USFL Season Update

If playing football in the spring was successful there’d be a league in operation right now. It hasn’t worked in the past but that didn’t stop people from trying. And once again we’ll get another shot at professional football to fill the void with the NFL now in its offseason following the dramatic conclusion of the Super Bowl.

The new league is actually a reincarnated version of a league that competed in the 1980s. The original United States Football League (USFL) lasted three seasons from 1983 to 1985 with some high-profile players including Herschel Walker and Doug Flutie to name a few. While there is no legal connection between the two entities, fans who remember the first version will be treated to a throwback with all eight teams named after clubs that competed back in the 80s.

The USFL will consist of two divisions with four teams each for a total of eight teams. The South Division includes the Birmingham Stallions, Houston Gamblers, New Orleans Breakers, and Tampa Bay Bandits. The North Division has the Michigan Panthers, New Jersey Generals, Philadelphia Stars, and Pittsburgh Maulers.

An interesting twist for the league’s inaugural season is that each team’s 10 regular-season games will be played in one location. Birmingham, Alabama will host the league with games played at Protective Stadium and Legion Field every week from April 16 through mid-June followed by the playoffs. The plan is to eventually have teams play in their home markets possibly starting next season.

While a full season schedule has yet to be released, we do know when the USFL will begin play. The first game of the new USFL will be between New Jersey and Birmingham at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 16 at Protective Stadium. Teams in the same division play each other twice and play teams in the other division once to make up the slate.

It’s hard to set futures odds since we don’t even know any of the players. That will come shortly, though, with a player selection meeting set for later in February. Training camps are scheduled to open on March 21. Each team will consist of a 38-man active roster with a seven-player practice squad.

Coaches are already in place and ready to build their teams. And there are some recognizable names among the bunch. Former NFL head coaches Jeff Fisher (Michigan) and Todd Haley (Tampa Bay) are joined by successful NCAA mentors Skip Holtz (Birmingham), Kevin Sumlin (Houston), Larry Fedora (New Orleans), and Mike Riley (New Jersey). Bart Andrus was head coach in the old NFL Europe league and teams throughout his career have always been strong offensively. Longtime NFL assistant coach Kirby Wilson (Pittsburgh) gets the big headset for the first time in his coaching career.

If the USFL fails to survive it won’t be because of a lack of air time. FOX Sports is a part-owner and one of the league’s broadcast partners, along with NBC. Between them upwards of 40 games will be televised on the networks and their platforms. The two will team together to simulcast the opening contest on Apr. 16. According to reports, it will be the first time since Super Bowl I in 1967 that competing networks broadcast the same scheduled event.

Another thing the league has going for it is legalized gambling. The amount of money exchanged for the Super Bowl shows bettors love playing football. And those folks will need something to bet on during the NFL offseason. One reason why football is so popular among bettors is its ease to wager on. You can be sure the USFL will promote that aspect without harming the integrity of the games.

Once rosters are set and scheduled announced most sportsbooks will produce odds for the USFL season. You can find odds and bet on games at Sugarhouse sportsbook.