4 Different American Football Leagues That Tried And Failed

by Richard Janvrin, January 06, 2026

While we all know the National Football League (NFL) as the top professional football league in the world, there have been different American football leagues throughout the decades that have tried, but ultimately failed, to produce a long-lasting product.

Below, I’ll examine these failed football leagues, look at the reasons for their downfall, and highlight some noteworthy facts about each that have helped shape the game into what it is today.

• United States Football League
• Xtreme Football League (XFL)
• World Football League
• Fan Controlled Football

United States Football League

The United States Football League (USFL) has a long history, including a revamp and eventual merger. It’s easily one of the most recognized failed football leagues.

Initially, the league was founded in 1982, with the first season in 1983. The final season was 1986, with 18 teams.

The league was played during the spring and summer to avoid competing with the NFL, but the 1986 season was scheduled to compete directly with the NFL. However, the league folded before that.

The league had some legitimate talent, including Herschel Walker, Doug Flutie, Mike Rozier, Reggie White, Steve Young, and Jim Kelly, who signed contracts with the league before joining the NFL. Not only did it sign these players before heading to the NFL, but it also brought in big-name NFL players like Brian Sipe, Joe Cribbs, and Gary Garbaro.

So, this was a league that came out swinging and ready to compete. Among the alternative football leagues, this one appeared to be a legitimate competitor.

The first season, which ran from March to July 1983, featured 12 teams, with the Michigan Panthers winning the title.

In 1984, it expanded to 18 teams. There was even a team, the New Jersey Generals, that was owned by the current United States President, Donald Trump.

However, during the 1984-85 season, financial and operational issues arose. There were bounced checks, and financial problems led to instability across the league.

The UFSL also filed a lawsuit against the NFL, alleging that the NFL held a monopoly over professional football and that the NFL was involved in the UFSL not receiving a television deal with a prominent network.

The lawsuit sought upward of a billion dollars in damages. However, although the UFSL won the lawsuit, the jury awarded them only $1. They believed the NFL maintained a monopoly but didn’t accept other claims, such as the broadcasting deals.

Without financial support from the lawsuit, the league eventually shuttered.

However, it returned in 2022 and secured a broadcast deal with FOX. The league lasted only a short time, as in December 2023, it merged with the XFL (more on them later) to form the United Football League. The United Football League is currently active and will have a 2026 season, and there are odds available for its games at top NFL sports betting sites.

Xtreme Football League (XFL)

Speaking of the XFL and the United Football League, the XFL is the next league on the list.

To say it was among the most different American football leagues would be an understatement.

The XFL has two periods, with the first and failed iteration coming in 2001. The league was founded in 1999 by Vince McMahon, then-owner of the WWF (now WWE), and Dick Ebersol of NBC.

This league would play immediately after the NFL season and was advertised as having fewer rules and featuring many elements inspired by professional wrestling and sports entertainment.

For example, instead of an opening coin toss, there was an opening scramble, which placed the ball in the middle of the field, and players would rush to recover it as if it were a fumble. In the first game of the XFL, a shoulder injury occurred. There were also no extra points, no fair catches, a shorter play clock, and players could have nicknames on the back of their jerseys, such as Rod Smart’s “He Hate Me.”

In fact, WWF/WWE commentators Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler would call games. However, unlike professional wrestling, these were legitimate games and not scripted, but if you were a football and WWF/WWE fan, sure, this was another in a long line of alternative football leagues, but it was entertaining.

When it launched, it had high ratings, but due to the quality of play, they took a nosedive.

Because of the ratings, NBC withdrew, and ultimately the league collapsed.

That said, while the XFL is remembered as one of the professional football leagues that failed, it has driven many innovations in presenting professional football, including skycams, microphones on players, and more.

In 2018, after nearly two decades since the first iteration, McMahon revived the league and held its first season in 2020. However, due to the pandemic, it closed down after just five weeks and filed for bankruptcy.

In August 2020, the league was purchased by a former WWF/WWE talent, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and others. It eventually merged with the UFSL and is now the UFL.

World Football League

The World Football League was founded by Gary Davidson, an entrepreneur from California who had previously helped launch the American Basketball Association and the World Hockey Association.

However, the World Football League lasted just two seasons, adding to a long list of failed football leagues.

Its first season was from July to November 1974, including games on Wednesdays. It was believed the league lost over $20 million in its first season, and teams such as the Detroit Wheels and Jacksonville Sharks folded during the season. There were also issues with selling tickets.

Then, during the second season, the TVS Television Network dropped the league, leading to many untelevised games.

Overall, it didn’t sell many tickets, lost significant money, and faced competition from the NFL, which has seasons that begin at the tail end of the WFL season.

One thing the WFL did, though, was indirectly cause the demise of the Miami Dolphins’ dynasty by luring away Larry Csonka and Paul Warfield for the 1975 season.

Fan Controlled Football

Although Fan Controlled Football (FCF) is labeled as dormant, it hasn’t played any games since 2022. The 2023 season was postponed, and while there were plans to resume in 2024, that never happened either. So, we can’t quite say yet that it’s one of the pro football leagues that failed, but it’s pretty much there having not played since 2022.

However, it was founded in 2017 and hosted its first season in 2021.

The idea of the league was to offer real, legitimate games, but fans via a mobile app could have a hand in calling plays, drafting players, and voting on replay reviews.

These were 7-on-7 games on a 50-yard indoor field. Players were paid $400 a week.

While the league made no headway, it did sign the controversial and former first-round NFL pick pick quarterback Johnny Manziel, who played in the league for two seasons. He finished his time with them with six passing and two rushing touchdowns.

There’s no word on whether one of the more different American football leagues will resume.