▁The ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁season ▁was ▁scheduled ▁to ▁be ▁played ▁in ▁the ▁aut umn / w inter , ▁directly ▁compet ing ▁against ▁the ▁long - est ab lished ▁National ▁Football ▁League ▁( N FL ). ▁However , ▁the ▁US FL ▁ceased ▁operations ▁before ▁that ▁season ▁was ▁scheduled ▁to ▁begin . ▁ ▁The ▁ideas ▁behind ▁the ▁US FL ▁were ▁conce ived ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁by ▁New ▁Orleans ▁business man ▁David ▁D ixon , ▁who ▁saw ▁a ▁market ▁for ▁a ▁professional ▁football ▁league ▁that ▁would ▁play ▁in ▁the ▁summer , ▁when ▁the ▁National ▁Football ▁League ▁and ▁college ▁football ▁were ▁in ▁their ▁off - season . ▁D ixon ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁key ▁player ▁in ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁Louisiana ▁Super d ome ▁and ▁the ▁expansion ▁of ▁the ▁NFL ▁into ▁New ▁Orleans ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 7 . ▁ ▁He ▁developed ▁" The ▁D ixon ▁Plan " — a ▁blue print ▁for ▁the ▁US FL ▁based ▁upon ▁se cur ing ▁NFL - cal iber ▁stad iums ▁in ▁top ▁TV ▁mark ets , ▁se cur ing ▁a ▁national ▁TV ▁broadcast ▁contract , ▁and ▁cont rolling ▁sp ending — and ▁found ▁invest ors ▁willing ▁to ▁buy ▁in . ▁ ▁Though ▁the ▁original ▁franch ise ▁own ers ▁and ▁found ers ▁of ▁the ▁US FL ▁had ▁promised ▁to ▁ab ide ▁by ▁the ▁general ▁gu idel ines ▁set ▁out ▁by ▁D ixon ' s ▁plan , ▁problems ▁arose ▁before ▁the ▁teams ▁took ▁the ▁field , ▁with ▁some ▁franch ises ▁facing ▁financial ▁problems ▁and ▁inst ability ▁from