Pro football in cards for Vegas

February 19, 2009 by Jennifer Miller 

United Football League set to start this fallLas Vegas football fans will have another reason to cheer this year.

The United Football League has given the city a franchise and it has been announced that a coach with Super Bowl experience will lead the team.

Jim Fassel, who was head coach of the New York Giants from 1997 to 2003, will lead the new team. Fassel had a 60-56-1 record in New York including his Super Bowl appearance in 2000 when the Giants fell short against the Baltimore Ravens.

According to an article on Bloomberg.com, it is official that Las Vegas and New York will be cities participating in the league.

“The bottom line with me is I love coaching and I’ve got a lot of energy to still coach,” Fassel said on the Web site. “I like the way the league is going to be run. I’m excited. I want to coach.”

The unnamed team will play Thursdays and Fridays at Sam Boyd Stadium this fall. Other formalities such as the team name, the length of the season and details of the other franchise cities and their coaches have yet to be determined.

Some candidates for other teams are Hartford, Conn., Los Angeles, Orlando, Fla. and even Mexico City.

UFL Commissioner Michael Huyghue said that announcements for the league’s future would be unveiled within the coming months.

Huyghue is hoping that the new league will complement the NFL as opposed to being a competitor.

Although Las Vegas has seen many leagues pass through the city, the UFL has potential for success according to Fassel.

“I love coaching, but I wouldn’t do this if I thought this was going to be a rinky- dinky, ugly-looking deal,” Fassel said. “I wouldn’t do it for that.”

Since 1994, three professional football franchises have called Las Vegas home. Arena Football’s Sting (1994-95), Gladiators (2003-07) and the XFL’s Outlaws (2001) all came and went with unexpectedly low attendance and weak hometown support.

As of now, there is no firm start date for the draft, regular season or championship, but there is no indication that the inaugural season will be delayed.

Several different investors are believed to be involved in the development in the new league including billionaire Bill Hambrecht, Google executive Tim Armstrong and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.