League gives Locos extra week to prepare

The Locomotives will get a week to scout the competition before starting their quest for a third straight United Football League championship.

Las Vegas, winner of the first two UFL titles, was given a first-week bye on the 2011 schedule announced Thursday. The Locos will open the season Aug. 20 at Sacramento.

The following week, on Aug. 27, Las Vegas meets Omaha in its home opener at Sam Boyd Stadium.

Times for all league games will be announced.

"The good news is we get to look at teams," team president and coach Jim Fassel said of the Locos' later start. "Nobody's the same offensively or defensively, so we'll have an idea what everyone does."

Las Vegas will play eight games -- four on Saturdays and two each on Fridays and Sundays -- and has two bye weeks.

The season kicks off Aug. 13, when Virginia hosts Hartford. The game will match veteran NFL coaches Marty Schottenheimer (Virginia) and Jerry Glanville (Hartford), both in their first year in the league.

The UFL title game will be on the weekend of Oct. 21 to 23 at a site to be determined.

Fassel said having a first-week bye also has drawbacks.

"The downside is you make your most improvement between your first week and your second, and Sacramento will have that going for them when they play us," he said. "Plus, they'll be at home."

Training camp for the 70 invited players on the Locos' roster will be July 12 at the Sam Boyd practice fields. Fassel said the first-week bye won't alter his camp schedule.

According to UFL commissioner Michael Huyghue, the league waited to finalize its schedule to see how the NFL lockout would unfold and also if the UFL would expand beyond five teams. Huyghue said the league is still working on its TV package but that Versus and HDNet will remain broadcast partners for 2011.

Fassel said the Locos hope to continue having games broadcast on local radio, as was the case the first two seasons.

"We don't have a deal in place, but I anticipate that getting done soon," he said. "I think it's important from an exposure standpoint that we be on the radio locally."

Fassel said the schedule release should help the team's season-ticket sales. He said the Locos have sold more than 500 season tickets, about the same total as all of last year.

"It's a whole different (business) operation than what we've had," Fassel said. "We're getting great response from the community, and I think the schedule announcement will help us a lot now that people know exactly when we'll be playing."

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.