Is the UFL the real winner of the NFL lockout?

The timing is not a coincidence.

From the very beginning, the United Football League (UFL) knew that the NFL faced labor uncertainty during 2011-12 and that the upstart league could capitalize.

UFL commissioner Michael Huyghue.

“The planning of this anticipated that we could possibly leapfrog significantly in the third season,” UFL commissioner Michael Huyghue said. “We were hopeful that the situation would be almost exactly like it is right now.”

That planning could come to fruition this year. During an exclusive interview with NFP, Huyghue detailed how the NFL lockout could bolster the UFL.

Player Talent Pool

The talent level has been elevated. Returning UFL starters from the 2010 season have a good shot of playing, but last year’s backups likely will not make teams this season.

QB Colt Brennan signed with the Hartford Colonials. Rumors have swirled that Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor could consider the UFL as well.

“He fits into a category of a whole bunch of other players that we’re looking at who are still weighing their options,” Huyghue said. “When that window closes, then I think it becomes a lot more realistic.”

Unsigned NFL players have reasons to join the UFL. While the NFL is on hiatus, they could gain experience and get in shape, giving them an advantage over other street free agents. Because the UFL regular season ends on Oct. 15, they could still join the NFL for its potentially shortened season.

Television Opportunities

ICONCould former Buckeye Terrelle Pryor end up playing in the UFL?

The NFL does not have exclusive TV agreements for professional football. In other words, if the NFL season was suspended, CBS, FOX, NBC and ESPN could air UFL games.

July 1 represents a key date for the UFL.

If the league has not landed additional TV partners by that point, it will play the first half of its schedule as it has been announced. But it has the flexibility to potentially move the second half of its schedule to Sundays and Mondays to accommodate TV stations.

Huyghue has been in discussions with networks but declined to reveal the specifics. Before major stations make an agreement, they, however, would want to be sure the NFL would miss a significant amount of time.

“There’s no sense getting fans interested in a league that they’re not going to continue to show and promote,” Huyghue said. “If there looks like there is going to be some traction and the league may be out for a while, then I think that becomes much more viable.”

If the NFL lockout ends in a reasonable time, three channels — Versus, HDNet and NESN — will telecast UFL games as they did last year.

Status of the League

Although the UFL was strategically placed in markets that do not have NFL teams, Huyghue said local fan support and attendance has benefited from the NFL lockout.

“They’re happy that they’ve got their team in their market,” Huyghue said. “And they want to support it.

Two-time defending champion Las Vegas could sell out its stadium, which seats about 40,000, for the opener.

Las Vegas — along with Hartford, Conn.; Omaha, Neb.; Virginia (Virginia Beach) and Sacramento, Calif. — are the only cities with UFL teams. Huyghue had hoped to expand beyond that by now, and that represents one of the negatives regarding the league’s state.

The UFL’s funding and generating of investor interest are also behind Huyghue’s expectations. While the league’s timing benefited from the NFL’s labor strife, it has been hurt by an economy that has yet to fully recover from its deep recession.

The quality and name recognition of its coaches are the league’s best strength. Successful NFL coaches headline the UFL: Virgina’s Marty Schottenheimer, Hartford’s Jerry Glanville, Las Vegas’ Jim Fassel and Sacramento’s Dennis Green.

The 2011 season opener will feature Schottenheimer vs. Glanville on Saturday, Aug. 13. The UFL plans to promote the head-to-head coaching match-up like a heavyweight fight.

After all it could be the only professional football game around.

Jeff Fedotin has written for Packers.com, Pro Football Weekly, ESPN The Magazine, the Lawrence (Kan.) Journal-World and Rivals.com. After graduating from Northwestern University, he interned for the Buffalo Bills.