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The 2012 UFL season was the fourth and final season of the United Football League. Four teams began what was originally scheduled to be an eight-game schedule beginning September 26, 2012.〔Minium, Harry (July 26, 2012). (Virginia Destroyers say they'll play games this fall ). ''The Virginian-Pilot''. Retrieved July 26, 2012.〕〔(2012 UFL Schedule )〕 The league ceased operations on October 20, 2012, after four weeks, extensive financial problems and dismal attendance figures. At the time of the cessation, the Las Vegas Locomotives had compiled a perfect season to date, thus by default giving them their third UFL Championship. The league originally stated it would resume the season some time in spring 2013, but the majority of two teams' players filed legal action against the league that winter to claim unpaid salaries, and the league did not set up the necessary agreements to continue by the time spring 2013 had come along. ==Offseason developments== The league, which had coerced the resignation of commissioner Michael Huyghue after the 2011 season,〔Carp, Steve (January 31, 2012). (UFL commissioner Huyghue steps down ). ''Las Vegas Review-Journal''. Retrieved January 31, 2012.〕 had closed all of its offices and remained completely silent throughout most of winter, spring and early summer 2012, raising doubt about a potential 2012 season or even if the league, which has suffered heavy financial losses throughout its existence, would continue at all.〔Pivovar, Steven (July 20, 2012). (Report: Nighthawks plan return with UFL ). ''Omaha World-Herald''. Retrieved July 26, 2012.〕 League management will rest with two of its owners, Bill Mayer and William Hambrecht, while football operations will be handled by Las Vegas team president, head coach and general manager Jim Fassel.〔 For the first time in league history, there was no expansion, contraction, or relocation of any UFL franchises, with all four teams and markets returning from the previous season.〔 The Hartford Colonials, which had been officially "suspended" prior to the 2011 season, did not return and were removed from the league's Web site. On September 5, 2012, an anonymous source tipped ''The Virginian-Pilot'' that the start of the 2012 season, originally slated for September 19 on the schedule released July 26, would be delayed one week.〔Robinson, Tom (September 5, 2012). (UFL pushing back start of season ). ''The Virginian-Pilot''. Retrieved September 5, 2012.〕 The league confirmed the news the next day, also indicating that the championship game would be delayed two weeks instead of one. Difficulties in securing workman's compensation insurance prompted the delay.〔Pivovar, Steven (September 6, 2012). (Nighthawks won't play first home game until October ). ''Omaha World-Herald''. Retrieved September 6, 2012.〕 Players began reporting for training camp the week of September 17,〔Carp, Steve (September 18, 2012).(Locos set to kick off next week after UFL finds insurance ). ''Las Vegas Review-Journal''. Retrieved September 18, 2012.〕 with the abbreviated camps running through the following weekend.〔(5 former Huskers on Omaha Nighthawks roster ). ''Omaha World-Herald''. Retrieved September 20, 2012.〕 By kicking off for its fourth season, the UFL achieved a feat not matched since the American Football League by lasting more than three seasons as a fully professional league.〔Note that other paying leagues such as the Atlantic Coast Football League, Seaboard Football League, and American Football Association also had more than four seasons, but whether or not they can be classified as either professional or semi-professional is in dispute.)〕 By Week 2, the league began experiencing severe financial shortfalls, sparked in part by drastically reduced attendances at all three stadiums at which the league had played to that point (the Locomotives' Week 2 attendance at kickoff was only 601 fans), as well as the UFL's continued, systemic delays in payment stemming back to at least the 2010 season. The delayed payments (players were only paid $1,000 of the $7,000 owed to them after their first two games) prompted rumors of possible strike action or walkouts from the league's players beginning in Week 3.〔Davidson, Joe (October 10, 2012). (Unpaid player salaries add to uncertainty for Mountain Lions, UFL ). ''Sacramento Bee''. Retrieved October 10, 2012.〕〔(Fledgling UFL struggling to pay players ). ''Sports Xchange'' via Lindy's Sports. Retrieved October 10, 2012.〕〔Crandell, Jim (October 10, 2012). (Mountain Lion’s Financial Problems Mount ). ''KTXL''. Retrieved October 10, 2012.〕 One agent who represented three UFL players went so far as to recommend that his clients not practice or play lest they risk injury.〔("Agent: Three UFL players haven't been paid yet," ) from ''The Virginian-Pilot'', 10/3/2012〕 Virginia Destroyers owner and UFL president Bill Mayer and Sacramento owner Paul Pelosi in a joint on-air interview with CBS Sports Network on October 5, confirmed that the UFL had indeed not yet issued game checks to its players for 2012, but promised that the league would fulfill its wage obligations to its players and coaches.〔("UFL will pay coaches, players," ) from ''Omaha World-Herald'', 10/6/2012〕 The Destroyers players again threatened to not play the week 4 contest without a personal guarantee of payment, which the ownership had not yet offered, and that the team's earlier promise of a payment by October 31 would not be sufficient.〔Andrews, Reed. (Virginia Destroyers players say ‘No pay, we won’t play’ ). ''WTKR''. Retrieved October 17, 2012.〕 After the week 4 contests were held, and attendance continued to get even worse (the Virginia Destroyers' Week 4 home game was so poorly attended that the league refused to release an attendance total), the league suspended operations〔 and arranged to pay for all of its players to return to their homes.〔Smith, Michael David (October 20, 2012). (UFL calls off its season ). ''ProFootballTalk.com''. Retrieved October 22, 2012.〕 As of November 3, 2012, the UFL still had not paid the players for their time; several players set a deadline for November 8 before pursuing legal action against the league.〔Florio, Mike (November 3, 2012). (UFL players still waiting for payment ). ''profootballtalk.com''. Retrieved November 4, 2012.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「2012 UFL season」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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