[5] The league adopted rules consistent with professional football of the era, with some exceptions:[6][7] The league's inaugural (and only) season was 1999, where each of its six teams was scheduled to have training camp and two preseason games in early April, followed by 12 regular season games; a postseason would follow in July.

[8] Financial constraints forced the league to reduce player salaries at the end of April, due to low attendance at games.

Near the end of the shortened season, the league cancelled a contest between New Orleans and Ohio, and Shreveport forfeited a game, both due to financial concerns.

Players who had been with college football programs in the south such as Jason Martin (Louisiana Tech), Stewart Patridge (Ole Miss), Raymond Philyaw (Northeast Louisiana), Marquette Smith (Central Florida) and Sherman Williams (Alabama) were signed to southern RFL teams, while players like Ricky Powers (Michigan), Corey Croom (Ball State), and Skip Tramontana (Miami University) were assigned to the Ohio franchise based in Toledo.

Patridge, playing for Mississippi, was the all-RFL quarterback,[14] while running back Williams was the league MVP with Mobile.