Former USFL president to launch high school players’ football league in spring | Local news

The former president of the latest version of the American Football League is launching a spring football league for high school players.

Brian Woods, who stepped down as USFL president late last year, said his Prep Super League will begin next year with a six-week season.

Woods said his league uses NCAA playing rules and operates independently of high school state athletic associations, allowing players to capitalize on their name, likeness and image without restriction.

League officials plan to hold the season from April 19 to May 24 with teams located in Atlanta, Cleveland, Dallas, Houston, New Jersey, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco and Tampa. Woods said he hopes to start hiring coaches in the next two to three months.

Woods said the league could add recruiting camps and 7-on-7 programs that provide recruiting showcases to prospects during the months they are not playing high school football.

“If you look at 7-on-7, you look at these camps, at the end of the day, none of them are 11-on-11 football,” Woods said. “None of them are going to give a quarterback in, say, a 7-on-7 situation, a live pass rush. So if you want to evaluate players in a real football context, that’s what this league is all about.”

League officials also said players will use the sensors to measure performance metrics that could be shared with college programs or professional leagues.

Woods said potential recruits could pay what he called a “player development fee” to participate in the league. He compared that to the money families in other sports pay for travel programs like AAU basketball and said it could help fund the league. Woods hopes to get income from sponsorships and ticket prices as well.

Woods said players can also get a NIL benefit from playing in this league and the exposure it provides. The league plans to release an app that will offer live streaming of games.

Players can only participate in the league if they are enrolled in an accredited middle or high school curriculum and reside in one of the league’s 12 markets. Woods said he planned to target prospects entering their sophomore or junior year of high school this fall.

Woods noted that the arrival of the transfer portal has created a tougher environment for high school players looking to attract the attention of colleges, who may be more willing to take a chance on players with college experience.

He believes that could make this type of league attractive to recruiters looking for a way to stand out.