The Rise & Fall Of Trump's Football Team

Chip Somodevilla/Getty

Long before Donald Trump set his sights on the Oval Office, he wanted to diversify his financial portfolio by folding a professional sports team into his roster. When the United States Football League got its start back in 1982, it was aiming to be a springtime option for football fans who wanted to watch the sport year-round. Hoping to get in on the action, Donald Trump paid his way into becoming the owner of the New Jersey Generals in 1983.

In true Trump fashion, Donald announced his $10 million investment into the team from his then brand-new Trump Tower in New York. Trump Tower would even be where the New Jersey Generals would hold tryouts for their cheerleading squad, something that was overseen by Trump's then-wife Ivana Trump and, strangely, Andy Warhol, according to Sports History Weekly. When Trump took over the team, he also came flush with cash that the struggling USFL desperately needed. However, it wouldn't be long before Trump and the United States Football League would part ways. Here's a quick dive into the rise and fall of Trump's football team.

Al Pereira/Getty

Started by businessman David Dixon, the United States Football League was meant to be a professional league that ran during the spring season. It was a novel idea that launched to moderate success with strong talent and decent ratings, which caught the eye of a young Donald Trump. However, at the time, the funds were beginning to run out for the league, meaning that keeping talent and discovering emerging players was limited by the USFL's budget. When Trump came and pumped millions into the New Jersey Generals, it also elevated the league's standing within the public and on television. However, the USFL was still struggling, with several teams shuttering mid-season. This allowed Trump to do what he does best: turn it into a media spectacle.

Wanting to take on the National Football League, Trump snaked Lawrence Taylor from the New York Giants and signed him onto the Generals — before returning him to the Giants — in a back and forth deal that ultimately made Trump money. The fact that a star NFL player could be so easily wooed in the short term definitely made the NFL nervous. Trump's New Jersey Generals were having fantastic seasons, which seemed to whet Trump's appetite for more. Trump was ready to take on the NFL.

Pool/Getty

The United States Football League decided to go on the offense against the NFL, eventually filing an antitrust lawsuit claiming the National Football League was hogging all the TV broadcasting rights to football games and holding stadium venues captive. When the trial made its way before a jury, Trump testified on behalf of himself and his team. Trump also reached out to his connections in television and brought in executives and sports commentators to take the stand.

The trial ended in July 1986 with the jury finding the NFL guilty of monopolizing professional football. However, the USFL was only awarded $3.00 in damages, as the court ruled that the NFL didn't hold any television airwaves hostage. Without the lucrative media market that the NFL occupied, the USFL had to shut down.

Trump never actually let his dream of putting his foot in the NFL die (which is probably why he's so excited to have Brittany Mahomes as his new MAGA BFF). In 2014, Trump floated a $1 billion offer to purchase the Buffalo Bills but was ultimately outbid by current Bills owner Terry Pegula. Since then, the Bills have gone on to bounce back from a history of defeat and might even see a Super Bowl appearance in their future.