Following the conclusion of the California Redwoods “Premiere Season” it appears that they are heading to San Jose for their full time home. This was a move that many had expected considering the expense of the San Francisco market, the limited availability of AT&T Park during baseball season, and the presence of the San Francisco 49′ers. Commissioner Michael Huyghue confirmed that San Jose was going to host the Redwoods following one of, if not the, most entertaining game of the United Football League season.
Below are excerpts from the San Jose Mercury News:
The 2010 United Football League season will feature two new teams and four more weeks, but the biggest change as far as the California Redwoods are concerned will come in the form of a new venue.
League commissioner Michael Huyghue confirmed Thursday night that the Redwoods will likely play their home games at Spartan Stadium next season, rather than AT&T Park, where they lost their finale to Florida 34-27.
The Redwoods are hoping to set themselves up as an alternative to the 49ers, meaning for now at least, they will play in whatever end of the Bay Area that the 49ers don’t.
“It’s best for us to be where they’re not,” said Huyghue, who has been keeping a close eye on the 49ers’ bid for a Santa Clara stadium. “Spartan Stadium is a great venue for us, and there’s no question that it is a viable market for the UFL.”
The announced attendance Thursday was 6,837, but there were fewer than 1,000 people in the lower deck at kickoff. Nonetheless, Huyghue is confident that fans will eventually support the Redwoods, noting that the UFL budgeted most of its money this season toward the product on the field rather than advertising.
“We’d love to see full stadiums, but that really hasn’t been the goal of this first season,” he said. “We could have easily put a whole bunch of nonpaid people in the seats to give a cosmetic view that it’s full, but we purposely didn’t do that because we want to draw people here on our pace.
“The attendance is something we’re going to be really patient with.”
For the rest: http://www.mercurynews.com/sports/ci_13830165
It was one of the most exiting games I’ve seen this year in either league. I hope they change the unis, but I will be looking forward to the Redwood’s in San Jose in 2010!!
Makes sense. With LA all but guaranteed a UFL franchise in the second season you create an instant in-state rivalry with the Redwoods, similar to how the expected Hartford team can feud with the Sentinels and play off that whole New York-vs.-New England vibe. Rivalries like these, however artificial, can only be a good thing going forward to help the UFL’s small, but already fiercely loyal fanbase to grow in Year Two and beyond.
I like the move, when the UFL started I was excited that there were going to be teams in cities that don’t have NFL teams. I think putting a team in San Jose is the right call.
This is a good move. Go where the support is. San Fran has the 49ers. Nice to see the UFL listening to the fans like they’ve done from day one.