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.