Locos’ first two games are rematch of UFL final

The United Football League will have a familiar look when it kicks off its second season Sept. 17.

That night, the league champion Locomotives will face the Florida Tuskers at Sam Boyd Stadium in a rematch of November's UFL championship game, won by Las Vegas in overtime, 20-17.

"We did that intentionally," commissioner Michael Huyghue said Thursday. "We want to showcase our two best teams, and it's a great way to start the season with (them) going head to head."

After a bye week, the Locos will visit the Tuskers on Sept. 30 in Orlando, Fla.

"(The schedule) is going to be challenging, but it's very fair," Locos coach Jim Fassel said. "The league is testing us right off the bat, but it'll be good. We'll have no trouble getting our players' attention in training camp."

With the shift of the New York franchise to Hartford, San Francisco to Sacramento and the addition of Omaha as a fifth team, each UFL team will play an eight-game schedule spread over 10 weeks. The league will play games on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays after sticking to midweek in its first season.

Huyghue said he has no misgivings about scheduling games against high school and college football.

"We think there's room for us," he said. "We believe there are enough people who want to watch pro football other than on Sunday."

Fassel said: "I think football fans want to see good football, no matter what day of the week it is. If we're playing well, they'll come out to see us."

The UFL championship game will be played on the weekend of Nov. 26 at a site to be determined.

"We are building our audience and, with this year's schedule, we're going from crawling to walking," Huyghue said. "A year from now, we hope to be running."

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913.