| File:File:PacProFootball Logo.png | |
| Sport | American football |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2017 |
| Commissioner | Jamie Hemann |
| Inaugural season | 2020 (planned) |
| No. of teams | 4 (planned) |
| Country(ies) | US |
| Official website | pacificprofootball |
Pacific Pro Football, also called Pacific Pro League (Pac Pro), is a planned professional development American football league.[1] The league would be a single entity, owning all the teams, and play during summers from July to August.[2] The league is planning to start play in July 2020.
Background[]
Don Yee, best known as the sports agent for Tom Brady, has advocated for years for college football players to be paid, particularly via a 2010 op-ed in The Washington Post.[3] Yee would have "football corporations" purchase college football programs through bids leading to the end of the NCAA, with colleges focusing on education.[2] Yee and other sports agents saw that young players were not being served by the existing college football system.[4]
History[]
The league was announced by Yee on January 11, 2017.[1][5] The league had planned to start recruiting in 2017 and then play in the summer of 2018 with four teams.[1][5] The league's COO Bradley Edwards indicated that they had closed a round of angel investing;[5] although as of May 2017, the league was looking for additional investors.[2]
By February 2018, the league pushed its start back to the summer of 2019, and signed on Adidas as a major sponsor.[6] Jamie Hemann was hired in December 2018 as CEO, to start on January 1, 2019. Also revealed at the time was that the league start had been pushed back to July 2020.[7] On January 7, 2019, it was announced that former NFL player Ed McCaffrey would serve as commissioner.[8] The July 2020 date for launch of the league was also reaffirmed.[8] As of January 2019, the league's advisory board consists of Mike Shanahan, Jim Steeg, Mike Pereira, Baron Flenory, and Steve Schmidt.[9]
Players[]
The league would only hire non-NFL eligible players,[1] thus focused on high school graduates not going to college nor out of school for over three years.[10] Average pay would be $50,000 plus optional community college tuition and books for a year.[10] Benefits would also be a part of compensation, including career-ending injury coverage. A set of programs and internships, academic and vocational, would be made available through the league.[2] The players, as professionals, would be able to enter into sponsorship deals.[11] The league would train the players in pro-style play.[1] All players would get playing time, with players assigned to the team closest to their high school.[4]
Structure[]
The four teams of 50 players will be based in southern California,[1] playing in mid-size municipal or college stadiums on Sundays.[2][4] The league may use only two venues.[4] The season would consist of eight games for each team,[5] plus a two-round playoff.[4] The league plans to have eight full-time coaches and eight part-time assistant coaches per team.[4] The league would also serve as a training ground for future NFL staff.[12]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Kaplan, Emily (January 19, 2017). "A Look at Don Yee's New NFL D-League" (in en). SI.com. https://www.si.com/mmqb/2017/01/19/nfl-d-league-college-ncaa-football-alternative-don-yee-2017-draft. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Grossman, Evan (May 27, 2017). "Tom Brady’s agent Don Yee bucks against football system and NCAA with Pacific Pro league". NY Daily News. http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/don-yee-bucks-system-ncaa-pacific-pro-football-article-1.3201543.
- ↑ Yee, Don (August 19, 2010). "A pro agent's case for paying college football players". The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/19/AR2010081904202.html.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Wetzel, Dan (January 11, 2017). "Could this pro football league help fix a nagging NFL draft problem?". Yahoo Sports (Oath). https://sports.yahoo.com/news/could-this-pro-football-league-help-fix-a-nagging-nfl-draft-problem-100508944.html. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "Pacific Pro Football League to debut in 2018". ESPN.com. Jan 11, 2017. http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/18449983/new-pacific-pro-football-league-debut-summer-2018. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
- ↑ Bell, Jarrett (February 28, 2018). "Agent Don Yee lands Adidas as sponsor for Pacific Pro Football" (in en). USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/columnist/bell/2018/02/28/don-yee-pacific-pro-football-league-adidas/381323002/. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
- ↑ Smith, Michael (December 18, 2018). "Pac Pro Football Startup Hires Jamie Hemann As First CEO" (in en). Sports Business Daily (American City Business Journals). https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Closing-Bell/2018/12/18/Pac-Pro.aspx?hl=Jamie%20Hemann. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Wilson, Bernie (January 7, 2019). "Former Lehigh Valley, NFL star Ed McCaffrey to help head Pacific Pro Football". AP. https://www.mcall.com/sports/mc-spt-mccaffrey-pacific-football-20190107-story.html. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
- ↑ "Advisory Board". http://www.pacificprofootball.com/leadership/advisory-board/. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Earlywine, Aaron (February 9, 2017). "A closer look at football developmental leagues" (in en). SI.com (Time, Inc.). https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/02/09/developmental-football-leagues-pacific-pro. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
- ↑ Powell, Ellen (January 12, 2017). "Pacific Pro Football League: A welcome alternative to the NFL?". Christian Science Monitor. https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2017/0112/Pacific-Pro-Football-League-A-welcome-alternative-to-the-NFL. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
- ↑ Maese, Rick (January 11, 2017). "New summer pro football league aims to offer paid alternative to college football". Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/redskins/new-summer-pro-football-league-aims-to-offer-paid-alternative-to-college-football/2017/01/10/6b7d33a8-d753-11e6-9a36-1d296534b31e_story.html. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
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