While the NFL debates the viability of having an NFL team in London, it appears football will be making its way to China with the help of some former NFLers. According to Adam Schefter, China is creating its first football league in the country’s history.
Chinese sports authorities have entered into an agreement to create the first football league in the country’s history.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 14, 2014
And, according to Darren Rovell, Ron Jaworski and Dick Vermeil will be involved. Plus, look! A logo!
Arena league co-owner Marty Judge, with Ron Jaworski & Dick Vermeil, announce plans for football in China next year pic.twitter.com/s3xBywkCVj
— darren rovell (@darrenrovell) August 14, 2014
Erik Matuszewski, over at Bloomberg, has some more information on the new league:
The China American Football League will kick off its professional season in September 2015 — a month after the AFL season ends in the U.S. — and will have six to eight teams based in major cities in China. Franchises will be sold for $10 million apiece, which also gives owners a portion of the television licensing rights. Rosters will be composed of 12 Chinese players and eight Americans, many of them from the Arena League, and coaches also will come from the AFL.”
Sounds like a pretty cool deal and it serves as a reminder that, unlike basketball and baseball, football is pretty much only played in the United States. Though, this might be the first step to globalizing the game, since we apparently want other countries to also experience brain trauma and concussions via football.
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