LOS ANGELES – JANUARY 5, 2022 – The United States Football League (USFL), a new professional football league launching in April 2022, is partnering with Strategic Education, Inc. (NASDAQ: STRA), a leader in online education, to offer its players and league staff a tuition-free, debt-free college degree program.
USFL players and staff can enroll at Strategic Education’s Strayer University and Capella University, both institutionally accredited universities that support busy working adults in achieving their academic goals. Staff and players will be able to undertake tuition-free coursework online through Capella University or online and in-person at Strayer University, giving them the flexibility to pursue associate, bachelor’s, or master’s degrees in business, healthcare, IT, and education, among others.
“We are delighted to partner with Strategic Education, a market leader in online education in the United States,” said Edward Hartman, USFL Executive Vice President of Business Operations. “Athletic dreams often compete with educational goals, so we are hoping to reduce the burden by supporting USFL players and staff in their effort to achieve college degrees by proudly offering this free benefit.”
“We are thrilled to partner with the United States Football League to provide their players and staff with engaging and flexible degree programs,” said Robert Silberman, executive chairman of Strategic Education. “Strategic Education’s institutions have been educating adult learners for 130 years, and this innovative education benefit demonstrates the USFL’s strong leadership and care for their players.”
The USFL will launch in April with eight teams split into two divisions playing in one location. The Birmingham Stallions, Houston Gamblers, New Orleans Breakers, and Tampa Bay Bandits comprise the South Division, while the North Division features the Michigan Panthers, New Jersey Generals, Philadelphia Stars, and Pittsburgh Maulers. Each team will play a 10-game schedule, semifinals between the top two teams in each division, and a championship game between division winners. The USFL has multi-year agreements with NBC Sports and FOX Sports, establishing both networks as official broadcast partners, with plans to nationally televise every game on either NBC, USA, Peacock, FOX, and FS1.
Brian Woods, a league co-founder, is the USFL’s President of Football Operations, and former Dallas Cowboys standout and longtime NFL on FOX game analyst Daryl Johnston is Executive Vice President, Football Operations. Former NFL Vice President of Officiating and FOX Sports’ NFL and college football rules analyst Mike Pereira is Head of Officiating, and FOX Sports’ Edward Hartman, serves as Executive Vice President, Business Operations.
The USFL is a new, independent football league controlled by FOX Sports through USFL HoldCo, LLC, a new business entity, and it is not associated or affiliated with the USFL of the 1980s or its owners. For more information, visit http://USFL2.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
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About Strategic Education, Inc.
Strategic Education, Inc. (NASDAQ: STRA) (www.strategiceducation.com) is dedicated to helping advance economic mobility through higher education. We primarily serve working adult students globally through our core focus areas:
1) U.S. Higher Education, including Strayer University and Capella University, each institutionally accredited, and collectively offer flexible and affordable associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs including the Jack Welch Management Institute at Strayer University, and non-degree web and mobile application development courses through Strayer University’s Hackbright Academy and Devmountain;
2) Alternative Learning, encompassing Employer Solutions, developing and maintaining relationships with large employers; Workforce Edge, a full service, online employee education management platform; Sophia Learning, self-paced general education courses that are ACE-recommended for college credit; and Digital Enablement Partnerships, helping advance capabilities in course development, online delivery, and student support; and
3) Australia/New Zealand, comprised of Torrens University, Think Education, and Media Design School that collectively offer certificate and degree programs in Australia and New Zealand. This portfolio of high quality, innovative, relevant, and affordable programs and institutions helps our students prepare for success in today’s workforce and find a path to bettering their lives.
4th&long
January 5, 2022 at 3:45 pm
Wow, interesting, isn’t this kinda what the AAF promised and failed to deliver on. Granted its just an On-Line school, but its at least something especially for players who opt out of colleges early to play in the league. Smart move, and good PR.