United Football League (1961–1964)

The United Football League was a professional minor league American football league that operated between 1961 and 1964. It had eight teams, primarily based in the Midwestern United States.[1]

United Football League
SportAmerican football
Founded1961
Ceased1964
Claim to fameThe first football league to operate teams in both the United States and Canada
No. of teams8
CountryUnited States
Canada
Last
champion(s)		Canton Bulldogs
Most titlesWheeling Ironmen (2)

After the league folded following the 1964 season, the more ambitious owners formed the new Continental Football League. The more conservative owners, who wanted to continue as a regional Midwestern bus league, broke away to form the Professional Football League in February 1965.[2]

The league was founded in 1961 as a minor league alternative to the National Football League and American Football League. Based in the Midwest, it drew many of its players from the Big Ten college conference.

Among its more notable feats, it became the first football league to operate teams in both the United States and Canada when it launched the Quebec Rifles in 1964, and it revived the names of the Cleveland/Canton Bulldogs and Akron Pros, two early-era NFL teams.

Origin of league

Prior to the UFL first season there was a circuit that operated in the Midwestern area, called the American Football Conference. It was an informal and loose association of American football clubs that operated from 1959 to 1961 that was mostly based in Ohio, but had some teams from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Michigan and even Canada. During it existence the AFC operated between semi-professional and minor league level (varies per team).[3]

The three biggest teams in the circuit were Toledo Tornadoes[4] and Duquesne Ironmen[5] that would joined the United Football League and the Atlantic Coast Football League (respectively) and the Sarnia Golden Bears that had survived the collapse of the Ontario Rugby Football Union.[6] Sarnia won the AFC's last championship after beating Toledo in three overtimes, the longest title game in pro football history.[3]

The formation of the UFL and ACFL diminished the level of play, and although the circuit did not immediately die out, after 1961 it was purely semi-professional circuit.

1959
TeamWLTPFPA
Duquesne Ironmen 80019529
Melvindale Redskins 62013374
Dayton Triangles 35084105
Toledo Tornadoes 26065132
Newark Rams 17026145

1960
TeamWLTPFPA
Columbus Colts 91040480
Massillon Tigertown Stars 820269139
Melvindale Redskins 550299242
Duquesne Ironmen 460158211
Dayton Triangles 46085255
Toledo Tornadoes 010069357

Larry Buckles (HB, Columbus) was the offensive MVP, Stan Jones (LB, Columbus) was the defensive MVP.

1961
Eastern Division
TeamWLTPFPA
Sarnia Golden Bears 100032366
Port Hurton Raiders 640178107
Ohio Colts 450103138
Dayton Triangles 37086235
Western Division
TeamWLTPFPA
Toledo Tornadoes 91028466
Detroit Redskins 450117195
Cincinnati Mohawk Indians 37067201
Massillon Tigertown Stars 01006147

Championship Game: Sarnia 39, Toledo 33 (3OT)

UFL History

1961 season

WESTERN DIVISION PLAY-OFF
Grand Rapids Blazers 24 Indianapolis Warriors 14
UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP
Grand Rapids Blazers 20, Columbus Colts 7

1962 season

WESTERN DIVISION PLAY-OFF
Grand Rapids Blazers 24, Indianapolis Warriors 20
UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP
Wheeling Ironmen 30, Grand Rapids Blazers 21

1963 season
  • Wheeling Ironmen 12-1-0
  • Toledo Tornadoes 10-3-0
  • Cleveland Bulldogs 7-5-0
  • Indianapolis Warriors 5-8-0
  • Grand Rapids Blazers 4-9-0
  • Syracuse Stormers 0-12-0

On November 28, 1963, the Syracuse Stormers played the Cleveland Bulldogs at MacArthur Stadium in a regular season game.

UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP
Wheeling Ironmen 31, Toledo Tornadoes 21

1964 season
  • Canton Bulldogs 12-2-0
  • Charleston Rockets (West Virginia) 11-3-0
  • Indianapolis Warriors 10-4-0
  • Wheeling Ironmen 7-7-0
  • Toledo Tornadoes 6-8-0 [7]
  • Quebec Rifles (Montreal) 5-9-0
  • Grand Rapids Blazers 5-9-0
  • Joliet Explorers 0-14-0

UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP
Canton Bulldogs 19, Indianapolis Warriors 14

Teams

Toledo Tornadoes

A former Michigan semi-pro team moved to Toledo as the all pro Toledo Tornadoes in 1956, played in the America Football Conference then transferred to the United Football League. The Tornadoes primarily played at Waite Stadium. The league forced the team to close due to debt in 1965.

References
  1. "UFL for football's angry men". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. September 30, 1964. p. 13C.
  2. "New League Is Formed Of Leftovers". The Progress-Index. Associated Press. February 7, 1965.
  3. Bob Gill, with Tod Maher. Outsiders II: Minor League And Independent Football, 1951-1985, p. vii. St. Johann Press, 2010. ISBN 1878282654
  4. Autullo, Ryan (April 3, 2014). "New league not coming to Toledo". The Blade. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  5. "Ironmen Join Grid Conference". The Pittsburgh Press. September 9, 1959. p. 50. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
  6. "Sarnia Stays of Top with 8 Straight Wins". Hamilton Daily News Journal. Hamilton, Ohio. AP. October 30, 1961. p. 18. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
  7. AC 2013, Fun While It Lasted, United Football League
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