AAF owner threatening to pull plug on league within ‘days’

The Alliance of American Football may be a very short-lived venture if the league’s founder is telling the truth.

According to Daniel Kaplan of Sports Business Journal, Tom Dundon, the founder and majority owner of the AAF, is threatening to shut down the league within days if no development agreement is reached with the NFL and NFLPA. As it stands, no agreement appears imminent.

Alliance of American Football owner Tom Dundon tells me a decision whether to shutter the 7 week old league could come as soon as tomorrow or days. He wants a development agreement with the NFL/NFLPA, but no evidence they are willing. Story in @sbjsbd.

— daniel kaplan (@dkaplanSBJ) April 1, 2019

The AAF has received lukewarm reviews so far, but it has a TV contract and has attracted some name talent. Ultimately, Dundon seems to want to become the NFL’s “minor league,” but the NFL isn’t interested — and if that stays true, he’s not going to put any further money in. It could be a negotiating ploy, but even if it is, it doesn’t seem to be working either.