1975 World Football League season

The 1975 World Football League season was the second and last season of the World Football League. The 1975 season was to be an 18-game season over a twenty-week schedule.

The WFL returned with a massive overhaul under new commissioner, Christopher Hemmeter. Four of the inaugural twelve teams returned from the 1974 season: The Hawaiians, Southern California Sun, Philadelphia Bell and Memphis Southmen, as did the Shreveport Steamer and Charlotte Hornets, who moved from Houston and New York City, respectively, midway through the 1974 season. New WFL teams replaced folded teams in Birmingham (where the Vulcans replaced the league champion Americans), Portland (where the Thunder took the place of the Storm), Jacksonville (the Express took over for the Sharks), and Chicago (the Winds stepped into the place of the Fire). One new market was added when the Florida Blazers moved to become the San Antonio Wings; the Blazers and Detroit Wheels were not replaced in their home markets.

The Winds were expelled from the league five games into the season. They had essentially bet their existence on an attempt to woo New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath as its starting quarterback. The Winds all but promised that Namath was coming, and their failure to deliver him was a severe blow to the league's credibility. It also prompted TVS Television Network, the league's TV partner, to cancel its WFL coverage prior to the regular season, leaving the league untelevised with the exception of some local television.

Memphis and San Antonio won the first half of the split-season format and had secured playoff spots for the end of the season. The playoffs were to have six teams and World Bowl 2 was scheduled for Sunday, January 4, 1976. Without significant television and low attendance,[1] WFL ceased operations twelve weeks into the regular season on Wednesday, October 22.[2][3][4] The Birmingham Vulcans had the league's best record (9–3) at the time of the shutdown.[5]

Draft

Because of the uncertainties facing the WFL, the 1974 WFL Draft was the only collegiate draft held by the league. In 1975, only a Pro Draft of entire NFL and CFL teams was done at its league meetings in Birmingham, Alabama. The professional football teams chosen were the following:

Final standings
Eastern Division
TeamWLTPCTPFPA
Birmingham Vulcans 930.750257[6]186
Memphis Southmen 740.636254206[6]
Charlotte Hornets 650.545225199
Jacksonville Express 650.545227247
Philadelphia Bell 470.364195237
Western Division
TeamWLTPCTPFPA
Southern California Sun 750.583354341
San Antonio Wings 760.538364268
Shreveport Steamer 570.417276313
The Hawaiians 470.364210281
Portland Thunder 470.364213239
Chicago Winds 140.20067125

W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against

Source:[5][7]

See also

References
  1. "Woes continue for WFL". Victoria Advocate. (Texas). Associated Press. October 22, 1975. p. 2B.
  2. "'It's over' for WFL". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. October 22, 1975. p. 1E.
  3. "World Football League collapses in hopeless debt". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. October 23, 1975. p. 34.
  4. "Ghost of season past kills WFL". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). Associated Press. October 23, 1975. p. 13.
  5. "Pro football: World League standings". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). October 21, 1975. p. 14.
  6. Thomas, Roy (20 Oct 1975). "Vulcs take fire out of Southmen". Montgomery Advertiser. p. 7. Retrieved 2021-10-04 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "1975 World Football League Results". Retrieved 2015-11-11.
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