Within two weeks of the league's organizational meeting (held in Buffalo's Hotel Lafayette, August 4-5, 1940), Seick proceeded to sign up local college talent and players who had been out of pro football for one or two years.
While the Bengals had two games cancelled (against the Milwaukee Chiefs and against the New York Yankees) in 1940, the Buffalo Indians were involved in two forfeits, the last two forfeited games in the history of major professional football.