In Episode #11 of Season 1 of the Strive Sports Podcast, Keegan (@KeeganHartman1 via Twitter) sits down with one of the most renowned insiders of spring football, Pro Football Network's James Larsen (@jameslarsenpfn via Twitter) to discuss updates surrounding the USFL-XFL merger talks.

Nearing his fourth year of covering spring league football, coupled with over 650+ articles, and numerous interviews, Larsen sits down with Keegan to discuss what inspired his pursuit for a career in spring league football media.

Likewise, James offers an extensive breakdown of USFL-XFL merger negotiations, and how we've got to where we are as of the first week of December. With a tentative start date of March 30th for the newly named UFL spring league (allegedly), what will the next two months entail for free agents, rookies, and staffing? Not to mention the other logistics such as scheduling, television broadcasts, merchandising, and more! With so much still needing figured out, Larsen provides a little bit of clarity on how the two leagues got to where we currently stand, and where they will go going forward...

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Episode Timestamps:

Part I:
00:01- Episode Introduction
01:18- Promo #01: Royal Retros
02:05- James Larsen Biography
04:30- How James got into sports journalism- particularly spring football media?
06:55- James' Biggest Inspiration
11:45- 'UFL' Timeline: USFL-XFL Merger Timeline
15:03- 'Who Started it?': Breaking Down What Expedited the Merger Talks
19:13- Who Offer Help in the First Place?
22:44- Non-Binding Term Sheet, DOJ, FTC,... WTH: Government's Approval
28:55- "DEVELOPING: USFL will KEEP ALL 8 TEAMS!"... Or ARE THEY?


30:00- Royal Retros Christmas PROMO

Part II:
35:30- The HARSH Reality!
43:16- Where Do We Go from Here?: 2025 Outlook
44:35- What We Know for 2024: Season Breakdown
46:51- Traning Camp Woes: How to Appease a 90-man Roster?
50:05- Whose the New Brand Sponsor?/Endorsement Time?
52:00- Salary Negotiations Update: Where Are We?
52:22- TV Deals: "N-B-C ya Later!"
56:40- Give the People WHAT THE WANT: Pre-game Shows
01:00:20- Painting the Playoff Picture
01:03:20- Why are 'Shelved' Teams Still Signing?

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