Latest news with #RussBrandon
Reuters
05-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
UFL ratifies new CBA through 2026
May 5 - The United Football League will continue on without any more drama surrounding a new collective bargaining agreement, as the league approved a new CBA with the United Football Players Association. The Monday announcement comes nearly a month after the UFPA ratified the deal, which will be retroactive to the start of training camp on March 2 and will extend until the end of the 2026 season. Under terms of the new CBA, minimum salaries increase from $55,000 to $62,005 for players who participate in all 10 regular-season games. They will raise again the following year to $64,000 with part of that reflecting a reallocation of a per-month housing stipend of $400. In addition, all players will be eligible for year-round health care. Other changes include roster expansion and instituting a process to handle player grievances. "We have reached a collective bargaining agreement with the UFPA," UFL president and CEO Russ Brandon said in a statement. "We look forward to continuing to work with our players to grow professional spring football at the UFL." Players began voicing concerns about a new CBA before training camp began, with 24 quarterbacks signing a letter saying they would skip a league-organized QB camp in February. Some players told media outlets that coaches threatened to release them if they boycotted league media days as was previously discussed by players. All the while, hope remained that a new agreement would be agreed upon as the league and players association continued negotiations, which led to salary increases and respectable health care. Under the CBA, players will have seven months of insurance followed by subsidized COBRA for the following five months. Previously, players were only insured during the four-month UFL season. --Field Level Media
NBC Sports
05-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
UFL, UFL players sign CBA through 2026
The UFL officially has labor peace. The spring league announced on Monday that a new Collective Bargaining Agreement has been signed with the UFL Players Association. The agreement runs through 2026. Among other things, the new agreement increases salaries and provides full-year health insurance. 'We have reached a Collective Bargaining Agreement with the UFPA,' UFL president and CEO Russ Brandon said. 'We look forward to continuing to work with our players to grow professional spring football at the UFL.' It was critical to avoid a work stoppage or other labor issues. For both sides. The UFL still faces a steep uphill climb to become sustainable over the long haul. If there's no league, it doesn't matter what the players are getting paid. The main measurements are down from last year to this year. This weekend, the St. Louis Battlehawks slipped under 30,000 fans for a home game for the first time since the UFL launched in 2024. The Houston Roughnecks drew a paltry 4,134 for a Week 6 game against the Memphis Showboats. Viewing audiences are down as well. And while it's easy to blame the small numbers on the fact that every weekend of the UFL season has had plenty of other sports on TV, the same alternatives existed in 2024. We hope the UFL finds its footing. We hope it can cultivate some star power. It's not nearly enough to play games that are almost as good as NFL action. To thrive — and before that, survive — the UFL needs to get people to seek out the games. The biggest challenge, for all spring football leagues past, present, and future, is a simple one. It's difficult to get people to care about football when it's not football season.
USA Today
21-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Philadelphia Eagles have 12 former players signed to United Football League teams
Philadelphia Eagles have 12 former players signed to United Football League teams With the NFL season complete and the UFL set to kick off, we're looking at 12 former Philadelphia Eagles who are participating in the spring league With the NFL season now complete and the offseason underway, Philadelphia has one of the most extended lists of players who are getting another shot in the eight-team UFL, which kicks off season kicks off on Friday, March 28, at 8 p.m. ET when FOX Sports debuts FOX UFL Friday – a new night dedicated to UFL action taking place each Friday during the 10-week regular season – with a matchup featuring the St. Louis Battlehawks against the Houston Roughnecks. The league's second season will conclude on Saturday, June 14, when ABC presents the 2025 UFL Championship Game. A combination agreement (the "UFL") is the premier spring football league that resulted from the merger of the XFL and USFL. Russ Brandon, former President and CEO of the XFL, leads the UFL as President and CEO. Former USFL President of Football Operations Daryl Johnston leads football operations. Founded in 2001, the XFL was a collaboration between NBC and WWF (WWE), spearheaded by Vince McMahon. After a hot start, poor ratings ultimately led to the league's lasting just one season. The league returned in 2020, with McMahon again leading the reboot, but it had to close its doors again after COVID-19 shut things down after just five weeks. The league filed for bankruptcy and was forced to sell. A group headed by Dany Garcia, including Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, bought the league out of bankruptcy for $15 million. The UFL has eight teams in Arlington (TX), Birmingham (AL), Detroit (MI), Houston (TX), San Antonio (TX), Memphis (TN), St. Louis (MO), and Washington D.C. With action to begin next weekend, we're looking at 12 former Eagles on UFL rosters. Teams USFL Conference Birmingham StallionsHouston RoughnecksMemphis ShowboatsMichigan Panthers XFL Conference Arlington RenegadesD.C. DefendersSan Antonio BrahmasSt. Louis Battlehawks Deon Cain WR--Birmingham Stallions Cain had eight catches on 18 targets with 106 receiving yards during three preseason performances in 2022, making him an under-the-radar candidate for the Eagles roster. CB Mario Goodrich --Birmingham Stallions The Eagles have a deep and competitive cornerback room, and after signing offensive guard Nick Gates to a deal, the team released veteran cornerback Mario Goodrich. The former Clemson cornerback has been on and off the Eagles' practice squad since 2022, playing in four games with one start. WR Austin Watkins Jr. --Birmingham Stallions The 25-year-old wide receiver spent the 2023 season with Cleveland's practice squad. Watkins caught 16 passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns for the Browns in their three preseason outings and had a dominant game against Philadelphia. Marvin Wilson DT-- Birmingham Stallions Signed by the Browns as an undrafted free agent out of FSU, Wilson spent two seasons with the Eagles, logging three total tackles. Deontay Burnett WR -- Arlington Renegades Burnett was signed to the Philadelphia Eagles' practice squad in 2019. In week 17, he caught 2 passes for 48 yards in the 34–17 win against the Giants. Burnett spent parts of 2020 and 2021 with the Eagles practice squad. Ajene Harris CB-- Arlington Renegades After going undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft, Harris signed with the Philadelphia Eagles and was released that August. Harris spent parts of the 2019 season on the Eagles practice squad. Luis Perez QB -- Arlington Renegades Perez played college football at Texas A&M University–Commerce from 2015 to 2017. A spring league star, Perez signed with the Eagles after the AAF suspended football operations on April 9, 2019. Perez was waived by the Eagles that May. Hakeem Butler TE -- St. Louis Battlehawks The former Iowa State wide receiver spent parts of 2020 and 2021 with the Eagles. Devin Ross WR --Michigan Panthers The former Colorado wide receiver spent parts of 2019 on the Eagles practice squad. Chim Okorafor OL -- Michigan Panthers A former NAIA All-America selection and former Benedictine College offensive lineman, Okorafor spent the 2023 training camp with the Eagles. Greedy Williams CB --San Antonio Brahmas Williams was released by the Eagles last August and never played in a regular season game for the Birds. Williams, a 2019 second-round selection by the Browns, spent his first four years in Cleveland but saw his production decline significantly in 2022. He was looking for a fresh start in Philadelphia but fell behind Eli Ricks, Zech McPhearson, and Kelee Ringo at cornerback before the team ultimately opted to make this move. Williams spent 2023 and 2024 out of the NFL. Greg Ward WR --San Antonio Brahmas Ward had been with Philadelphia since 2017, winning Super Bowl LII as a practice squad member. In 40 career games (13 starts), the former Houston Cougars quarterback registered 88 receptions for 768 yards and ten touchdowns. In 2020, Ward led the team in receptions (53) and receiving touchdowns (6).
