Locos set to kick off next week after UFL finds insurance

With only a week to get ready, myriad tasks need to be performed - on and off the field. But the United Football League indeed will play its fourth season.

The four-team UFL, which includes the Las Vegas Locomotives, will play an eight-game schedule, with the Locos kicking things off Sept. 26 against defending champion Virginia at Sam Boyd Stadium. CBS Sports Network (Cable 333) will televise the game nationally.

"We're going to have to move quickly," Locos president and coach Jim Fassel said Tuesday. "We've got players flying in as we speak, and we have to get them their physicals, get them into meetings and get them on the field."

The UFL had to overcome a major hurdle to its survival by finding affordable workers' compensation insurance to cover its 200-plus players. Without it, the league would not have been able to play.

None of the teams had begun practice because of the issue, which wasn't resolved until Monday at a cost of approximately $3 million. In addition, the UFL had to settle a $6 million debt for last year's workers' comp insurance, and resolving the entire process took longer than anticipated. That's why the season, which was supposed to begin today, was pushed back a week, to Sept. 26 to 28.

UNLV reached an agreement with the Locos on a new deal after the Locos agreed to pay the university approximately $35,000 for using its facilities in 2011.

Fassel said his hope was to hold the first practice Thursday. But it might not be until Friday. That doesn't leave a lot of time to prepare.

"I told our guys we don't have time to get in shape," he said. "A lot of them have been working out on their own, and they need to be ready" to play.

The Locos are expected to have 20 members of last year's 50-man roster on this year's team, including starting quarterback Chase Clement, receivers Andrae Thurman and Samie Parker, defensive lineman Ryan Boschetti and defensive back Wale Dada. This year, rosters are being expanded from 50 to 54.

As for marketing the team and selling tickets to next week's opener against the Destroyers, Fassel said information will be announced this week.

"We're still finalizing that," he said.

Despite getting the workers' comp and stadium issues resolved, the Locos and the UFL still have outstanding debts from last season, with money owed to staff and various vendors for services rendered. Fassel repeatedly has said the team was working on getting those local debts settled.

"Hopefully soon," he said when asked about the team squaring its accounts with individuals and businesses to which it owes money. "I can't give you a definitive date. We're finally getting our working capital for this year, and I'm hoping we can pay those we still owe as quickly as we can."

The UFL has lost more than $120 million in its first three seasons of operation, and the four team owners are running the league. In addition to his duties with the Locos, Fassel is acting as a de facto commissioner in charge of football operations.

"It's been crazy around here the past few days," Fassel said. "There's a lot going on and not a whole lot of time to get everything done. But we'll be ready."

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