1. Seeing the NFL as the competition, rather than a partner

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The relationship between the AAF and the NFL is probably the most dramatic difference between this upstart and those that came before it.

Unlike other secondary football leagues, which positioned themselves as a rival for the NFL, the Alliance sees itself as partners with the league, even broadcasting its games on NFL Network.

"One of the things I took away from my father was that — 17 years ago one of the biggest mistakes they made in launching the XFL was that it was about 'The NFL was the No Fun League!' and they're going to compete with the NFL," Ebersol told INSIDER.

"It tells players they should not play in your league, because their ultimate goal — to get back to the NFL and play in the Super Bowl — will be undermined by the fact that you're directly competing with the partner that you want to be in business with."

The AAF is made up of many players who have spent time in the NFL, both on active rosters and practice squads, and pitched itself as a possible road back to the league, rather than an opposing force.

"We really felt it was important to be in a symbiotic relationship with them and complementary to the NFL," Ebersol said. "We created something called the 'NFL-out' in our contracts which allows players to leave our league and go play in the NFL."

The relationship between the Alliance and the NFL goes beyond player contracts. While not an explicit testing ground, it's clear that the Alliance is already testing out potential rule changes that the NFL might adopt, such as the elimination of kickoffs.

By creating a positive relationship with the NFL, the Alliance made itself a more attractive destination for both fans and players.