The Alliance of American Football officially has pulled the plug on the league, for good.
The AAF announced that a bankruptcy petition was filed today in federal court in Texas.
“We are deeply disappointed to be taking this action,” the league said in a statement. “The AAF was created to be a dynamic, developmental professional football league powered by an unprecedented alliance between players, fans and the game. The AAF strove to create new opportunities for talented players, coaches, executives and officials while providing an exciting experience for fans. We are proud of the fact that our teams and players delivered on that goal.
“We thank our players, coaches and employees for their commitment to the game of football and to this venture. Our fans believed in the AAF from the beginning, and we thank them for their support. We are hopeful that our players, coaches and others will find opportunities to pursue their football dreams in the future.
‘The AAF is committed to ensuring that our bankruptcy proceeds in an efficient and orderly manner. Pursuant to the bankruptcy laws, a trustee will be empowered to resolve all matters related to the AAF’s remaining assets and liabilities, including ongoing matters related to player contracts.”
That last part is a reference to the reported refusal of the AAF to release the players for potential employment in the CFL, even though all players were released for NFL opportunities. Apparently, the bankruptcy trustee will try to sell those contracts to the CFL before cutting the players loose.