Welcome to the National Gridiron League
National Gridiron League (NGL) – About Us
The National Gridiron League (NGL) is a premier sports media company delivering high-quality live sports entertainment, broadcast content, corporate marketing solutions, and team sports apparel. Our mission is to provide an exciting, professional football experience for fans while creating innovative media and sponsorship opportunities for businesses.
Through our live game broadcasts, digital content, and in-stadium experiences, we engage audiences nationwide, offering brands a powerful platform for exposure. Additionally, our team sports apparel line provides high-performance gear for athletes and fans alike.
As a leader in sports media and entertainment, the NGL is committed to growing the game, elevating talent, and delivering dynamic marketing solutions that connect fans and partners with the action.
The Creation of the National Gridiron League: A Vision Born from Purpose
The National Gridiron League (NGL) was not born in a boardroom but in the heart of its founder, Joe McClendon III— a visionary driven by passion, shaped by experience, and determined to change the game.
Growing up in the football-rich South, McClendon understood that the sport was more than just a game — it was a way out, a teacher of discipline, a builder of communities. Yet, over time, he watched far too many talented players, dedicated coaches, and proud cities go overlooked, underfunded, or forgotten. While major leagues focused on elite markets and billion-dollar budgets, a glaring gap remained in the football world: a spring league rooted in opportunity, development, and accessibility.
Joe McClendon saw that gap not as a problem but as a calling.
With no guarantee of success and more ambition than resources, McClendon began building what would become the National Gridiron League—a professional spring football league focused on delivering high-quality football to underserved communities while creating real pathways for athletes, coaches, and sports professionals to grow. It would be bold, grassroots, and different.
The NGL was founded on three pillars:
- Access – Bringing professional football to cities often overlooked by larger leagues.
- Opportunity – Providing a legitimate platform for aspiring players, coaches, officials, and front office staff to develop and shine.
- Entertainment – Delivering a fast-paced, family-friendly football product to fans hungry for the game beyond the fall season.
- Facilities—The NGL is the first and only spring football organization dedicated to building and managing spring football-specific stadiums.
- Professional Talent- The NGL is the only spring football organization dedicated to providing a professional wage. Player salaries will rise over the coming years to reach a million dollar salary cap.
Launching a league from the ground up was never easy. There were setbacks, doubts, and obstacles few ever saw. But through persistence, adaptability, and a relentless belief in the mission, McClendon forged ahead—not for himself but for the thousands of players still chasing their dreams, the fans still waiting for a hometown team, and the communities that deserved to feel the pride of professional sports.
Today, the National Gridiron League stands as a testament to that belief—a growing league with teams across the country, competitive football on the field, and stories of second chances and rising stars being written every day.
The NGL is more than a league. It’s a movement. It’s a mission. And it all started with one man’s dream to make football truly for all.
