ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported Monday that Chattanooga has been discussed as a sixth franchise in the fledgling United Football League.
The UFL plans to start its third season in August and has three head coaches – Jim Fassel, Jerry Glanville and Dennis Green – who have experience heading NFL teams. Mortensen said the Chattanooga team could be guided by Jim Bates, who has been a defensive assistant for the University of Tennessee, Florida and the Atlanta Falcons and was interim coach of the Miami Dolphins in 2004.
Some UFL games have drawn more than 14,000 fans, according to the league’s website, but it is not known whether Finley Stadium would house a potential franchise.
“Nobody has talked to me,” Finley Stadium executive director Merrill Eckstein said. “This is the first time I’ve been made aware of it, but maybe they could be looking to play at a high school field. Who knows?”
The UFL, which did not respond to an email seeking comment, lists former Ohio State tailback Maurice Clarett, former Georgia quarterback D.J. Shockley and former Nebraska tailback Ahman Green among its players.