 2010. For their first season, the Nighthawks played their home games at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium before moving to TD...
) but later accepted a coordinator position with
CincinnatiThe Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
in the
NFLThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
.
Prior to shuttering the Tuskers franchise (a move the UFL made citing decreased attendance and stadium issues in the Orlando area), the league had been aiming for as many as 8 franchises for 2011; the league was "pretty committed" to a team in the
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
area (a market it has explored in the past to various degrees), and plans were almost in place for a team in
Portland, OregonPortland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. Though "encouraging conversations" with franchise investors for a 6th team did take place, the UFL announced in February 2011 that new expansion plans would not be made in time for the start of the 2011 season, and that the league would remain at 5 teams. In March 2011, however, a report surfaced that a group in
Chattanooga, TennesseeChattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
, led by Jim Bates and
Jeremy BatesJeremy Bates is an American football coach. He is the former offensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks. He had previously served as quarterbacks coach for the NFL's Denver Broncos and the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator of the USC Trojans football team.-Personal life:His father,...
, was interested in pursuing a UFL team for that city. League officials acknowledged that Chattanooga was in the mix, but only for a 2012 expansion and that the 2011 season was fixed at five teams.
The UFL's franchise lineup would encounter further instability when, in late July 2011, it was revealed that the UFL was considering further contraction, with the Hartford Colonials a rumored victim. The league would confirm on August 10 that the Colonials would indeed be shuttered, with Colonials owner
Bill MayerWilliam E. Mayer is the owner of the United Football League's Virginia Destroyers. He previously served as the owner of the Hartford Colonials, formerly the New York Sentinels, of the same league. and is the Senior Partner of Park Avenue Equity Partners....
given controlling ownership of the Virginia Destroyers. The UFL, realizing it could not afford to operate 5 teams at the moment, chose to contract the Colonials due to a high cost to operate out of Rentschler Field, where the team played its 2010 home schedule.
The
2011 UFL DraftThe 2011 UFL Draft was the third draft of the United Football League. The draft took place on Monday, May 2, 2011. The draft was held over a period of 10 rounds during which each of the five UFL teams was allowed one pick per round, in reverse order of 2010 finish, with the last-place Hartford...
was held May 2, 2011, with an additional
dispersal draftA dispersal draft is a process in professional sports for assigning players to a new team when their current team goes out of business, consolidates with another team, or for some other reason ceases to exist. Since most sports drafts are held in North America, this is where most dispersal drafts...
of Hartford Colonials players conducted on August 15 after the Colonials were shuttered. The UFL had also indicated that it would aggressively pursue the undrafted free agents that, because of the NFL's ongoing labor stoppage, could not be signed to NFL teams until said stoppage was lifted; the May 2 draft was in part designed to gain access to the undrafted free agent market.
Financial Difficulties
The UFL's financial difficulties came to glaring light during the 2011 offseason, with the league delinquent on bills acquired during the previous season, having lost approximately $50 million in the 2010 season and facing about $6 million in debts to creditors. A few players and team personnel also claimed they have not received paychecks for the 2010 season.
Legal action against the UFL was also set into motion during the 2011 offseason, including:
- League investor Mark Cuban
Mark Cuban is an American business magnate and investor. He is the owner of the National Basketball Association's Dallas Mavericks, Landmark Theatres, and Magnolia Pictures, and the chairman of the HDTV cable network HDNet....
claimed the league defaulted on a $5 million loan
- A public relations firm that worked with the Sacramento Mountain Lions sought payment
- The Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical practice and medical research group specializing in treating difficult patients . Patients are referred to Mayo Clinic from across the U.S. and the world, and it is known for innovative and effective treatments. Mayo Clinic is known for being at the top of...
also sought payment for medical bills and player physicals.
Most of these debts were paid in March 2011, according to reports. The Mayo Clinic's lawsuit, however, was still reported as open and pending in October 2011.
In an effort to avoid future problems, the league shifted most operation costs from the league to its teams for 2011, with each team president taking a greater role of its finances. League founder and majority owner
William HambrechtBill Hambrecht is an American investment banker and chairman of W.R. Hambrecht + Co. which he founded in 1998. He helped persuade Google to use an Internet-based auction for their initial public offering in 2004, instead of a more traditional method using banks and other financial companies to...
stated that this was because he was no longer interested in subsidizing an entire league and instead desired to focus his efforts on the
Las Vegas LocomotivesThe Las Vegas Locomotives are a professional American football team based in Las Vegas, Nevada who play in the United Football League. The team plays its home games in Sam Boyd Stadium, home field for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Jim Fassel is the franchise's head coach, president, and...
, of which he owns a greater share than the other teams.
Further news of the league's financial problems surfaced in mid-October, at the time of the season's truncation (see below). A source revealed to the UFLAccess website on October 12 that the league hadn't yet made full payments to
Florida Tuskers-Schedule:-Championship game:-Week 1: at Las Vegas Locomotives:-Week 2: at Sacramento Mountain Lions:-Week 3: vs. Las Vegas Locomotives:-Week 4: at Hartford Colonials:-Week 6: vs. Sacramento Mountain Lions:-Week 8: vs. Omaha Nighthawks:...
staff who participated in the
2010 UFL Championship GameThe 2010 UFL Championship Game was the concluding game of the United Football League's 2010 season. The game was staged at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska on Saturday, November 27, 2010, and saw the Las Vegas Locomotives repeat as league champions, defeating the Florida Tuskers by a...
, which UFL VP/Communications Michael Preston confirmed was "among debts the UFL is working to clear." Additionally, UFL COO Bill Peterson filed a suit in
Duval County, FloridaDuval County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2010, the population was 864,263. Its county seat is Jacksonville, with which the Duval County government has been consolidated since 1968...
(where the UFL is headquartered) claiming that the league owes him over $110,000 in back salary.
Coaching changes
| Team |
2011 Coach |
2010 Coach |
Reason for leaving |
Story/Accomplishments |
| Hartford Colonials |
Contracted |
Chris Palmer, Jerry Glanville Jerry Glanville is a former American football player and current head coach of the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League, former NASCAR driver and owner, and sportscaster in the United States. He served the head coach of the Houston Oilers from 1986 to 1990 and the Atlanta Falcons from...
|
Resigned, contracted |
After leading the Colonials to a 3–5 record (.375) in 2010 The 2010 United Football League season was the second season of the United Football League. The regular season ran from September 18 to November 20 and featured five teams playing eight games each over a 10-week span. The 2010 season was a relatively competitive one as no team won more than five...
, Palmer resigned on February 15, 2011 to become the offensive coordinator of the Tennessee TitansThe Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
of the NFL. Former NFL head coach Jerry GlanvilleJerry Glanville is a former American football player and current head coach of the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League, former NASCAR driver and owner, and sportscaster in the United States. He served the head coach of the Houston Oilers from 1986 to 1990 and the Atlanta Falcons from...
was named as his replacement on March 21, 2011, but never got to coach the team before it was contracted on August 10. Glanville would be retained by the league as a consultant, color commentator for broadcasts on Comcast SportsNetComcast SportsNet is a group of regional sports networks in the United States primarily owned by the Comcast cable television company....
, and liaison for potential expansion markets; his Colonials coaching staff was reassigned to other teams. |
| Omaha Nighthawks The Omaha Nighthawks are a professional American football team based in Omaha, Nebraska, which plays in the United Football League, joining the league as an expansion team in 2010. For their first season, the Nighthawks played their home games at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium before moving to TD...
|
Joe Moglia Joe Moglia is the current head football coach of the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. Moglia is also the current Chairman and former CEO of TD Ameritrade, the largest online discount brokerage firm in the world in terms of the number of retail online equity trades placed each...
|
Jeff Jagodzinski -United Football League:-External links:*...
|
Fired |
After a 3–1 start in 2010 The 2010 United Football League season was the second season of the United Football League. The regular season ran from September 18 to November 20 and featured five teams playing eight games each over a 10-week span. The 2010 season was a relatively competitive one as no team won more than five...
, the Nighthawks lost their last four games to finish 3–5 (.375) and tied for last place, leading to Jagodzinski's dismissal on January 3, 2011. The UFL replaced Jagodzinski on January 12 with Joe MogliaJoe Moglia is the current head football coach of the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. Moglia is also the current Chairman and former CEO of TD Ameritrade, the largest online discount brokerage firm in the world in terms of the number of retail online equity trades placed each...
, an Omaha resident who moves over from same position in Virginia. Prior to joining the UFL, Moglia's coaching experience included working as defensive coordinator for Dartmouth CollegeDartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
in the early 1980s and most recently serving as an unpaid assistant with the Nebraska CornhuskersThe Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
. In between those stints, Mogila had spent 27 years out of football, during which he was an executive with Merrill LynchMerrill Lynch is the wealth management division of Bank of America. With over 15,000 financial advisors and $2.2 trillion in client assets it is the world's largest brokerage. Formerly known as Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., prior to 2009 the firm was publicly owned and traded on the New York...
and TD AmeritradeTD Ameritrade is an American online broker with over 6 million U.S. customers, and many more internationally, that has grown rapidly through acquisition to become the 746th-largest US firm in 2008. TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation is the owner of TD Ameritrade Inc...
; he still serves as chairman of the latter company, which is also the name sponsor of the Nighthawks' new stadium. |
| Virginia Destroyers |
Marty SchottenheimerMartin Edward "Marty" Schottenheimer is the current head coach of the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. Over his career, he has served as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins, and San Diego Chargers. He has the most wins of any NFL coach...
|
Joe Moglia Joe Moglia is the current head football coach of the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. Moglia is also the current Chairman and former CEO of TD Ameritrade, the largest online discount brokerage firm in the world in terms of the number of retail online equity trades placed each...
,
Jay GrudenJay Gruden is an American football coach and former quarterback. He is currently the offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals and was formerly the head coach of the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League. He is also a decorated player and coach in Arena Football League history,...
|
Reassigned,
resigned |
Moglia was named the Destroyers' head coach in November 2010 when the Destroyers were an expansion team An expansion team is a brand new team in a sports league. The term is most commonly used in reference to the North American major professional sports leagues, but is applied to sports leagues worldwide that use a closed franchise system of league membership. The term comes from the expansion of the...
, but was transferred to Omaha (see above) when the Florida Tuskers' operations, including its coaching staff, were merged into Virginia's. Jay Gruden, who went 5-4 (.556) as Tuskers coach in 2010 (including a loss in the championship gameThe 2010 UFL Championship Game was the concluding game of the United Football League's 2010 season. The game was staged at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska on Saturday, November 27, 2010, and saw the Las Vegas Locomotives repeat as league champions, defeating the Florida Tuskers by a...
) accepted the offensive coordinator position with the NFL's Cincinnati BengalsThe Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
on February 2. The Destroyers, after initially revealing they had a tentative agreement with an unstated former NFL head coach on March 4 announced Schottenheimer as their head coach March 23. Schottenheimer was a head coach in the NFL from 1984 to 1998 and 2001 to 2006, with a career record of 205–139–1 (.604). |
Stadium changes
Two UFL teams played in new stadiums in 2011. The
Omaha NighthawksThe Omaha Nighthawks are a professional American football team based in Omaha, Nebraska, which plays in the United Football League, joining the league as an expansion team in 2010. For their first season, the Nighthawks played their home games at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium before moving to TD...
, who played at
Johnny Rosenblatt StadiumJohnny Rosenblatt Stadium is a baseball stadium in Omaha, Nebraska, the former home to the annual NCAA Division I College World Series and the minor league Omaha Royals, now known as the Omaha Storm Chasers...
in 2010, moved to the brand new TD Ameritrade Park in downtown Omaha. The Virginia Destroyers, who as the Florida Tuskers played in
Orlando'sOrlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
Citrus BowlThe Florida Citrus Bowl is a stadium in Orlando, Florida, USA, built for football, which currently seats around 70,000 people....
, called
Virginia Beach Sportsplex-External links:[]Category:Sports venues in Hampton RoadsCategory:United Football League venuesCategory:Soccer venues in VirginiaCategory:Sports in Virginia Beach, VirginiaCategory:Visitor attractions in Virginia Beach, Virginia...
in Virginia Beach their new home in 2010; the currently undersized Sportsplex underwent a temporary expansion to accommodate the Destroyers.
The
Las Vegas LocomotivesThe Las Vegas Locomotives are a professional American football team based in Las Vegas, Nevada who play in the United Football League. The team plays its home games in Sam Boyd Stadium, home field for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Jim Fassel is the franchise's head coach, president, and...
sought a lower-cost alternative to the high rate of rent for
Sam Boyd StadiumSam Boyd Stadium is a football stadium located in Whitney, Nevada, an unincorporated community in the Las Vegas metropolitan area; the mailing address of the stadium is "Las Vegas". The stadium is named after Sam Boyd, a major figure in the hotel/casino industry in Las Vegas. The stadium consists...
and considered moving to the smaller
Cashman FieldCashman Field is a stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada owned and operated by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Its primary use is for baseball, and is the home field of the Las Vegas 51s Triple-A minor league baseball team, an affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Cashman Field opened in 1983...
for 2011, but instead opted to return to Sam Boyd Stadium, where they wound up playing one home game (October 8) before the league's regular season was cancelled (the Locos' two remaining home games were dropped due to the cancellation); low attendance at the stadium despite a renewed public relations push was a factor in the abbreviation of the 2011 season, as the Locos drew only 6,500 fans to their lone home game, significantly less than 2009 or 2010.
The Hartford Colonials, in part because of a change of management at Rentschler Field, experienced significant delays in renewing their lease with the stadium and had backup plans to relocate to another lower-cost stadium such as
Dillon Stadium-Sports:Founded by football coach John Dillon, Dillon Stadium was the home of two minor league football teams in the 1960s and 70s: the Hartford Charter Oaks, owned by the Brewer family, and the Hartford Knights...
or
Willow Brook ParkNew Britain Stadium is the home of the New Britain Rock Cats, the AA affiliate of the Minnesota Twins major league baseball team. Opened in 1996, it seats 6,146 fans....
if an agreement could not be reached, although both of these stadiums are believed to be less than ideal for the UFL. The UFL reached an agreement with the operators of Rentschler Field in late June 2011 before deciding to suspend the franchise outright.
Season Recap
With the tumult and delays of the offseason seemingly behind it, the UFL began its 2011 season on September 15, with the Virginia Destroyers winning 23-13 over the
Omaha NighthawksThe Omaha Nighthawks are a professional American football team based in Omaha, Nebraska, which plays in the United Football League, joining the league as an expansion team in 2010. For their first season, the Nighthawks played their home games at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium before moving to TD...
. The Destroyers were led by quarterback
Chris GreisenChristopher J. Greisen is an American football quarterback for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Northwest Missouri State...
, who directed 2nd quarter scoring drives of 81 and 62 yards; Delbert Alvarado added 3 field goals. The game was a debut in 3 ways: It was the start of the season, the first game for the Destroyers, and the first game for the Nighthawks in their new home, TD Ameritrade Park Omaha. The game attracted an announced crowd of 15,836, the first Nighthawks home game that didn't sell out.
Much in the same way as the league's first 2 seasons, the Destroyers and
Las Vegas LocomotivesThe Las Vegas Locomotives are a professional American football team based in Las Vegas, Nevada who play in the United Football League. The team plays its home games in Sam Boyd Stadium, home field for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Jim Fassel is the franchise's head coach, president, and...
were the on-field class of the league, with both teams sporting 3-1 records at the regular season's cancellation. The 2011 Destroyers roster included 21 former Florida Tuskers, who were league runners-up in each of the first 2 seasons. Chris Greisen led the team at quarterback, with a backfield that included the league's leading rusher and offensive player of the year, running back
Dominic RhodesDominic Dondrell Rhodes is an American football running back for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He attended Cooper High School in Abilene, Texas. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2001...
, who set a league record 217 yards rushing in a October 7 game against Sacramento.. The Locos, coached by
Jim Fassel-Professional:-Personal life:Before the 2003 NFL season, Fassel was reunited with a son, John Mathieson, whom he and his wife Kitty gave up for adoption in 1969. The couple was unmarried when he was born....
, were led by 2nd-year starting quarterback
Chase ClementChase Austin Clement is a professional American football quarterback for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He played college football for Rice.-College career:...
and running back
Marcel ShippMarcel Cornelius Shipp is an American football running back for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He played in the NFL from 2001-2008 for the Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2001, and played with them...
.
The Locos and Destroyers would meet in the rescheduled (to October 21)
UFL Championship GameThe 2011 UFL Championship Game was the third championship game of the United Football League and took place on October 21, 2011, the concluding weekend of the league's truncated third season...
at
Virginia Beach Sportsplex-External links:[]Category:Sports venues in Hampton RoadsCategory:United Football League venuesCategory:Soccer venues in VirginiaCategory:Sports in Virginia Beach, VirginiaCategory:Visitor attractions in Virginia Beach, Virginia...
. The Destroyers would prevail in the game 17-3, exacting a bit of revenge on the Locos' the league's 2-time defending champs (at the expense of the Florida Tuskers). The Destroyers were keyed by a stifling defense that overwhelmed the Locos offense, who managed only 154 total yards. The game MVP was Destroyers safety and
Virginia BeachVirginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay...
native
Aaron RouseAaron Roosevelt Rouse is an American football safety for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
, who had 3 pass interceptions on the evening and returned one for a touchdown. The win gave Destroyers head coach
Marty SchottenheimerMartin Edward "Marty" Schottenheimer is the current head coach of the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. Over his career, he has served as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins, and San Diego Chargers. He has the most wins of any NFL coach...
his first league title as a professional head coach.
The Sacramento Mountain Lions and
Omaha NighthawksThe Omaha Nighthawks are a professional American football team based in Omaha, Nebraska, which plays in the United Football League, joining the league as an expansion team in 2010. For their first season, the Nighthawks played their home games at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium before moving to TD...
struggled on the field during the 2011 season. The MoLos, coached by third-year coach
Dennis GreenDennis "Denny" Green is an American football head coach for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League...
, lost their first three games of the 2011 season, falling to the bottom of the standings; after a change of quarterback, they later rebounded to win what would be their last regular season game as well as their consolation game against Omaha. Sacramento was among the best-supported teams in the UFL, with all three games at
Hornet StadiumHornet Stadium is a 21,195 seat football stadium in Sacramento, California. It is located at Sacramento State. It was completed in 1969. It is the home football stadium of the Sacramento State Hornets and Sacramento Mountain Lions...
being at or near sellouts. The Nighthawks were marked by
Joe MogliaJoe Moglia is the current head football coach of the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. Moglia is also the current Chairman and former CEO of TD Ameritrade, the largest online discount brokerage firm in the world in terms of the number of retail online equity trades placed each...
's return to coaching football after 27 years out of the game, and many of his unusual efforts (multiple quarterbacks and the implementation of a spread offense) were ineffective against the rest of the league. Only a narrow 33-30 win over Sacramento in Week 2 prevented the Nighthawks from achieving a
perfectly bad seasonAn imperfect season is defined as a team losing all of their games. It is the antithesis of a perfect season, and is often referred to as such in a tongue-in-cheek manner...
and was the only game in which the Nighthawks scored more than one touchdown.
Schedule
The UFL initially planned to start its 2011 regular season the second weekend of August—a date that, while considerably earlier than the start dates for previous seasons, would have allowed the UFL to gain attention while the
National Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
would normally be in its preseason (and had the potential to provide even more attention had the NFL's
labor problemsThe 2011 National Football League lockout was a lockout that lasted from March 11 to July 25. It occurred primarily during the offseason for 18 weeks and 4 days...
affected its preseason); the move was also intended to provide the UFL the opportunity to stage games on Sunday for the first time ever.
The league, when it was planning for 6 teams, intended for a 10-game regular season over 11 weeks (1 bye week for each team). After several delays, the UFL released its original 2011 schedule on June 9, one that featured 5 teams (including the Hartford Colonials) playing 8 games over a 10-week span (double round robin, 2 bye weeks for each team) that was to have begun the weekend of August 13-14 and culminate with the
UFL Championship GameThe UFL Championship Game is an American football game held annually to determine the champion of the United Football League. The game has been played annually since the UFL's first season in 2009, and involves the first and second place teams in the league's single-division standings playing one...
the weekend of October 21-23. The UFL announced a delay in training camps and the regular season on July 19, with the season to begin in mid-September, the same month its
2010 seasonThe 2010 United Football League season was the second season of the United Football League. The regular season ran from September 18 to November 20 and featured five teams playing eight games each over a 10-week span. The 2010 season was a relatively competitive one as no team won more than five...
began. When the UFL announced the Colonials' contraction on August 10, they also confirmed that the remaining 4 teams would each play a 6-game schedule mirroring the pattern used in the league's
inaugural season in 2009The 2009 United Football League season -- referred to by the professional American football league as the UFL Premiere Season -- was the inaugural season of the United Football League...
(double round robin, 1 bye week for each team), and also released the opening week games (Virginia at
OmahaThe Omaha Nighthawks are a professional American football team based in Omaha, Nebraska, which plays in the United Football League, joining the league as an expansion team in 2010. For their first season, the Nighthawks played their home games at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium before moving to TD...
on September 15,
Las VegasThe Las Vegas Locomotives are a professional American football team based in Las Vegas, Nevada who play in the United Football League. The team plays its home games in Sam Boyd Stadium, home field for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Jim Fassel is the franchise's head coach, president, and...
at Sacramento on September 17), with the balance of the schedule released on August 16. The
UFL Championship GameThe UFL Championship Game is an American football game held annually to determine the champion of the United Football League. The game has been played annually since the UFL's first season in 2009, and involves the first and second place teams in the league's single-division standings playing one...
, under this new plan, would have been played weekend of November 4-5 at a site to be determined in a similar manner to the previous season, when the UFL awarded
OmahaOmaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
the
title gameThe 2010 UFL Championship Game was the concluding game of the United Football League's 2010 season. The game was staged at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska on Saturday, November 27, 2010, and saw the Las Vegas Locomotives repeat as league champions, defeating the Florida Tuskers by a...
based on advanced ticket sales, team record, and fan reception.
On October 16, 2011, after the 5th week of the season had concluded, a report appeared on a Virginia Destroyers fan site that the UFL was considering canceling the final 2 weeks of the regular season (Weeks 6 and 7) and moving up the Championship Game to the weekend of October 21; a person associated with the
Omaha NighthawksThe Omaha Nighthawks are a professional American football team based in Omaha, Nebraska, which plays in the United Football League, joining the league as an expansion team in 2010. For their first season, the Nighthawks played their home games at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium before moving to TD...
would confirm that original report to the
Omaha World-HeraldThe Omaha World-Herald, based in Omaha, Nebraska, is the primary daily newspaper of Nebraska, as well as portions of southwest Iowa. For decades it circulated daily throughout Nebraska, and in parts of Kansas, South Dakota, Missouri, Colorado and Wyoming. In 2008, distribution was reduced to the...
later on the 16th. The following day (October 17), the UFL did indeed announce that the final 2 weeks would be canceled. Halting the season, according to UFL leadership, would save the league $3.5 million, mainly in player wages, and help ensure the possibility for a 2012 season.
The season wasn't entirely finished, however: The UFL also confirmed that the Destroyers' October 21 home game would change from a regular season game against the Nighthawks to the
2011 UFL Championship GameThe 2011 UFL Championship Game was the third championship game of the United Football League and took place on October 21, 2011, the concluding weekend of the league's truncated third season...
against
Las VegasThe Las Vegas Locomotives are a professional American football team based in Las Vegas, Nevada who play in the United Football League. The team plays its home games in Sam Boyd Stadium, home field for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Jim Fassel is the franchise's head coach, president, and...
(both teams finished tied for the top spot in the league's standings). The Destroyers' home,
Virginia Beach Sportsplex-External links:[]Category:Sports venues in Hampton RoadsCategory:United Football League venuesCategory:Soccer venues in VirginiaCategory:Sports in Virginia Beach, VirginiaCategory:Visitor attractions in Virginia Beach, Virginia...
was chosen as the title game's venue based in part on the Destroyers' home attendance (both their home games attracted crowds of over 12,000) and the teams' social media following. (Ironically, the newly rescheduled Championship Game would take place on the same weekend as when it was scheduled in the original 5-team schedule.)
Additionally, the 3rd and 4th place teams,
Sacramento-Schedule:-Week 1: vs. Las Vegas Locomotives:-Week 3: vs. Omaha Nighthawks:-Week 4: at Virginia Destroyers:-Week 5: Virginia Destroyers:-Week 6: at Omaha Nighthawks:-References:...
and
Omaha-Roster:-Schedule:-Week 1: vs. Virginia Destroyers:-Week 3: at Sacramento Mountain Lions:-Week 4: at Las Vegas Locomotives:-Week 5: vs. Las Vegas Locomotives:-Week 6: vs. Sacramento Mountain Lions:-References:...
, would play what the UFL termed a "consolation game" at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha, in effect moving the October 28 game between those teams up one week; that consolation game would also take place on October 21, concurrent with the Locos/Destroyers title game. Part of the reasoning for scheduling the consolation game in Omaha was to avoid a mass refund on the 15,000 tickets sold the Nighthawks' October 28 home game, which was one of the cancelled games.
| Week |
Date |
Kickoff |
Visitor |
Home |
Result |
Site |
Attendance |
TV |
| 1 |
Thursday September 15 |
7:00PM (CT)In North America, the Central Time Zone refers to national time zones which observe standard time by subtracting six hours from UTC , and daylight saving, or summer time by subtracting five hours...
|
Virginia Destroyers -Schedule:-Week 1: at Omaha Nighthawks:-Week 2: vs. Las Vegas Locomotives:-Week 4: vs. Sacramento Mountain Lions:-Week 5: at Sacramento Mountain Lions:-References:...
|
Omaha Nighthawks -Roster:-Schedule:-Week 1: vs. Virginia Destroyers:-Week 3: at Sacramento Mountain Lions:-Week 4: at Las Vegas Locomotives:-Week 5: vs. Las Vegas Locomotives:-Week 6: vs. Sacramento Mountain Lions:-References:...
|
VIR 23, OMA 13 |
TD Ameritrade Park Omaha |
15,836 |
None |
| Saturday September 17 |
7:30PM (PT) The Pacific Time Zone observes standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time . The clock time in this zone is based on the mean solar time of the 120th meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory. During daylight saving time, its time offset is UTC-7.In the United States...
|
Las Vegas Locomotives -Schedule:-Week 1: at Sacramento Mountain Lions:-Week 2: at Virginia Destroyers:-Week 4: vs. Omaha Nighthawks:-Week 5: at Omaha Nighthawks:-References:...
|
Sacramento Mountain Lions -Schedule:-Week 1: vs. Las Vegas Locomotives:-Week 3: vs. Omaha Nighthawks:-Week 4: at Virginia Destroyers:-Week 5: Virginia Destroyers:-Week 6: at Omaha Nighthawks:-References:...
|
LV 23, SAC 17 |
Hornet Stadium Hornet Stadium is a 21,195 seat football stadium in Sacramento, California. It is located at Sacramento State. It was completed in 1969. It is the home football stadium of the Sacramento State Hornets and Sacramento Mountain Lions...
|
19,938 |
CSN California |
2
(ByeA bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing...
: Omaha-Roster:-Schedule:-Week 1: vs. Virginia Destroyers:-Week 3: at Sacramento Mountain Lions:-Week 4: at Las Vegas Locomotives:-Week 5: vs. Las Vegas Locomotives:-Week 6: vs. Sacramento Mountain Lions:-References:...
& Sacramento-Schedule:-Week 1: vs. Las Vegas Locomotives:-Week 3: vs. Omaha Nighthawks:-Week 4: at Virginia Destroyers:-Week 5: Virginia Destroyers:-Week 6: at Omaha Nighthawks:-References:...
) |
Saturday September 24 |
7:00PM (ET) The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
|
Las Vegas Locomotives |
Virginia Destroyers |
LV 17, VA 34 |
Virginia Beach Sportsplex -External links:[]Category:Sports venues in Hampton RoadsCategory:United Football League venuesCategory:Soccer venues in VirginiaCategory:Sports in Virginia Beach, VirginiaCategory:Visitor attractions in Virginia Beach, Virginia...
|
12,167 |
None |
3
(ByeA bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing...
: Las Vegas-Schedule:-Week 1: at Sacramento Mountain Lions:-Week 2: at Virginia Destroyers:-Week 4: vs. Omaha Nighthawks:-Week 5: at Omaha Nighthawks:-References:...
& Virginia-Schedule:-Week 1: at Omaha Nighthawks:-Week 2: vs. Las Vegas Locomotives:-Week 4: vs. Sacramento Mountain Lions:-Week 5: at Sacramento Mountain Lions:-References:...
) |
Saturday October 1 |
4:00PM (PT) |
Omaha Nighthawks |
Sacramento Mountain Lions |
OMA 33, SAC 30 |
Hornet Stadium |
17,612 |
CSN California |
| 4 |
Friday October 7 |
7:00PM (ET) |
Sacramento Mountain Lions |
Virginia Destroyers |
SAC 6, VIR 28 |
Virginia Beach Sportsplex |
12,617 |
CSN California, CSN+ Mid-Atlantic Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic is a regional sports network that delivers live-game coverage and sports news and entertainment television programming to more than 4.7 million households throughout the Washington, D.C...
|
| Saturday October 8 |
5:00PM (PT) |
Omaha Nighthawks |
Las Vegas Locomotives |
OMA 10, LV 30 |
Sam Boyd StadiumSam Boyd Stadium is a football stadium located in Whitney, Nevada, an unincorporated community in the Las Vegas metropolitan area; the mailing address of the stadium is "Las Vegas". The stadium is named after Sam Boyd, a major figure in the hotel/casino industry in Las Vegas. The stadium consists...
|
6,500 |
None |
| 5 |
Saturday October 15 |
4:00PM (PT) |
Virginia Destroyers |
Sacramento Mountain Lions |
VA 20, SAC 27 (OT) |
Hornet Stadium |
18,794 |
None |
| 7:00PM (CT) |
Las Vegas Locomotives |
Omaha Nighthawks |
LV 13, OMA 6 |
TD Ameritrade Park Omaha |
17,697 |
None |
Had the regular season not been cut short, the following games would have been played:
| Week |
Date |
Kickoff |
Visitor |
Home |
Site |
TV |
| 6 |
Friday October 21 |
7:00PM (ET) |
Omaha Nighthawks |
Virginia Destroyers |
Virginia Beach Sportsplex |
CSN+ Mid-Atlantic Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic is a regional sports network that delivers live-game coverage and sports news and entertainment television programming to more than 4.7 million households throughout the Washington, D.C...
|
| Saturday October 22 |
9:00PM (PT) |
Sacramento Mountain Lions |
Las Vegas Locomotives |
Sam Boyd Stadium |
None |
| 7 |
Thursday October 27 |
7:00PM (PT) |
Virginia Destroyers |
Las Vegas Locomotives |
Sam Boyd Stadium |
None |
| Friday October 28 |
7:00PM (CT) |
Sacramento Mountain Lions |
Omaha Nighthawks |
TD Ameritrade Park Omaha |
None |
Postseason
| Date |
Game |
Kickoff |
Visitor |
Home |
Result |
Site |
Attendance |
TV |
| Championship Game The 2011 UFL Championship Game was the third championship game of the United Football League and took place on October 21, 2011, the concluding weekend of the league's truncated third season...
|
Friday October 21 |
8:00PM (ET) The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
|
Las Vegas Locomotives -Schedule:-Week 1: at Sacramento Mountain Lions:-Week 2: at Virginia Destroyers:-Week 4: vs. Omaha Nighthawks:-Week 5: at Omaha Nighthawks:-References:...
|
Virginia Destroyers -Schedule:-Week 1: at Omaha Nighthawks:-Week 2: vs. Las Vegas Locomotives:-Week 4: vs. Sacramento Mountain Lions:-Week 5: at Sacramento Mountain Lions:-References:...
|
LV 3, VA 17 |
Virginia Beach Sportsplex -External links:[]Category:Sports venues in Hampton RoadsCategory:United Football League venuesCategory:Soccer venues in VirginiaCategory:Sports in Virginia Beach, VirginiaCategory:Visitor attractions in Virginia Beach, Virginia...
|
14,172 |
CSN Mid-Atlantic Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic is a regional sports network that delivers live-game coverage and sports news and entertainment television programming to more than 4.7 million households throughout the Washington, D.C...
|
| Consolation Game |
7:00 PM (CT)In North America, the Central Time Zone refers to national time zones which observe standard time by subtracting six hours from UTC , and daylight saving, or summer time by subtracting five hours...
|
Sacramento Mountain Lions -Schedule:-Week 1: vs. Las Vegas Locomotives:-Week 3: vs. Omaha Nighthawks:-Week 4: at Virginia Destroyers:-Week 5: Virginia Destroyers:-Week 6: at Omaha Nighthawks:-References:...
|
Omaha Nighthawks -Roster:-Schedule:-Week 1: vs. Virginia Destroyers:-Week 3: at Sacramento Mountain Lions:-Week 4: at Las Vegas Locomotives:-Week 5: vs. Las Vegas Locomotives:-Week 6: vs. Sacramento Mountain Lions:-References:...
|
SAC 25, OMA 19 (OT) |
TD Ameritrade Park Omaha |
10,123 |
None |
Broadcasting
The UFL entered the 2011 season without any national television partner. The league's previous 2-year television contracts with
VersusVersus is a sports-oriented cable television channel in the United States. It was previously known as Outdoor Life Network and was launched on July 1, 1995, focusing on fishing, hunting, and other outdoor sports...
and
HDNetHDNet is a men's interest television channel in the United States, broadcasting exclusively in high-definition format and available via cable and satellite television...
expired on December 31, 2010, as did a 1-year local deal with regional cable network
NESNThe New England Sports Network, or NESN [NESS-en], is a regional cable television network that covers the six New England states except Fairfield County, Connecticut and Southbury, Connecticut, a town in New Haven County, Connecticut which is covered by New York City sports networks...
, which carried two Hartford Colonials games in 2010. The UFL would spend its 2011 off-season seeking new TV deals that would generate revenue for the league, something the previous contracts did not do (the league had to reimburse the networks for production costs in the previous deal). Seeking a possible opportunity with the NFL players lockout, the UFL considered partnerships with networks other than Versus and HDNet, including those in partnership with the NFL; the UFL's rationale was that if the NFL lockout endangered its 2011 preseason and regular season, the NFL's TV partners would seek alternative programming such as the UFL as program filler. By the spring,
CBS SportsCBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
(an NFL partner) and
Turner SportsTurner Sports is the division of Turner Broadcasting System responsible for sports broadcasts on Turner channels including TBS, TNT, and TruTV, and for operating the interactive properties , , , and...
(whose TNT carried the NFL in the 1990s) were mentioned as possible UFL partners. (
Fox SportsFox Sports is a division of the Fox Broadcasting Company . It was formed in 1994 with Fox's acquisition of broadcast rights to National Football League games...
was also mentioned;
ESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
was on record as not being interested.)
But by July, when the UFL announced its season delay, no new TV partnerships had been announced; the uncertainty over labor problems with the NFL (which were beginning to reach a resolution by that time) as well as the
National Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(of which TNT is a broadcast partner) left the networks in a holding pattern in regards to TV sports properties. On August 10, during its announcement of the Hartford Colonials' suspension, the UFL announced it would have one national TV partner,
HDNetHDNet is a men's interest television channel in the United States, broadcasting exclusively in high-definition format and available via cable and satellite television...
, to cover the 2011 season, with
regional sports networkIn the United States of America and Canada, a regional sports network, or RSN, is a cable television station that presents sports programming to a local market. The most important programming on an RSN consists of live broadcasts of professional and college sporting events, as those games generate...
s in the league's markets taking up the slack. The league did not reach a renewal with Versus, whose parent company had acquired
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
and its associated
NFL television contractNBC Sunday Night Football is a weekly television broadcast of Sunday evening National Football League games on NBC that began airing on Sunday, August 6, 2006 with the pre-season opening Hall of Fame Game. Al Michaels serves as the play-by-play announcer, with Cris Collinsworth as the color...
in the offseason, after carrying the UFL's first 2 seasons.. The league was left without national coverage, however, when HDNet released a statement on September 2 denying it had ever agreed to carry any UFL games in 2011.
The lack of a national TV partner would force the UFL to rely solely on local TV partnerships; two UFL teams, Sacramento and Virginia, would reach deals with their regions'
Comcast SportsNetComcast SportsNet is a group of regional sports networks in the United States primarily owned by the Comcast cable television company....
networks (CSN California and
CSN Mid-AtlanticComcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic is a regional sports network that delivers live-game coverage and sports news and entertainment television programming to more than 4.7 million households throughout the Washington, D.C...
, respectively) for select games, while
Las VegasThe Las Vegas Locomotives are a professional American football team based in Las Vegas, Nevada who play in the United Football League. The team plays its home games in Sam Boyd Stadium, home field for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Jim Fassel is the franchise's head coach, president, and...
and
OmahaThe Omaha Nighthawks are a professional American football team based in Omaha, Nebraska, which plays in the United Football League, joining the league as an expansion team in 2010. For their first season, the Nighthawks played their home games at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium before moving to TD...
would arrange deals with local cable carriers to relay the other networks' broadcasts to their home markets. Internet streaming was also made available for the games that are televised through
Veetle, a streaming video service, which also made the games available for viewers on mobile devices, a feature not available for the 2009 and 2010 seasons.
Local Broadcast Partners
| Team |
Radio |
TV |
Las Vegas LocomotivesThe Las Vegas Locomotives are a professional American football team based in Las Vegas, Nevada who play in the United Football League. The team plays its home games in Sam Boyd Stadium, home field for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Jim Fassel is the franchise's head coach, president, and...
|
KBADKBAD AM 920 is a Fox Sports Radio affiliate and local sports station licensed to Las Vegas, Nevada and is owned by Lotus Broadcasting. KBAD was formerly known as KORK-AM prior to 1997.-KORK:...
(920AM) |
Cox Cable 128 (replays only) |
| Omaha Nighthawks The Omaha Nighthawks are a professional American football team based in Omaha, Nebraska, which plays in the United Football League, joining the league as an expansion team in 2010. For their first season, the Nighthawks played their home games at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium before moving to TD...
|
KOZN KOZN is a sports talk station in Omaha, Nebraska. The station broadcasts at 1620 kHz on the AM dial. It is owned by NRG Media, headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The station originally signed on as KAZP, an expanded band station of KOIL 1180, owned by Mitchell Broadcasting, in September 1999...
(1620AM) |
Cox Cable 2 (replays only) |
| Sacramento Mountain Lions |
KHTKKHTK is located in the Sacramento, California, area and broadcasts at 1140 AM. This Sports/Talk station is the flagship station of the Sacramento Kings. KHTK also broadcasts UC Davis football games , Sacramento Mountain Lions of the UFL,and the Oakland Raiders of the NFL. KHTK broadcasts at 50,000...
(1140AM) |
Comcast SportsNet California (2 home games) |
| Virginia Destroyers |
WVSP-FM (94.1FM), WGH-AM (1310 AM) |
Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic is a regional sports network that delivers live-game coverage and sports news and entertainment television programming to more than 4.7 million households throughout the Washington, D.C...
(Weeks 4, 5, and 6) |
Statistical Leaders
The following statistical leaders were for the 2011 UFL regular season (through the 5th of 7 scheduled weeks), at which time each team had played 4 regular season games:
| Team |
| Points Scored |
Virginia Destroyers (105) |
| Total Offense |
Virginia Destroyers (1178 yards gained) |
| Rushing Offense |
Virginia Destroyers (548 yards) |
| Passing Offense |
Omaha Nighthawks (779 yards) |
| Fewest Points Allowed |
Virginia Destroyers (63) |
| Total Defense |
Virginia Destroyers (900 yards allowed) |
| Rushing Defense |
Virginia Destroyers (303 yards allowed) |
| Passing Defense |
Virginia Destroyers (597 yards allowed) |
| Individual |
| Scoring |
Dominic Rhodes Dominic Dondrell Rhodes is an American football running back for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He attended Cooper High School in Abilene, Texas. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2001...
, Virginia (36 points) |
| Touchdowns |
Dominic Rhodes Dominic Dondrell Rhodes is an American football running back for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He attended Cooper High School in Abilene, Texas. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2001...
, Virginia (6) |
| Most Field Goals Made |
Delbert Alvarado, Virginia (7) |
| Rushing Yards |
Dominic Rhodes Dominic Dondrell Rhodes is an American football running back for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He attended Cooper High School in Abilene, Texas. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2001...
, Virginia (410) |
| Passing Yards |
Jeremiah Masoli Jeremiah Taeatafa Masoli is an American football quarterback for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2011...
, Omaha (808) |
| Touchdown Passes |
Ryan Colburn Ryan Colburn is an American football quarterback for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He played college football at Fresno State...
, Sacramento (5) |
| Pass Receptions |
Chris Davis, Omaha (29) |
| Receiving Yards |
Chris Davis, Omaha (247) |
| All-Purpose Yards |
Dominic Rhodes Dominic Dondrell Rhodes is an American football running back for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He attended Cooper High School in Abilene, Texas. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2001...
, Virginia (502) |
| Interceptions |
Tony Taylor Tony Taylor is an American football linebacker for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Georgia....
, Virginia, and John BusingJohn Busing is an American football safety for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at Miami University...
, Sacramento (3 each) |
| Punting |
Tom Malone Thomas Malone is an American football punter for the Sacramento Mountain Lions. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2006...
, Sacramento (44.7 yards/punt) |
| Tackles |
Dontarrious Thomas Dontarrious Dewayne Thomas is an American football linebacker for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
, Sacramento (27 total tackles) |
| Sacks |
Jason Parker Jason Anthony Parker is an American football defensive end for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League. He was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
, Sacramento, and Angelo CrowellAngelo Delvonne Crowell is an American football linebacker for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
, Omaha (3 each) |
Players of the week
| Week |
Offense |
Defense |
Special Teams |
| 1 |
Chase Clement Chase Austin Clement is a professional American football quarterback for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He played college football for Rice.-College career:...
, QB, Las Vegas
Dominic RhodesDominic Dondrell Rhodes is an American football running back for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He attended Cooper High School in Abilene, Texas. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2001...
, RB, Virginia |
Marquis Floyd Marquis Floyd is an American football cornerback who is a member of the Arizona Rattlers. He was signed by the Tennessee Valley Vipers as a street free agent in 2004...
, CB, Las Vegas |
Aaron Woods Aaron Woods is an Australian rugby league player for the Wests Tigers in the NRL. His position is prop.-Career:Woods played junior football with Leichhardt Juniors and participated in the Balmain Tigers Development Program. He also played for Holy Cross College Ryde, and represented NSW Catholic...
, WR/KR, Sacramento |
| 2 |
Chris Greisen Christopher J. Greisen is an American football quarterback for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Northwest Missouri State...
, QB, Virginia |
Tony Taylor Tony Taylor is an American football linebacker for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Georgia....
, LB, Virginia |
Delbert Alvarado, K, Virginia |
| 3 |
Jeremiah Masoli Jeremiah Taeatafa Masoli is an American football quarterback for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2011...
, QB, Omaha
John David WashingtonJohn David Washington is an American football running back for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League. He was signed by the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2006...
, RB, Sacramento |
Stuart SchweigertStuart Schweigert is an American football safety for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was drafted in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders. He played college football at Purdue.-Early years:Schweigert played quarterback and safety for Saginaw Heritage...
, S, Omaha |
Jeff Wolfert Jeff Wolfert is an American football kicker who is currently a free agent. He made his professional debut with the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League...
, K, Omaha |
| 4 |
Dominic Rhodes Dominic Dondrell Rhodes is an American football running back for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He attended Cooper High School in Abilene, Texas. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2001...
, RB, Virginia |
Tony Taylor Tony Taylor is an American football linebacker for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Georgia....
, LB, Virginia |
Clint Stitser Clint Stitser is an American football placekicker who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the New York Jets as a street free agent in 2010...
, K, Las Vegas |
| 5 |
McLeod Bethel-Thompson McLeod Bethel-Thompson is an American Football Quarterback for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League. He signed with the Mountain Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2011.-College career:...
, QB, Sacramento |
Angelo Crowell Angelo Delvonne Crowell is an American football linebacker for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
, LB, Omaha |
Aaron Woods Aaron Woods is an Australian rugby league player for the Wests Tigers in the NRL. His position is prop.-Career:Woods played junior football with Leichhardt Juniors and participated in the Balmain Tigers Development Program. He also played for Holy Cross College Ryde, and represented NSW Catholic...
, WR, Sacramento |
Players and Coach of the Year
Players of the Year
- Offense: Dominic Rhodes
Dominic Dondrell Rhodes is an American football running back for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He attended Cooper High School in Abilene, Texas. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2001...
, RB, Virginia Destroyers
- Defense: Stuart Schweigert
Stuart Schweigert is an American football safety for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was drafted in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders. He played college football at Purdue.-Early years:Schweigert played quarterback and safety for Saginaw Heritage...
, S, Omaha NighthawksThe Omaha Nighthawks are a professional American football team based in Omaha, Nebraska, which plays in the United Football League, joining the league as an expansion team in 2010. For their first season, the Nighthawks played their home games at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium before moving to TD...
- Special Teams: Aaron Woods
Aaron Woods is an Australian rugby league player for the Wests Tigers in the NRL. His position is prop.-Career:Woods played junior football with Leichhardt Juniors and participated in the Balmain Tigers Development Program. He also played for Holy Cross College Ryde, and represented NSW Catholic...
, WR/KR, Sacramento Mountain Lions
Coach of the Year
- Marty Schottenheimer
Martin Edward "Marty" Schottenheimer is the current head coach of the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. Over his career, he has served as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins, and San Diego Chargers. He has the most wins of any NFL coach...
, Virginia Destroyers