Since the dawn of organized football, spectators have vocalized their opinions on their favored team’s game plan, play-calling strategy, the makeup of the roster of players, and who should be in the starting lineup.
In February of 2021, Fan-Controlled Football debuted, granting fans of each team the opportunity to weigh in on which plays are called through an online voting system. It was known as FCF, and during its first two seasons, it employed former NFL players Terrell Owens and Johnny Manziel.
Unlike the NFL, NCAAF, and other popular football leagues, FCF utilized a 7 vs. 7 format with all games played at a solitary indoor location in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
The Fan-Controlled Football season ran from April through June, providing yet a third professional league competing in the spring alongside the XFL and USFL.
In late 2022, the FCF announced that they were concentrating on the creation of a new Fan-Controlled Basketball league that allowed for similar spectator interaction. This was followed by the postponement of the 2023 FCF season early this year, with no definitive start date provided.
Will Fan-Controlled Football Return?
With the third season now postponed indefinitely, the future of the league is in jeopardy. FCF investors have not ruled out additional seasons, but continued play would likely involve a new league model where franchises are owned by separate entities.
The selling of FCF teams would potentially create the needed cash flow to jump-start league operations once again. Franchises are being offered in the range of $1 million.
For now, FCF ownership is focused on the sales of technological advances and innovations for fan interaction and broadcast/streaming coverage of professional sports that were developed while operating the league.
Most FCF finances are tied into cryptocurrency markets, which have been bearish since late 2022 – yet another cause for the league’s collapse.
“Given the capital markets currently… we thought maybe the better idea in this environment is to focus on the technology and the platform for now,”
Fan Controlled Sports & Entertainment’s Co-Founder & CEO Sohrob Farudi
There is the potential for a market recovery to rejuvenate FCF, but with financiers eyeballing other opportunities, that rebound would need to occur in the immediate future to have any impact.
While Fan-Controlled Football odds rarely appeared at the sportsbooks included among our online football betting site reviews, there were championship futures and occasional game lines that populated the boards.
This absence of FCF betting odds was largely due to the rotating rosters and unknown play-calling patterns that can be researched when betting on other forms of pro and college football.
With so much competition in the spectrum of spring football, it was only a matter of time before one of the contenders took a bow. We’ll leave the light on for the FCF, but we’re not expecting a return anytime soon.