The Argument for an NFL Expansion (Part I)
32 is a nice, round number. I like the number 32. It makes seeding tournaments and making decisions about dividing by four very easy. However, with the realm of sports expanding, and many major American sports leagues talking about or having recently gone through expansion, why shouldn’t the NFL at least entertain the thought?
So, let’s pitch it. A new expansion of the NFL to extend their reach and touch markets that weren’t really in the question before recent years. Also, it gives the NFL an opportunity to implement a couple of rules and format changes that they’ve needed for a while. With that all being said, let’s go.
Fair warning: This is with the assumption that all motions will proceed through every level of the NFL, no owners’ debates or hold ups here. Also, there’s an assumption of absolute power and money to work with to implement the new teams.
Photo Credit: The Toronto Star
THE NEW TEAMS/LOGISTICS
To make the numbers still easy to run when it comes to fans understanding the playoffs, we are adding eight teams, one more team to each division in each conference. These teams are scattered and shuffled amongst new-look divisions, which focus more on geographical proximity rather than historical matchups. We’ll get back to those matchups later.
Some ideas for locations and names for these teams:
San Antonio Scorpions
Montreal Mammoths
Toronto Wolverines
Mexico City Myths
Los Angeles Magic
Las Vegas Gamblers
Los Angeles Stars
Vancouver Vipers
The Rams, Raiders, and Chargers will all return to their previous cities before their most recent moves to assist in division realignment. They will do so with the promise of new stadiums coming to those cities within ten years of this seismic shift in the league. The NFL will also promise assistance to the cities of the new teams (San Antonio, Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver) assistance in building quality stadiums and facilities to host their teams as well.
A single expansion draft will be held at the end of the previous season before the new teams are integrated. Each team will get a certain number of players that they are able to “protect” before the draft, meaning that they cannot be drafted by the new teams. Each team will end up drafting about half a roster’s worth of players, and then that year’s NFL Draft; a six-round, 40 team NFL draft, will take place soon after to fill up the rest of the rosters.
To help with the sheer number of players that are coming into the league, the NFL will also strengthen its partnership with the XFL, as well as establishing one with the USFL. These spring football leagues will become places where fringe players can show their stuff and still have time to rest before the actual NFL season starts, and get a bigger job or contract with an actual NFL team. Basically, these partnerships establish a feeder system and a place where the NFL can try out new rules or other format changes.
This investment comes in the hopes that the four new at-large North American teams will make the money spent back in tenfold, appealing to two new countries’ worth of audience and opening the door for even more future expansion if they so desire later on.
These teams will appeal to the North American proximity of the NFL while also giving back some teams to cities that have lost them over the years and had fan bases rabid for them.
Next time, we will look more into the fine details, like what the divisions, schedule, and playoffs would look like were something like this to take place.
