1974 GLFL League Meetings

Falling behind the NAAF and newly renamed GAFL is the Great Lakes Football League. In recent seasons, more and more players are considering or have left the league in search of better opportunities and higher salaries in other leagues. Unfortunately, the bulk of teams in the league are unable to keep up higher costs. Chicago, Detroit, and Cleveland have been the few that have managed to keep relatively competitive salaries. The power imbalance has seen the league tip in favour of the richer teams, with most championships being split between the top 3.

Despite the shift from its core players, the league has been able to remain stable at 8 teams for a while now; however, its Minneapolis team is continuing to struggle with the Minnesota Serpents’ success in the NAAF. While there is still a solid following from the local area around the team’s current home of the Baseball Park, it is not enough to keep the team afloat. Original owner, Harold Smith, who owns the Baseball club, gave up on the team a couple of years ago after the Serpents took off. Current owner, Jerry Beck, picked up the team from Smith and continued to pay him to use the stadium, but after a couple of years, it just isn’t viable.

The league is looking for a new option for the team. There is a potential plan to move the team across the river to St. Paul and market it towards Minneapolis’ twin. However, there is a potential play at Kansas City, with Jacob Cross stepping away from the NAAF’s project. Larry Winfield, owner of the Chicago All-Pros and Commissioner of the GLFL, believes that there is a possibility that the league, if they work together, can find the funds to try and complete the stadium project and get a team down to KC. Other options will also be explored. In the meantime, the Black Bears will temporarily move to St. Paul for the upcoming season to serve as an experiment for the initial St. Paul option. The team will share a stadium with the University of St. Paul, a smaller venue compared to the baseball stadium. They will also be renamed to the St. Paul Black Bears. The move is certainly not ideal, but Winfield remains optimistic for the future and is looking at options that can change the trajectory of the GLFL.

1974 ACFL League Meetings

INTRODUCING THE GAFL: THE SORIANO PLAN

At this year’s league meetings for the Atlantic Coast Football League, commissioner Don Soriano presented a massive new plan to set the struggling league back on the path to success. Soriano acknowledged that in recent years the former top league in the nation has slipped behind their top rivals in the NAAF. Poor decision-making and complacency has led to the ACFL’s decline (A point that seemed directed at former Commissioner Stephen Van Fossen). Missteps in challenging the Independents in Boston, as well as neglect in Pittsburgh, allowed the NAAF to maintain and win over both markets. Soriano believes it is time that the ACFL changes their ways and steps forward with intention. A new bold, but logical plan to catapult the ACFL back to the top of the Football world. 

The first phase of his plan would be an initial step back for the league. Soriano announced that the struggling franchises of the Pittsburgh Hammers and Richmond Lions would be folding, reducing the ACFL down to 12 teams for the upcoming season. The players on those teams would be dispersed via a contraction draft that would allow the weakest teams first picks at the top players.

The second phase of the plan will mark a massive step forward for the league. Soriano announced that there would be a massive Westward expansion to California and Texas. Over the upcoming seasons, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, and Houston would all be awarded franchises in the ACFL. The details on when teams join is still up in the air, but at least two teams will join in time for the 1975 season. Most cities have a viable stadium in place due to local leagues, but some are expected to expand seating to meet the ACFL’s ambitious standards. 

From there,  the goal will be to expand the league further to get up to 20 teams by the early 1980s. No cities were announced to the additional 4 teams that would be needed to meet the 20-team goal. The league is focused on getting the first four teams in place while they do a careful search for viable options.

With the expansion westward, Soriano noted that the “Atlantic Coast” Football League would no longer be a fitting name. He moved for the notion of a new name and has proposed the Great American Football League. A name that fits with the goal of this league to become the first coast-to-coast American Football league in the country. Many fellow owners were on board with the idea. Van Fossen was a little less excited, but acknowledged that he was intrigued by Soriano’s plan and is generally in favour of the more aggressive move. Ultimately, so long as the league moves back to the top and he still can turn a profit, he will support the plan.

Additionally, Soriano is working on strategies to increase competition in the league and give some of the weaker teams a better chance to succeed. However, owners are likely to have more reservations about those changes, especially the more powerful and richer owners. More is expected to come as the Soriano Plan takes shape.