UPDATE: The Alliance of American Football suspended operations Tuesday afternoon.
After eight weeks of games and less than a full season, league owner Tom Dundon made the call to suspend all operations, league co-founder Bill Polian told ESPN.com.
“I am extremely disappointed to learn Tom Dundon has decided to suspend all football operations of the Alliance of American Football,” Polian said in a statement Tuesday. “When Mr. Dundon took over, it was the belief of my co-founder, Charlie Ebersol, and myself that we would finish the season, pay our creditors, and make the necessary adjustments to move forward in a manner that made economic sense for all.
“The momentum generated by our players, coaches and football staff had us well positioned for future success. Regrettably, we will not have that opportunity.”
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The Alliance of American Football appears on the brink of suspending operations before its first season is complete.
Pro Football Talk reports that the AAF will suspend operations Tuesday, though it’s not folding entirely … yet.
All @TheAAF football operations will be suspended in the next few hours, per source with knowledge of situation. League is not folding, yet. But it's heading that way.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) April 2, 2019
Action Network reported Tuesday, the AFF would suspend all football operations. Dundon, also the majority owner of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, has lost about $70 million on his $250 million investment.
The decision is being made against the wishes of co-founders Ebersol and NFL Hall of Famer Polian.
The league’s initial concept was for it to be a farm system of sorts for the NFL, much like minor-league baseball is to the major leagues.
But the NFL Players’ Association hasn’t granted the AAF permission to use backup NFL players, particularly those who have not seen action in NFL games.
