Financial woes stall start of UFL play

Plagued by financial issues, the United Football League decided Monday to push back the start of its 2011 season from Aug. 13 to mid-September.

The league will make the official announcement this morning when it releases its revised schedule.

The UFL's five teams still will play an eight-game schedule over 10 weeks, and the championship game would be played Thanksgiving weekend, same as in the league's first two seasons.

Commissioner Michael Huyghue confirmed the league would make a major announcement today regarding its future, but would not comment further.

Las Vegas Locomotives president and head coach Jim Fassel declined comment on the news, saying he'll wait for today's announcement by the league before making any statements.

The Locos, who were scheduled to open the season Aug. 20 at Sacramento, have had 70 players at their team facility on Pilot Road attending meetings for the past week.

They were supposed to conduct their first official practice outdoors Monday at the Sam Boyd Stadium fields. However, that practice was called off, and with today's expected announcement, the players will return to their homes and reconvene for training camp in a month.

The UFL has been dealing with several off-the-field issues which prompted Monday's decision. There's a workmen's compensation matter with the Hartford franchise. There are equipment issues with the Virginia Destroyers, who relocated from Orlando, Fla., and did not have pads and helmets to outfit their players. Sacramento's players hadn't reported yet.

The five teams met with Huyghue on an hourlong conference call Monday to discuss their options. Later, Huyghue held a separate call with the owners to finalize the contingency plan.

Huyghue said last week the UFL, despite losing $52 million last year, would play its third season, and he reiterated that Monday.

"We will play this year," he said in a text message before his meetings.

While the UFL sorted through its problems, the Locos made their own off-the-field news, announcing the retirement of quarterback Tim Rattay. His decision resulted from a season-ending injury he suffered on Oct. 15, when he ruptured his right Achilles tendon in the fourth game of last season.

That opened the door for Chase Clement to become the starting quarterback, and he led the Locos to a second consecutive UFL championship in November. Rattay, who has been with the franchise since its inception in 2009, will become wide receivers coach.

Mike Teel, who had been expected to back up Clement, was removed from the active roster Monday after telling Fassel he no longer wanted to play. The Locos picked Teel in the sixth round of the UFL Draft in May. He spent all of the 2009 season with the Seattle Seahawks after being a sixth-round pick out of Rutgers.

Former Nebraska quarterback Zac Lee moves up on the depth chart to become Clement's backup, and the Locos also signed quarterback Chad Friehauf, who played at Colorado School of Mines and spent part of last year with the Omaha Nighthawks.

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