A new football League, the Alliance of American Football

Once the Super Bowl ends, there is a six-month gap with no football. An innovative new football League, the Alliance of American Football, plans to fill this gap with eight teams and a ten game schedule.

The League is the brainchild of television producer Charlie Ebersol, son of Dick Ebersol (a senior adviser for NBC Universal Sports & Olympics) and pointed out that there were 80 million football fans who stopped watching much sports television after the Super Bowl. ... his father suggested validating the idea with Bill Polian (who) built the Buffalo Bills that went to four Super Bowls, as well as the expansion Carolina Panthers who went to the playoffs and the Super Bowl Indianapolis Colts. Polian embraced the concept of a new League and agreed to serve as Co-Commissioner.

Once the NFL final cutdown occurs in September, some 1200 players are left without teams. This will be the primary source of AAF players, and the League has already signed a number of players. Each team will carry 53 players, where each of them will be offered three-year, $250,000 contracts. NFL practice squads pay $120,000 a year.

The rules will be NFL rules with a few twists. To add to the credibility of the League, most of the Head Coaches were also NFL Head Coaches at one point. The League was able to partner with CBS to create a game of the week. Every game will be telecast locally through other stations. Atlanta, Birmingham, Memphis, Orlando, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, and San Diego have the initial franchises.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/leighsteinberg/2018/07/26/aaf-the-league-that-fills-the-nfl-offseason-void/#6ee78e9e3051