Life after Arena football

The cancellation of the 2009 Arena Football League season can’t be a good sign for Division III football players looking to go pro in something other than something other than sports. After losing NFL Europe (or NFL Europa, if you prefer the latest name the NFL gave it), chances to participate in a high level are getting more constricted.

Those aren’t the only pro leagues, of course. AF2 and a host of other indoor leagues are still planning to play. And there’s one new opportunity: The United National Gridiron League.

The league holds its inaugural draft on Jan. 8. Players hoping to be considered should act quickly. Go to http://network.ungleague.com to arrive at the UNGL Player Network. After signing up, log in using your email and password, click Edit Profile and fill out all fields and upload a highlight video (or embed if you have one on YouTube or elsewhere).

The UNGL will not look at players without a profile and video, or so we’ve been told. And we were also told to expect about 20 percent of the league to be made up of former Division III players.

There are eight planned franchises, primarily in the Southeast but at least one also in a Division III hotspot.

Who knows if this league will survive, but with so few opportunities available, hopefully this league will pan out for Division III players.

For those of you who just finished your senior year this season, keep in touch! We hope to hear from you in the future.