NFL Europa ceases after 15 seasons

June 29, 2007 The NFL has announced that its "farmer-league" NFL Europa has been discontinued after 15 seasons. Instead, the NFL will change "the focus of its international business strategy to presenting the NFL to the widest possible global audience, including broader media visibility and the staging of international regular-season games." "The time is right to re-focus the NFL's strategy on initiatives with global impact, including worldwide media coverage of our sport and the staging of live regular-season NFL games,'" said Mark Waller, senior vice president of NFL International, to NFL.com

The NFL is focusing on the international market now. In October, the owners passed a resolution to set up to two regular-season games in international stadiums per year. The first of these games will be played at Wembley Stadium in London on October 28 when the Miami Dolphins and New York Giants meet.

In 2006, NFL Europa changed its name from NFL Europe to NFL Europa to focus more on the German and Dutch markets. When NFL Europa shut down, it had six teams based in Holland and Germany. The Hamburg Sea Devils won the last World Bowl (number 15) last Saturday. Two of the players that were developed in NFL Europa were Arizona Cardinals QB Kurt Warner and Indianapolis Colts K Adam Vinatieri.