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United States Football League
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===Organization=== [[Image:USFL official football.jpg|thumb|Official USFL football.]] Over the next 15 years, Dixon studied the last two challengers to the NFL's dominance of pro football—the successful [[American Football League]] and the troubled [[World Football League]]. In 1980, he commissioned a study by [[Frank Magid Associates]] that found promising results for a spring and summer football league.<ref>{{cite web|title=No use competing with the NFL|author=John McMullen|url=http://www.realfootball365.com/articles/nfl/13739|work=Realfootball365.com|date=March 16, 2009|access-date=August 24, 2015|archive-date=September 10, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910142420/http://www.realfootball365.com/articles/nfl/13739|url-status=live}}</ref> He had also formed a blueprint for the prospective league's operations, which included early television exposure, heavy promotion in home markets, and owners with the resources and patience to absorb years of losses—which he felt would be inevitable until the league found its feet. He also assembled a list of prospective franchises located in markets attractive to a potential television partner. Dixon was well aware that many attempts to challenge the NFL had foundered due to financial troubles. The WFL, for instance, was plagued by teams that were so badly underfinanced that they could not meet the most basic expenses. With this in mind, Dixon wanted to ensure that USFL teams had the wherewithal to put a credible product on the field. To that end, the league required potential owners to submit to a detailed [[due diligence]] and meet strict capitalization requirements. They were also required to post a $1.5 million letter of credit for emergencies. With respected college and NFL coach [[John Ralston (coach)|John Ralston]] as the first employee, Dixon signed up 12 cities—nine where there already were NFL teams and three where there were not. The Dixon Plan called for teams in top TV markets to entice the networks into offering the league a TV deal. All but two of the 12 initial teams were located in the top 13 media markets in the US at the time. After almost two years of preparation, Dixon formally announced the USFL's formation at the [[21 Club]] in New York City on May 11, 1982, to begin play in 1983. ESPN president [[Chet Simmons]] was named the league's first commissioner in June 1982. According to the Dixon Plan, if the league was going to be a success, it needed television revenue and exposure. In 1983, the league signed contracts with both over-the-air broadcaster [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] and a [[cable TV]] broadcaster, the four-year old [[ESPN]], to televise games. The deals yielded roughly $13 million in 1983 and $16 million in 1984, including $9 million per year from ABC. ABC had options for the 1985 season at $14 million and 1986 at $18 million. Each week, there would be a nationally televised game, as well as the USFL's own version of Monday Night football.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web|url=http://www.remembertheusfl.8m.com/history.html|title=Remember the USFL – History|access-date=2011-04-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110319052218/http://www.remembertheusfl.8m.com/history.html|archive-date=2011-03-19|url-status=dead}}</ref>
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