Football is bigger in America than it’s ever been before. Between the XFL and the United States Football League, Spring football gave a lot of players a larger spotlight to play and in turn, give themselves a new shot at reaching their dreams. However, with the completed merger between the XFL and USFL, a lot of these spots are going to go away. Only eight teams made the merger and with fifty-three players per team, the math stands that 424 dreams will come to an end. Fewer opportunities are never good, so I’d argue another league could be sustainable.

But let’s not do what’s already been done. Deion Sanders and his time at Jackson State proved there is talent outside of the usual college football pipeline. Only 224 players from all of college football get drafted, with even fewer making an NFL roster. According to the NFL, the most HBCU players in the NFL at one time was only thirty-two; that’s an average of one per team. The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conferences and the Southwestern Athletic Conference, the two Division I HBCU sports conferences, combine to field eighteen teams. Division I-AA college football has only sixty-four scholarships for football and if we do more math, we find there are 1,152 spots for HBCU football players at that level. Making a somewhat misguided assumption that players are split evenly between each grade level (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior), we come to 288 players. That’s five professional football teams and we’re not taking into account HBCU players who had graduated before.

So why all this math? What’s the point?

I think we could start an HBCU football league.

I hear you, “Braven, who is ‘we’? Do you know how much a football team costs?”

BEHIND THE SCENES

At The League Office Level

I do, but we don’t need billions of dollars. We’re not building a competitor to the NFL, we’re creating an alternative to the new United Football League. When the XFL was bought by Dwayne Johnson, he paid $15 million. With eight teams in the XFL, it stands to reason each team is worth approximately $2 million. For investors and owners, that’s a much more manageable sum. We’re also going to take a cue from the Deutsche Fußball Liga, the German soccer federation by implementing the 50+1 Rule. The 50+1 Rule states club members must own 50% of the team plus one share as a tiebreaker in favor of the fans. We’ll define “club member” in this context as a season ticket holder. This gives the community a vested reason to literally invest in the team’s success. Speaking of the community, I chose eight home cities with strong ties to Black sports history. Due to the history of HBCUs, all of these cities are based in the South, which is great since it’s the main football hotbed in the nation. But taking another cue from The Beautiful Game, I want to center these teams in soccer stadiums as much as possible since we saw this thrive in the XFL’s 2020 campaign. It’s easier to reach twenty thousand people than it is to reach eighty thousand. If we aim for stadiums with a capacity of 20,000 and aim for half the capacity being designated for club members a season ticket holder could spend $50 on a season ticket deposit to bring that valuation as high as $1,000,000.

Visibility is important, so we need a television deal. We need a balance between Black-owned and local. The Revolt television network has been slowly expanding into sports with their original basketball program The Crew League and being affiliated with the network would also serve cord-cutters since the show is available on YouTube, Sling, and Fubo. For antenna and cable customers, capitalizing on CW’s rapid expansion into sports is imperative. CW has affiliates in all the major metropolitan areas I’m proposing for the league and a nationwide network that could provide future expansion opportunities. Pairing with these networks primes the league to develop its identity with other networks working to establish themselves.

Apparel is harder to figure out. Nike typically does a lot for Black History Month but with how big of a company they are, I don’t think this league would be a priority. However, there is a branch of Nike that has much closer ties to HBCU culture. Jordan Brand already makes uniforms for Howard and has been doing more work at the community level in recent years. I’d love to see Jordan Brand’s talented designers have creative control of ten new teams and the league would be instantly legitimized with the backing of such a large parent company.

At The Team Front Office Level

Player pay in sports is always a hot debate so I decided to take all the guesswork out of it. Using the Living Wage Calculator provided by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, I took the recommended living wage for each city for two adults and one child and averaged them. The salary I found was $70,537 per player. Compared to the UFL, the pay would be much more competitive and it’s also higher than the average salary of a college graduate. Making sure to provide insurances is imperative and I think paying players a weekly wage year-round is the most honest way to pay people.

It’s widely accepted a business takes two to three years to be profitable, so keeping this model for three to five years until a union can be established would start the league off on a great foot. After contracts expire, players should be able to negotiate their own contracts, but with a cost-of-living adjusted salary floor based on these numbers. I also don’t believe trades are necessary for the first year of the league since we’re trying to build loyalty between players and fans.

For the first season, we’ll use a territorial draft. Each HBCU football program will be represented across ten cities, we’re going to split the ten teams into two five-team divisions. Each team will play every other team in their division once at home and once on the road for a total of eight games. The top team in each division plays each other in the Heritage Bowl in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the championship game for the league. The remaining teams and players will be invited to Heritage Weekend in an all-star skills competition and game to fill out the weekend. After the first year, a traditional five-round draft should be established with the worst team picking first and the best picking last. Although preferring players who graduate college, I think limiting to only college graduates can establish a form of elitism we want to stay away from. If we use a five-round draft, only fifty athletes can be picked, so it may not make sense to come out of school early, especially with the Name, Image, Likeness rules in college sports.

ON THE FIELD

Rule Differences

It’s no secret football is dangerous. We can have full stadiums and living wages but if players aren’t healthy enough to enjoy it, none of it means anything. We also want an exciting product that is attractive to fans and broadcasters. Thirdly, we want to prepare players for football in the fall.

• Rugby-style tackling: When it comes to tackling, I believe there’s a very simple fix to make the sport safer. Forcing a player to wrap up between the shoulders and knees immediately reduces the chance of concussions on the defensive side, but this should be balanced on offense. In rugby, shoulder charges are illegal but stiff arms are not. Think of a running style similar to this, rather than what is common now. Blocks are affected too, no more launching yourself at an opponent. A player needs to engage with the other player like a lineman would.
• XFL-style kick-offs: When I first heard about this kick-off style, I wasn’t sure if it was going to actually work. After watching the season, I actually prefer this version as it allows for bigger returns and fewer injuries. It’s more like a punt and I think doing this from the 25-yard line makes a ton of sense.
• The Single or the “Rouge”: We need to balance the return team’s advantage of XFL-style kickoffs, so we’ll add the CFL’s Rouge point. The Rouge point is assessed on kicking plays that American Gridiron would call touchbacks. It’s simple: if the ball isn’t returned from the end zone, the kicking team gets a point. This would encourage the kicking teams to launch the ball down the field.
• Forward motion: Motion has added an entirely new dynamic to football. The game is faster, which puts speed at a premium. Forward motion would open the game up even more and the game would be unique from other forms of football. Southern football is arguably the fastest in the country and with athletes from the fastest states in the country being allowed to be as athletic as possible is an incredible prospect.
• College overtime: I don’t really like overtime outside of the playoffs but if anything is going to change my mind, it’s college football’s overtime. The shortened field and equal chances to score with a do-or-die situation are the best way to define a winner and a loser.
• Thirty-second play clock: Simple, shorten the play clock. In a sixty-minute game, a thirty-second play clock would result in 120 plays at the minimum. All those plays make the game more exciting and force more strategic uses of clock management.

All these rules in unison would make the game so much faster and wide-open. By emphasizing speed and technique over power and violence, this version of the sport would be more sustainable on its players and its travel.

The Teams

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Birmingham Iron Men

Alabama is a football hotbed, but professional football has never been able to keep a foothold in the city. Teams have existed on and off since 1975 but none have been able to survive for more than two seasons. We’d try to change that with the Iron Men, so named for their steel industry. The affiliates in their territorial draft have produced football greats like Steve McNair and Donald Driver. Senior quarterback Aaron Allen threw for 2,235 yards and 15 touchdowns this season and with Alabama products making up five of the top ten receivers in the conference, they could follow in the path of those dynamic air-it-out threats.

Dr. Anthony Blevins is my only choice for coaching this club. Born in Birmingham, high school in Pleasant Grove, college at UAB, played his entire professional career in Alabama and has coached at every level of the sport. He was slated to coach the Vegas Vipers in the second season of the XFL but they were lost in the merger. Dr. Blevins would be a huge boon for the league and absolutely has the resumé to prove it.

Protective Stadium is already being used as the main stadium for the UAB Blazers, but Birmingham Legion FC has made this their home since 2022. Legion Field is unoccupied but would look empty if only 20,000 people showed up at the cavernous 71,594-person stadium. The UFL’s Birmingham Stallions are currently Springtime tenants in Protective Stadium which may pose some problems as far as scheduling, but it’s easily overcome with thorough planning.

CW Affiliate: WTTO 21

Territorial Draft Affiliates:
Alabama A&M University
Alabama State University
Miles College
Tuskegee University
Alcorn State University

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Louisville Legends

Named for Kentucky’s strong sports heritage, the Legends are the midwestern representative for the league, serving West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky. Louisville doesn’t have a ton of professional team sports history but their college sports have produced stars and the territory can boast names like Hugh Douglas. Standout Central State linebacker Jalil Lenore ranked third in the SIAC for tackles and his teammate Mike White ranked second in tackles for loss and first in sacks. Joining them would be Kentucky State’s Jeremiah Owens and Dante Broadnax who ranked third and fourth respectively in tackles for loss in the SIAC, with Owens also ranking fifth in the conference in sacks. Louisville could have a punishing defense to lead them in the league.

Rod Woodson is my pick to be the coach for the Legends. He’s only coached once before as part of the 2023 Vegas Vipers with only a 2-8 record but that team encountered a lot of chaos with a relocation and three-year hiatus. Putting one of the best defenders in football history in control of a team with so much defensive upside would give him the best shot at succeeding with his second chance. He’s from Fort Wayne, not far from Louisville so he definitely fits the midwestern culture of old-school smash-mouth football.

Lynn Family Stadium would be one of the smallest stadiums in the league but if their current tenants are anything to go by, Louisville will show up for their teams. Louisville City FC and Racing Louisville FC have ranked in the top five and top ten in attendance in their respective leagues since their inception. Louisville is less than two hours away from Cincinnati and Indianapolis, which puts the city in a very unique place of representing the entire Midwest.

CW Affiliate: WKBI 58

Territorial Draft Affiliates:
Bluefield State University
Central State University
Kentucky State University
Lincoln University (Missouri)
West Virginia State University

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Houston Metropolitans

Texas is the football capital of the world and with Hall of Famers Michael Strahan and Ken Houston being alumni of the territorial draft affiliates, this club would not be hurting for talent. Houston is one of the United States’ Black Meccas and Texas is one of America’s deepest athletic talent pools. Prairie View A&M’s Trazon Connley was fourth in the SWAC in passing and LaDarius Thomas led the SWAC in rushing yards, providing a balanced offensive attack. On the defensive end, Jacob Williams was top five in the SWAC in three statistical categories: tackles, tackles for loss and sacks. A Texas football team has the potential to be dominant on both sides of the ball.

Mike Singletary is my choice to coach this team. He’s a football legend who has admittedly struggled with coaching but he’d be a hometown hero in Houston. This would be a good final test for a football legend who has always had a distinct identity and could find ways to win in unexpected ways. He would have the deepest pool of talent and could develop his squad from the ground up in his own image.

Texas Southern already plays at this stadium in downtown Houston, so we know there is a market for HBCU football here. Behind New York and Los Angeles, Houston is one of the cities I think could support multiple football teams and the did that with both the USFL and the XFL. It helps the stadium is so centrally located and easy to reach, add that to knowledgeable and rabid fans and you have the chance to have the best fans in the league.

CW Affiliate: KIAH 39

Territorial Draft Affiliates:
Langston University
Prairie View A&M University
Texas College
Texas Southern University

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Memphis Blues

Kylan Duhe had the highest average rushing yards per game in the SIAC for Lane College and Rico Dozier had the most tackles in the SWAC for Arkansas-Pine Bluff, meaning these Blues are going to both have rhythm and be able to disrupt it. Tennessee and Arkansas have always produced solid players on their own but unifying their player pool makes for a really strong team across the board.

AutoZone Park is a Minor League Baseball stadium that hosts Memphis 901 FC as well as the Memphis Redbirds. The stadium hosts 10,000 right now as a split stadium but Memphis 901 says their new stadium will be built in 2025. If this isn’t a good fit, the Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium is ready to slot in to that role. Every spring league team based in Memphis played here but what’s more intriguing is the Southern Heritage Classic now played between the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and Tennessee State University.

CW Affiliate: WLMT 30

Territorial Draft Affiliates:
Arkansas Baptist College
Lane College
Tennessee State University
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

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New Orleans Crescents

Merging the talent pool between Louisiana and Mississippi almost feels like cheating. Some of the most legendary HBCU football programs in the nation are in this area and some of the greatest players and coaches in HBCU football are from here. Jerry Rice, Walter Payton, Eddie Robinson, and Doug Williams are only some of the names affiliated with these storied programs. Even today, looking at the SWAC statistical leaderboard is full of players from schools in Mississippi and Louisiana. This would be one of the most dominant teams in the league and would almost have too much talent. Two of the top ten quarterbacks in the SWAC would be going to this team and starting spots would be hard to come by.

The Gold Mine On Airline is a solid spot for this team to play in. While technically in Metairie, Lousiana, this stadium was home to the New Orleans Zephyrs/Baby Cakes baseball team and now hosts New Orleans Gold rugby. At 10,000 seats, it’s a little smaller than I’d like but if that’s a problem, Tulane’s Yulman Stadium is the perfect size at a capacity of 30,000 people. The stadium is located on the campus of Tulane University which may be a problem but either option is perfect for New Orleans in the springtime.

CW Affiliate: WNOL-TV 38

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EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlanta Pride

Atlanta is a unique hub of Black culture and the “Pride” name reflects that. Evoking the imagery of civil rights movements of both race and sexuality as well as a group of lions, this team is designed to bring Atlanta together as only sports can. Although the passing attack would be solid, three of the top ten rushers in the SIAC went to Georgia schools. The second-leading tackler in the SIAC is also a product of Georgia, creating a classic foundation for an old-school smash-mouth football club.

Hines Ward is the perfect coach for this team. He made a career on a hard-nosed style of play which would translate to this team well. Although Ward’s first season with the San Antonio Brahmas didn’t go as planned, he did show flashes of potential in his rookie year. Ward also has deep ties to the state of Georgia while also representing their unique culture. Giving Ward another chance on a team with a culture he can build from the ground up is a smart move to legitimize this club.

Center Parc Stadium was built on the bones of the old Turner Field, which is perfect for the stadium’s accessibility. Georgia State University owns the stadium now but the MEAC/SWAC Challenge has been played here since 2018. HBCUs have a strong presence in the city of Atlanta and teams absolutely have a market base here. The stadium is perfectly sized at 24,333 people and is between the Summerhill and Mechanicsville neighborhoods, with access to the stadiums via bus routes to Georgia State.

CW Affiliate: WPCH-TV 17

Territorial Draft Affiliates:
Albany State University
Clark Atlanta University
Fort Valley State University
Morehouse University
Savannah State University

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Carolina Royals

The Carolinas are one of the most history-rich regions in the country and that’s reflected in the amount of HBCUs between the two states. The SIAC leaderboards are filled with products from the Carolinas, with one gem in particular being dual-threat legend Davius Richard, who accounted for 21 passing touchdowns and 18 rushing touchdowns to become the leading scorer in the MEAC last year. I can’t think of a much better foundation to have for a team but that offensive firepower is buoyed by the conference’s top rusher and receiver with Jawarn Howell and Devin Smith respectively. The defense is loaded at every level as well. Naejuan Barber and Aaron Smith both ranked top five in sacks, Jayden Flaker ranked top three in tackles and Jamare Benjamin and Jason Chambers ranked top five in both defended passes and interceptions. This is one of the most loaded regions in the country and could easily challenge for a title.

Charlotte is a strange market because the Carolinas didn’t get professional support until the 90s. American Legion Memorial Stadium is a 10,500-person stadium that hosts Charlotte Independence soccer. I chose Charlotte because of its proximity to the border, making it easier to reach for residents of both states. Raleigh and Charleston are also decent choices but I felt a place that brought North and South Carolina together made the most sense.

CW Affiliate: WCCB 18

Territorial Draft Affiliates:
Allen University
Benedict University
Chowan University
Elizabeth City State University
Fayetteville State University
Johnson C. Smith University
Livingstone University
North Carolina A&T University
North Carolina Central University
St. Augustine’s University
Shaw University
Winston-Salem State University

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Miami Pirates

Two things that aren’t in short supply in Florida: speed and swagger. Although Florida’s government has intensified efforts to erase Black history, it’s wrong to ignore the strong tradition of Black residents in the Sunshine State. Florida is another hotbed of football talent, with arguably the most competitive college football in the country. Florida A&M is the largest of the HBCUs and has the most history but the members of the SIAC shouldn’t be overlooked. Marcus Riley and Jeremy Moussa had a connection that resulted in the best offense in the SWAC and a Celebration Bowl victory. On the defensive side, the combination of Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman’s best elevates their chances even more.

Terrell Buckley is the guy to lead Miami. Born and raised in Mississippi, Buckley has made most of his career in Florida. He played college ball at Florida State, then spent 13 years in the NFL with five in Miami. After retiring, he went back to Florida State to coach for five years which eventually led to a head coaching job with the XFL’s Orlando Guardians. I’ve said this a lot but another chance is definitely warranted for him and I think coaching a hungry team with young talent would be perfect.

The House Messi Renovated may not be around much longer as DRV PNK Stadium will soon be vacated for Inter Miami’s new stadium in 2025 but it’s still a picturesque destination for the team. It’s not located in Miami proper but in nearby Fort Lauderdale, which is still within the Miami metropolitan area. The stadium is freshly renovated and has only been open for five years which is the closest any team has to a brand new stadium.

CW Affiliate: WSFL-TV 39

Territorial Draft Affiliates:
Bethune-Cookman University
Edward Waters University
Florida A&M University
Florida Memorial University

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Virginia Beach Neptunes

OK, I admit it. I have a bias to Hampton Roads since I was stationed out there while I was in the army. They have one of the strongest pedigrees in sports and art and culture but remain the one of the more underrated and underrepresented regions in the country. Virginia is another deep talent pool but is far overlooked compared to the traditional powers of California, Texas and Florida. Jada Byers may not be in one of the major conferences but he rushed for 1,186 yards and 16 touchdowns, both of which lead the conference. Michael Vick would be an interesting coach for the team since he grew up in the area but his Atlanta Legends were low-ranking while he was their offensive coordinator.

The Virginia Beach Sportsplex may not be the most glamorous arena compared to some here but it has hosted spring football before via the 2009 incarnation of the UFL. The stadium is small at first glance at only 6,000 but it can be expanded to 17,000. The Tidewater region is halfway between the DC metro area and Charlotte which is perfect to add another team without oversaturating the area.

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Washington Potomacs

Named after the legendary Negro Leagues baseball club, the Potomacs represent the Northeastern HBCUs from Pennsylvania to Maryland. The south is primarily known for their HBCUs but the Midwest and East Coast deserve some love too, especially with some of the athletes they can put on the field. Quinton Williams and his 2,264 passing yards led Howard to a Celebration Bowl berth but Morgan State had the top defense in the conference and Malachi Langley was the top receiver in the CIAA. This team would be balanced and talented and a squad to be reckoned with.

Audi Field is the reason I wanted to this league to play in soccer stadiums. They had the best fans in the XFL and were a packed house, loud and rowdy. Bringing together the Northeast’s HBCUs in a venue like this in the heart of the nation’s capital is such a poetic way to start this league and I think they could represent a lot for a city whose sports identity is quickly getting more and more diluted.

CW Affiliate: WDCW 50

Territorial Draft Affiliates:
Delaware State University
Howard University
Bowie State University
Morgan State University
Lincoln University (Pennsylvania)

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IN CONCLUSION

I didn’t write all this for no reason. I did this to make a blueprint that I would like to see followed. So much Black sports history has had to be made for us and by us and we’ve clawed for everything we’ve ever gotten. I think this is a very feasible plan and I would love to see someone with the means actually do this. Merging the best of different sports to build something that has the opportunity to be revolutionary and completely change how we see sports.