The United Football League will have played one game and in the middle of another next week at this time.

We are entering a big moment for the league and for those of us who have been following the league from the spring of 2007 when the first article about the league emerged in the New York Times.

In the midst of all of the activity, announcements, landmark moments, and excitement in recent weeks it has been easy to forget that 2009 is really the “soft launch” of the UFL.

This “Premiere Season” was designed to provide a ‘taste’ of the product to the football public
- and the UFL will do just that judging from the talent that the league has amassed in recent months.

Some have been critical of the marketing efforts of the UFL, perhaps rightfully so, but criticism should not ignore that their plans are different from those of the XFL and some other earlier efforts. The league went with the cost effective method of marketing in the cities in which they are playing games and then they focused the overwhelming majority of their controlled budget on the last several weeks before the games themselves.

In some markets, such as Hartford, they may not even begin advertising and will not do so until two-three weeks before the single game being played there this year.

The development of the league was designed to avoid the pitfall, like the XFL, of overhyping and under delivering. It was designed to lay a foundation this year to build for a bigger future.

And, really, 2009 is a marketing campaign for 2010. The UFL is different from an exhibition season because the records will count, the statistics will carry over, and the like – but the reason that the league is playing in multiple markets is to see where they garner support and to lay a foundation for a 2010 full launch.

When discussing the launch of the league with some of my entrepreneur friends this past week one raised the comparison of a restaurant opening.

Typically, new restaurants set a specific launch date and build towards that specific time. In the weeks leading up to the launch they invite friends, family, and critics to meals that feature a portion of the menu.

That comparison is one of the strongest I have seen to the UFL ‘Premiere’ Season. The league is launching with four teams, a six game season on VERSUS, and neutral site games. Michael Pittman, Cecil Sapp, Tatum Bell, and Marcel Shipp will provide a glimpse of the talent of the league. JP Losman, Tyler Palko, Shane Boyd, Quinn Gray, and others will showcase the ability of the league to develop quarterbacks. Simeon Rice, Dexter Jackson, and Wendell Bryant are looking to get their career recharged.

Yet this is just a taste, it is a small beginning.

2010 will be the year to judge the United Football League from top to bottom and on every aspect.

2009 is going to be a season to look at the different aspects of the league and judge their progress.

Attendance is one barometer, but it is only one part of the picture. If 7,000 fans show up and those 7,000 fans walk away pleased then it could be a better result than 20,000 showing up and leaving with a poor impression of the product. The 7,000 happy fans are a better foundation for the future than 20,000 unhappy fans which is why the league has spent considerable effort on building a product.

Sponsorship sales is another and the league has been pleased by their signed partners – announced and unannounced.

The television broadcast quality is important and the league has acquired talent on the camera and off.

The product is perhaps the most important barometer and we will see how that turns out beginning next week.

The investors are committed to giving us a full launch in 2010 which will feature more teams, more games, more players, and more marketing. It will have a longer lead up time with more events to build buzz and awareness.

2009 is about delivering good football, proving their is a niche, and building buzz for the long haul. As one UFL Executive told me recently, they are in this for years and years to come. They are laying a foundation. They will have hiccups, they will make mistakes (and have made them), but they will come back stronger in 2010 for the mistakes they made this year.

And, personally, I am excited for 2009, 2010, and beyond.