River City Buffalos / Sacramento Buffalos

California Football League (1977-1981)

Background

The Sacramento Buffalos were a minor league football entry in the California Football League during the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. The team traced its origins back to 1973 with the entry of the Sacramento Statesmen club into the semi-pro High Desert League. In1974, the Sacramento team jumped from the High Desert League to help form the California Football League and played as the Condors or “Capital Condors” for the next three seasons.

In 1977 the team changed its name once more, this time to the River City Buffalos and we’ll pick up the story there. At this stage, the Buffalos were still distinctly semi-pro, if not an outright amateur club. Jim Gabriel, Sacramento’s quarterback back to the Statesmen era in 1973, also served as the team’s head coach in 1977 and described himself as a volunteer to The Sacramento Bee.¹Graswich, R.E. “Buffalo, Example of Grid’s Ultimate Volunteer”. The Bee (Sacramento, CA). August 7, 1977

Regardless of the club’s instability, a number of top players such as Gabriel, running back Rod Lung and wide receiver Mike Craft returned annually across the Statesmen/Condors/Buffalos era.

Semi-Pro vs. Minor League

By 1978 the California Football League began to take more deliberate steps towards claiming professional minor league status. The league’s players, while still working day jobs, began to receive game checks (at least in concept). California League teams, most notably the San Jose Tigers and Twin Cities Cougars, regularly appeared atop Pro Football Weekly’s national ranking tables of the country’s disparate regional minor leagues during the late 1970’s.

The Buffalos, for their part, upgraded their playing field from James Marshall High School to the newly renovated Hughes Stadium on the campus of  Sacramento City College in 1978. They also dropped their ‘River City’ moniker to become the Sacramento Buffalos same year.

Despite the increased ambitions, media members and league officials themselves would continue to use the terms “semi-pro” and “minor professional football” interchangeably to describe the California League product in the years ahead.

Peak Seasons

In January 1979, Sacramento’s long-time star fullback Rod Lung organized a new ownership group that rescued the Buffalos, who were on the verge of folding. Lung, a former University of Montana star now in his early 30’s, had played for Sacramento clubs since 1973 and was the California League’s all-time leading ground gainer. By day, Lung was a newly credentialed attorney, practicing at MacKenzie & Oliver on H Street.

After a 5-5 season in 1979, the Buffs posted the best records in 1980 (8-4) and 1981 (8-2).

In July 1981 the Buffalos briefly ascended to a #1 national Minor Professional Football Association ranking after knocking off the previously top-ranked Campbell-San Jose Tigers.²NO BYLINE. “Buffalos Voted No. 1 In New MPFA Ranking”. The Bee (Sacramento, CA). July 28, 1981

On October 11th, 1981 the Buffalos hosted the California Football League title game against the defending national champion Twin Cities Cougars of Marysville, California. The Cougars defeated the Buffs 18-14 in front of an estimated crowd of 5,000 at Hornet Stadium.³NO BYLINE. “Cougars Trip Buffalos 18-14”. The Bee (Sacramento, CA). October 12, 1981

The 1981 league championship game turned to be the Buffalos’ final appearance. The team went inactive in 1982 amidst financial losses and a lawsuit with the team’s dismissed former head coach Max Miller. Efforts to re-organize the team failed as the California Football League itself suspended operations following the 1982 season.

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Outsiders II

by Bob Gill with Tod Maher & Steve Brainerd

 

Outsiders II covers the independent minor leagues of professional football from 1951 through 1985. This volume contains histories and yearly statistical summaries for the top minor leagues of the period, plus the World Football League, which has a claim to major league status, and the United States Football League, which was clearly a major league. It also includes yearly summaries for the best of the lesser leagues, which featured a good number of interesting players in their own right.

 

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Downloads

7-22-1978 Buffalos @ San Jose Tigers Roster

7-7-1979 Buffalos vs. Oceanside Sharks Roster

6-20-1981 Buffalos @ Campbell-San Jose Tigers Roster

Links

California League Football Programs

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