Hall Of Fantasy League Announces Emmitt Smith As Commissioner, Rule Changes For Season 2

The Hall of Fantasy League will see some interesting changes entering its second season of play.

The Hall of Fame Resort and Entertainment Company will bring back its innovative fantasy league for a second year, but with some notable differences. Gone this season is the idea of “staking,” which previously saw players put in a certain amount of money for cash prizes based upon how their teams fared at the end of the season.

This time around, the Hall of Fantasy League is entirely free to play with up to $75,000 in total cash prizes. The league combines two different models, with one being a DFS style concept, allowing participants to select players each week based upon eight different tiers (“Legendary Lineups).” The second model is a full season concept, which will see experienced fantasy experts draft teams and handle the day-to-day roster management.

Upon registering, players pledge their allegiance to their favorite franchise (“Huddle”). The objective for participants is two things: select the franchise they feel has the best chance to be crowned champion at season’s end based on the skills and experience of the manager and each week. And the second objective is to pick players based on the eight tiers who they believe will be the week’s highest performers to accumulate the most points after 16 weeks.

Rob Borm, EVP of Gaming at the Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company, explains why the league made a change in its concept for its sophomore season.

“I think we’re closer to DFS and those who are accustomed to either creating their leagues or following leagues this season,” explains Borm. “Why? Because they have tasks each and every week. Last season, here again, we had a good inaugural year, but quite frankly, right after season kickoff and certainly well after they chose a franchise, there really wasn’t much for them to do.”

“We had a weekly live stream where they could participate and did,” said Borm. “With this season long format, basically they’ve got weekly tasks where they’re perhaps a bit more in control quite frankly.”

The league will award an MVP for each of the 12 teams — there were 10 teams last season — with $5,000 cash. That cash pool totals $60,000. Those are the players who consistently score the best out of the season in their week-to-week. And then the players with the highest league-wide scores will win an additional $9,000 for first place, $4,500 for second and $1,500 for third place.

In other words, players will be more proactive and engaged this season compared to last. Players were previously asked to pick one of 10 fantasy teams led by general managers — or fantasy football experts — and would win a cash prize if one of their teams finished in the top three at the end of the season.

This time around, players are actually editing their lineups and taking a more strategic approach rather than just sitting around and watching how the season develops.

Another notable change entering season two is the inclusion of Dallas Cowboys legend and Hall-of-Fame running back Emmitt Smith as the league commissioner. Borm explains why he chose Smith to represent the league moving forward.

“I really wanted a candidate that brings inspiration and really wants to participate with the community,” said Borm. “So, Emmitt was a natural. A lot of the recording he’s done for us are really going to carry us throughout those full 16 weeks, giving us reminders like to go in and do your lineups, getting us into playoffs. We’re also going to be patching him in during our draft, where he’ll be making an appearance.”

The change in concept in season two compared to season one seems to center around a more all-inclusive experience. The idea of making the league free to play will likely encourage more fantasy players to participate. Furthermore, the idea of actually making players take a strategic approach on a week-to-week basis should make them feel engaged.

“The free to play model is not intimidating,” says Borm. “The one thing I wanted to mention is, you know, some people might ask, ‘Well, why free to play?’ We want to offer an inclusive experience and cast the net wide and far.”

The Hall of Fantasy League will hold its draft on August 14^th at 4:00 pm ET and it will be broadcast live on SiriusXM from Tom Benson Stadium at Hall of Fame Village. Matt Camp — who is best known for his coverage as a host for multiple WWE programs — will host the draft.