Reps for ESPN's Tim Tebow "have been approached" about him playing in the A-11 Football League, a "new spring, outdoor professional football league" that has been created and financed, according to Woody Paige of the DENVER POST. A franchise "most likely will be awarded soon to Denver," and the league has scheduled its inaugural championship game for July 4 weekend in '15. Before that happens, the A11FL "will stage two 'showcase' exhibitions this May and June at Raymond James Stadium and the Cotton Bowl between the Tampa Bay Bandits and the Dallas Wranglers." The league "announced four other franchises -- the New Jersey Generals, the Chicago Staggs, the LA Express and the Bay Area Sea Lions." A11FL teams "will play 14 regular-season games from March-June in 2015, and five will advance to the postseason." A11FL Commissioner Scott McKibben on Saturday said, "We will have eight teams next year. Today, the leading candidates for the remaining two franchises are the Denver Gold and the (Detroit) Michigan Panthers. ... We're an aspiration league. There are hundreds of quality players who aspire to play in the NFL, and we'll provide them with a chance to prove themselves. We'll be playing in major population and media markets in NFL stadiums, and we have the No. 1 sports network partner in ESPN" (DENVER POST, 2/23).
