ROMULUS, Mich. (Oct. 6, 2005) -- NFL owners voted to extend their commitment to NFL Europe for five more years.
"We had good support from the Players Association recognizing that it develops players," NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue said. "I think NFL Europe is an important piece of our international development. They had a very successful year this year and last year."
The league set an attendance record by averaging 18,965 fans a game last season, up 20 percent from 2004, largely by folding the Barcelona Dragons and Scottish Claymores and starting up the Cologne Centurions and Hamburg Sea Devils in Germany.
That has left the league with five franchises in Germany, along with the Amsterdam Admirals.
