The USFL is back.
The revived professional football league was officially announced back in July. Fox holds a minority stake in the company that owns the USFL and Fox Sports will be the league’s broadcast partner. In early November, the league unveiled a corporate masthead that is heavy on Fox Sports personnel, including analysts Daryl Johnston and Mike Pereira.
Today, we finally found out what the eight teams involved in the league will be called. As announced on Fox’s The Herd with Colin Cowherd, the eight new teams will sound familiar to anyone who followed the original version of the USFL when it existed from 1982 to 1986.
The Fox owned USFL announced their 8 teams just now on Cowherd.
A network owning a startup league outright is interesting me because without that vested interest and credibility, most of these things fizzle out pretty quickly. pic.twitter.com/h8xe4vNPer
— Ben Koo (@bkoo) November 22, 2021
The new-look USFL will be split into two divisions. The Michigan Panthers, New Jersey Generals, Philadelphia Stars, and Pittsburgh Maulers will play in the North Division. The Birmingham Stallions, Houston Gamblers, New Orleans Breakers, and Tampa Bay Bandits will play in the South Division.
The new-look @USFL will launch in April and will revive eight original team brands 💥
(via @BenFischerSBJ)https://t.co/SwdOjRUVEH pic.twitter.com/5cuxDJafFf
— Sports Business Journal (@SBJ) November 22, 2021
USFL games will take place during the NFL offseason in the spring and early summer with each team playing a 10-game schedule. Most games will be played on Saturday and Sunday, with special broadcasts on some Fridays and Mondays. While all games are expected to be played in Birmingham, AL this year, each team plans to play in their home market in the years ahead.
The announcement of the USFL brings with it a lot of nostalgia, as well as some hope that a spring pro football league can succeed. As we’ve seen in recent years, the AAF and XFL both fell short of hopes but did provide some glimmers of excitement that fans can latch onto. The hope is that this new version of the USFL (and the upcoming third version of the XFL) can learn from the mistakes that preceded them. But not everyone thinks it’ll happen.
I am ready to once again get deeply investedi in a spring football league which folds after 7 games https://t.co/doqpMo2R69
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) November 22, 2021
As a lifelong New Jersey Generals fan, it’s great to be here! https://t.co/wlJqVO8b9B
— Ryan Roberts (@RiseNDraft) November 22, 2021
Stop launching pro football leagues in markets that already have NFL franchises. Cities like San Antonio, San Diego and St. Louis were success stories in the AAF because fans were hungry for pro football. https://t.co/IznsOs7rev
— Cameron Songer (@CameronSonger) November 22, 2021
Stop launching pro football leagues in markets that already have NFL franchises. Cities like San Antonio, San Diego and St. Louis were success stories in the AAF because fans were hungry for pro football. https://t.co/IznsOs7rev
— Cameron Songer (@CameronSonger) November 22, 2021
Will this version of the USFL be able to succeed where so many other spring leagues have failed? We’ll find out soon enough this spring. Until then, it’s time to start pledging your allegiance to the Football IP that will eventually be located closest to where you live.
[SBJ]
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.