| Most recent season or competition: 2023 USFL season | |
_logo.png){kind=logo} | |
| Classification | Spring football league |
|---|---|
| Sport | American football |
| Founded | April 16, 2022 |
| Founder | Brian Woods[1] |
| First season | 2022 |
| Ceased | December 31, 2023 (Merged intoUFL) October 7, 2025 (USFL Conference dissolved) |
| Owner | National Spring Football League Enterprises Co, LLC[2] |
| President | Daryl Johnston[3] |
| No. of teams | 8 |
| Country | United States |
| Headquarters | Birmingham, Alabama U.S. |
| Most recent champions | Birmingham Stallions (2nd title) |
| Most titles | Birmingham Stallions (2 titles) |
| Broadcasters | |
| Streaming partners |
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| Related competitions | Direct:XFL,UFL,TSL Other:NFL,CFL,AAF,FXFL |
| Official website | www |
TheUnited States Football League (USFL) was aprofessionalAmerican footballminor league[4][5] that played two seasons from 2022 to 2023.
The USFL was founded as a standalone league in 2022. In its two seasons of operation it operated eight teams; all with the brands of teams from a previous incarnation of theUnited States Football League that operated from 1983 to 1985. A majority of its teams did not play in the metropolitan areas of the cities after which they were named, with the entire league playing inBirmingham, Alabama during the inaugural 2022 season and each of the league's four host cities, mostly mid-sized markets and all east of theMississippi River, sharing two teams in 2023.
The league was owned byNational Spring Football League Enterprises Co, LLC, initially a joint venture betweenFox Corporation's sports unit,Fox Sports in the United States and Brian Woods, with Fox Sports as a minority owner; Fox Corporation took over sole ownership in 2023.[6] Although the league owned the trademarks of the old USFL, which operated for three seasons during the mid-1980s, the new USFL was not officially associated with that entity.[7]
On September 28, 2023, the USFL announced its intention to merge with theXFL.[8] On November 30, 2023, the leagues issued a statement that they "have completed the antitrust review process in connection with the proposed merger of the XFL and USFL and intend to play a combined season this spring kicking off on Saturday, March 30. We are now finalizing terms of the definitive agreement".[9] On December 31, the name of the combined league was confirmed as theUnited Football League; a day later, the merged league announced that each component league would survive as aconference within the UFL.[10] With the merger, all of the USFL's four surviving teams will play in their home markets, with one—theHouston Gamblers—moving into the city and assuming the identity of their XFL counterpart, theHouston Roughnecks.
On October 7, 2025, the USFL Conference was formally dissolved. Two teams survive from the league: theBirmingham Stallions and the Gamblers, who have reverted to that brand as part of the dissolution.[11]
The groundwork for the USFL was originally laid in the summer of 2020, after plans to purchase theXFL, a league that Fox had carried during thewinter 2020 season, out of bankruptcy were abandoned.RedBird Capital Partners, which would have financed the purchase, instead brought onDany Garcia andDwayne Johnson as partners to purchase that league.[12] In October 2020, Fox struck an agreement withThe Spring League to partially finance and broadcast that league's games.[13]
On June 3, 2021, it was announced that the United States Football League "would be making a return" and would begin its inaugural season in April 2022. Fox was also announced as a minority owner in the league.[6] This was the fifth attempt to launch a league using USFL naming, including prior attemptsin 1945, a league proposed in the 1960s by eventual 1980s USFL founder David Dixon,[citation needed] the aforementioned league that existedbetween 1983 and 1985, andin 2010.[14][15][16]
On October 12, 2021, Tad Snider, the executive director of the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Authority, announced that the league was in serious discussions with the board of directors of the BJCC about the possibility of the USFL playing all of its games inBirmingham, Alabama. According to initial information, USFL players/staff would be housed in Birmingham during the season for an estimated economic impact of about $15 million (47,000 hotel nights), while the league would play the bubble season atProtective Stadium andLegion Field.[17][18][19] The "bubble" setup may possibly continue in the league's second year, with as many as four teams playing in Birmingham and as many as four in their respective cities. The teams would then be expected to play in their own cities by Season 3.[20]
The proposal included an eight-team 10-week season with two additional playoff rounds, from April 16 through July 3, 2022, with the broadcast proposal as follows: 25% each onFox,NBC,FS1 andUSA. Later on December 15, 2021, Fox and NBC had finalized their agreement. NBC announced that it would air nine games on NBC itself, eight on USA, and four on its streaming servicePeacock.[21][22][23]
On November 17, 2021, it was announced thatThe Spring League founder Brian Woods would serve as the league's president, as well asDaryl Johnston as EVP of football operations,Mike Pereira as head of officiating, and Edward Hartman as EVP of business operations.[1]
On January 4, 2022, NBC Sports reported that a "player selection meeting" would be held on February 22 and 23 to set teams. Training camp was to begin on March 21.[24][25]
On January 6, 2022, four of eight teams unveiled their head coaches and general managers onThe Herd with Colin Cowherd,
Two weeks later on January 20, 2022, two more head coaches were announced.
The final two head coaches were announced the following week on January 27, 2022.
On January 25, 2022, the city ofBirmingham announced that the league headquarters would be inBirmingham, and all games of the2022 USFL season would be played atProtective Stadium andLegion Field.[30][31]
The first game was played on April 16, 2022, between theBirmingham Stallions and theNew Jersey Generals at Protective Stadium. The game was broadcast byFox andNBC, the first football game simulcast on over-the-air broadcast networks since the final week of the2007 NFL regular season when a game between theNew England Patriots and theNew York Giants aired onCBS and NBC in addition to cableNFL Network.[citation needed] Tickets were released to the public at $10 per person; children aged 15 and under were admitted for free.[32]
On February 16, 2022, the league announced that the 2022 Playoffs would be held inCanton, Ohio, atTom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium instead of Birmingham due to conflicting scheduling with the 2022World Games.[33][34] The following day, on February 17, 2022, the league revealed uniforms for each team.[35] The day after that the league announced the draft order for the2022 USFL draft.[36] TheBirmingham Stallions became the first new USFL champions, after winning theleague championship game against thePhiladelphia Stars on July 3, 2022, 33–30.[37] Upon the conclusion of its first season, the league became the first high-level spring football league to complete a season since theoriginal iteration of the XFL in 2001, following the early shutdown of theAAF andCOVID-19-induced hiatus of thesecond XFL in 2019 and 2020, respectively.
On June 27, 2022, Fox Sports confirmed toSports Business Journal that the USFL would return for another season in 2023. There would be no expansion that year, and the league would continue to use a hub model, with "two to four" locations housing all eight teams.[38] In October 13, the league signed an exclusive partnership agreement withHUB Football,[39] which ended in June 2023, when HUB's ownerDon Yee decided to pull the plug on the operation.[40]
On November 15, 2022, the USFL and the City of Memphis, Tennessee announced that the Tampa Bay Bandits organization would effectively be relocated to Memphis as theMemphis Showboats, taking on the name and identity of the team from the original incarnation of the league.[41] The team will play all of its home games atSimmons Bank Liberty Stadium, which will also serve as another "hub" site for the league to host multiple teams at in addition to Birmingham.
Johnston expressed disappointment for the viewership results of the 2023 season, acknowledging fan interest in Birmingham had diminished compared to 2022 and expressing anger that the league's television ratings were comparable to theXFL's and not the "far superior... not even close" results he had anticipated.[42] In an interview later in the offseason, Johnston indicated that he believed the league was on track to surpasscollege football as a "better alternative."[43]
On June 27, 2023, President of Football OperationsDaryl Johnston confirmed in an interview that the league will return for the 2024 season.[44] Discussions between USFL and XFL for a potential merger began in July.[12] On September 19, 2023,Axios reported that discussions had advanced far enough that a merger was possible before each league's 2024 season.[45] On September 28, 2023, the USFL and XFL announced their intent to merge.[46] The merger would require regulatory approval,[47] which was granted November 30.[48] The merger was formally announced December 31.
The four teams that survived the merger continued to play in the USFL Conference of the UFL in 2024 and 2025. On July 23, 2025, unconfirmed reports indicated that the USFL Conference was being dismantled as all four of its teams were being slated for relocation to markets that were mostly not USFL markets. Those markets had been, other than Michigan, among the lowest-attended in the UFL in 2025, while Michigan, though it had made strong gains in 2025, faced exceptionally high venue costs.[49] The UFL neither confirmed nor denied the reports, describing it as "unauthorized speculation."[50]
The league announced the 2022 season will be played "with a minimum of eight teams."[51] In addition to obtaining the rights to the USFL name and logo, the new league has obtained the rights to the aforementioned former league's team names including theLos Angeles Express,Chicago Blitz,Tampa Bay Bandits, andHouston Gamblers.[52][53] Additionally, theGenerals rights are owned by The Spring League, another Woods entity. Since its original announcement, the USFL had purchased more trademarks including new team names like theBirmingham Stallions,Jacksonville Bulls, andPortland Breakers, and variations on the already existing trademarks.
Eight teams were announced on November 22, 2021,[54] all feature the names and colors of USFL teams that existed in 1984: Michigan Panthers, New Jersey Generals, Philadelphia Stars and Pittsburgh Maulers in the North Division and Birmingham Stallions, Houston Gamblers, New Orleans Breakers and Tampa Bay Bandits in the South Division.[55] The Bandits were replaced in the 2023 season by the Memphis Showboats, in conjunction with the league agreement to play at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.[56]
| Team[57] | Based City/State | Stadium | Capacity | First season | Head coach | Ultimate Fate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
North Division | |||||||
| Michigan Panthers | Detroit, Michigan | Ford Field | 65,000† | 2022 | Mike Nolan | Joined UFL | |
| New Jersey Generals | East Rutherford, New Jersey | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium | 23,000 | 2022 | Mike Riley | Folded | |
| Philadelphia Stars | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Ford Field | 65,000† | 2022 | Bart Andrus | Folded | |
| Pittsburgh Maulers | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium | 23,000 | 2022 | Ray Horton[58] | Folded | |
South Division | |||||||
| Birmingham Stallions | Birmingham, Alabama | Protective Stadium | 47,100† | 2022 | Skip Holtz | Joined UFL | |
| Houston Gamblers | Houston, Texas | Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium | 58,325† | 2022 | Curtis Johnson | Joined UFL, rebranded as theHouston Roughnecks | |
| Memphis Showboats | Memphis, Tennessee | Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium | 58,325† | 2023 | Todd Haley | Joined UFL | |
| New Orleans Breakers | New Orleans, Louisiana | Protective Stadium | 47,100† | 2022 | John DeFilippo | Folded | |
| Defunct Franchises | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | City/State | Only season | Head coach | ||||
| Tampa Bay Bandits | Tampa, Florida | 2022 | Todd Haley | ||||
†Full stadium capacity. The large stadiums with multiple decks only open the lower bowl for XFL games, similar to the formerAAF games andMLS matches played in large stadiums. The XFL has a target stadium size of 30,000 seats so that in the event of playoff games, the upper decks can be opened to increase capacity.[59]
" * " indicates Championship Season
Deactivated Teams in grey
There is no legal connection between the new entity and the source of its name, the originalUnited States Football League, which operated from 1983 to 1986 and was officially dissolved in 1990. No principals from the former USFL are involved in the current league's ownership; Brian Woods, who had previously launched theFall Experimental Football League andThe Spring League, was initially the primary owner of the new league. By October 2021, Woods had been demoted to a vice president role[60] as Fox Sports set up a subsidiary, the National Spring Football League, to operate the league.[61] Woods departed his positions with the USFL prior to the 2023 season.[62] The Spring League, and later the NSFL, acquired most of the USFL's trademarks after the last attempt to revive them, theA-11 Football League, let them go dormant after its own failed launch in 2014. The new USFL did not inherit the old USFL's unpaid liabilities, nor itstelevision contract; it instead holds a new contract with Fox Sports, which already owns both the rights to and an equity stake in The Spring League, and withNBC Sports.
According to Steve Ehrhart, former USFL executive director, he still owns the league rights and the "USFL still exists", while stating that the league officials still get monthly royalty checks. He also mentioned that he refused previous attempts to "buy" the league, "including the people who founded the first version of theXFL".[63] Ehrhart would later explain that he was only "trying to protect the league legacy".[64] By 2023, Ehrhart had given his full endorsement to the new league, stating "We have a lot of pride (and) we want them to succeed. They have the resources."[65]
On February 28, 2022, "The Real USFL, LLC," a group fronted byLarry Csonka (acting in his capacity as general manager of the originalJacksonville Bulls) and claiming to represent the interests of the owners of the former USFL franchises, filed suit to stop the current USFL from using the name or trademarks associated with the original league.[66][67] In response, the league attorneys claimed "The new USFL registered its intellectual property rights in 2011".[68]
On April 14 (two days before the scheduled start of the new USFL's regular season), federal judgeJohn F. Walter of theCentral District of California denied apreliminary injunction to bar the new USFL from using the original league's name and trademarks, remarking that while the plaintiffs were "likely to prevail" on their claim of trademark infringement, "any alleged harm" could be "easily compensated by monetary damages".[69] The Real USFL, LLC withdrew its suitwith prejudice on August 22, 2022.[citation needed]
On March 23, 2022, the USFL announced an initial series of rule tweaks it would implement for its games.[70] The league's rule variations and subsequent changes include the following:
Games that are tied after regulation will be resolved with an overtime session that combines elements ofcollege football's overtime system with penalty shootouts used insoccer andice hockey.
For the inaugural season, each team originally had a 38-man active roster and a 7-man practice squad.[24] However, the league decided midway through the 2022 season to expand rosters to a 40-man active game day roster, along with a 10-man practice squad.[80] The roster size stay the same for the 2023 season, and was supposed to increase to 42 active and 8 inactive for the 2024 season.
As of September 2023, 320 USFL players earned invitations to workout for NFL teams, with more than 100 NFL contracts signed and more than 40 USFL players started the season either on active NFL rosters or practice squads, including 2022 season MVPKaVontae Turpin, who signed withDallas Cowboys and finished the2022 NFL season as aPro Bowler.[81]
USFL players and staff are able to receive a college degree "tuition-free and debt-free", through a partnership with for-profit universitiesStrategic Education'sCapella University andStrayer University. They will be able to take classes online (Capella) or in-person (Strayer),[82] giving them the flexibility to pursue associate, bachelor's or master's degrees in business, healthcare, IT and education.[83]
For the 2022 season, player pay structure was $45,000 for Active Roster players, $15,000 for Practice Squad Players, and $600 weekly during training camp. Players also received win bonuses of $850 per win and $10,000 for winning the championship.[84][85] Players were required to pay their own rent, but the league offered a reduced hotel price at a cost of $75 per room per day, with an option for two players to share a room.[86]
On December 15, 2022, USFL player representatives (United Football Players Association andUnited Steelworkers[87]) and the league parent companyFOX Sports tentatively agreed on a new three-year collective bargaining agreement starting at the 2023 season, six months after the league players voted to unionize. The proposed agreement increases minimum salaries and provides a stronger benefits package than they previously received, and slightly higher than mostXFL salaries. USFL players' minimum salaries will be $5,350 per week, up from the current $4,500 per week payout ($2,500 for inactive players) and $150 a week toward 401K contributions, while weekly performance bonuses will be cancelled. During training camp, all USFL players will get $850 a week.[88] The new deal also include a $400 per week housing stipend. For the first year of the CBA, the roster size will stay at 50 (40 active/10 inactive), while from the second year going forward the makeup changes to 42 active and 8 inactive.[89] The proposed CBA includes an annual opt-out option. The agreement was approved by the union members on January 9, 2023.[90]
The USFL inaugural draft, also known as the2022 USFL player selection meeting, was the player selection process to fill the rosters of the eight teams for the2022 USFL season. The draft was held on February 22–23, 2022, with the results of the 280 players selected released through the USFL's social media channels.[91]
The 2023 USFL draft, also known as the2023 USFL college draft, was the second annual meeting of USFL franchises to select newly eligible players. The draft consisted of 2023 draft eligible players and 80 players were drafted.[92]
| All-time USFL leaders | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leader | Team | Player | Record | Years in USFL | |
| Passing yards | Philadelphia Stars | Case Cookus | 3,629 passing yards | 2022–2023 | |
| Passing touchdowns | Philadelphia Stars | Case Cookus | 27 passing touchdowns | 2022–2023 | |
| Rushing yards | New Jersey Generals | Darius Victor | 1,131 rushing yards | 2022–2023 | |
| Rushing touchdowns | Houston Gamblers | Mark Thompson | 16 rushing touchdowns | 2022–2023 | |
| Receiving yards | New Orleans Breakers | Jonathan Adams | 883 receiving yards | 2022–2023 | |
| Receiving touchdowns | New Orleans Breakers | Johnnie Dixon | 9 receiving touchdowns | 2022–2023 | |
| Receptions | New Orleans Breakers | Jonathan Adams | 71 receptions | 2022–2023 | |
| Tackles | Michigan Panthers | Frank Ginda | 194 tackles | 2022–2023 | |
| Sacks | Philadelphia Stars | Adam Rodriguez | 15.0 sacks | 2022–2023 | |
| Interceptions | Philadelphia Stars | Channing Stribling | 8 interceptions | 2022–2023 | |
| Coaching wins | Birmingham Stallions | Skip Holtz | 17 wins | 2022–2023 | |
Fox Sports owns the league and has reportedly committed $150–$200 million over three years to its operations,[93][94] with plans to attract an additional $250 million from investors.[95] For the 2022 regular season, tickets would be sold at $10 per person, with children aged 15 and under free, for the two semi-final games tickets are sold at $15 per person and children under 15 at $5 those prices are increased by $5 for the championship game.[96]
The league draws revenue of less than $10 million, making it ineligible to seekP visas for players from outside the United States;Liam Dobson, a Canadian offensive lineman, was disqualified from playing in the USFL because of the league's lack of revenue.[97]
On March 3, 2022, the league announced fifteen states have approved legal, regulated betting on USFL games.[98]
In December 2021 the Fox Sports-controlled league announced they signed a three-year rights deal agreement with NBC, which involves a rights fee (the agreed-upon fee was never published).[99] It was the first rights fee deal for alternative football league in the 21st century,[100] after both theAlliance of American Football andXFL had a rights deal agreement with major networks, but none got paid for it (the only exceptions were two games involving theHartford Colonials from theUnited Football League, which were sold toNew England Sports Network in 2010).[101]
In an interviewFox CorporationCEOLachlan Murdoch mentioned that theNFL "has been supporting the launch of the USFL".[102]
For the 2022 season NBC and Fox Sports were the league's two official broadcast partners, with Fox carrying 22 games and NBC carrying 21. Telecasts for the 2022 season were produced byFox Sports andNBC Sports. Fox broadcast 13 regular season games (1 simulcast with NBC), 1 semi-final, and the championship game.[103] NBC broadcast 8 regular season games (1 simulcast with Fox) and 1 semi-final. Peacock broadcast 4 games exclusively and simulcast all NBC games (including the opening game simulcast with Fox and NBC). Other games air on Cable networks USA Network (9 games) and FS1 (7 games).[104]
The opening game was broadcast on April 16, 2022, at 7:30 PM Eastern time on both Fox and NBC. Fox produced the game and NBC produced all studio coverage. It was the first football game to be simulcast across two major American broadcast networks since the2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game.[105]
Fox brought back its leadXFL broadcast team from 2020,Curt Menefee andJoel Klatt, for USFL coverage.[106]Kevin Kugler andMark Sanchez serve as the second broadcast team.Brock Huard reports from the sidelines during selected games.[107] The NBC crew featuresJac Collinsworth andPaul Burmeister handling play-by-play duties alongside analystsJason Garrett,Michael Robinson andCameron Jordan. Zora Stephenson andCorey Robinson are sideline reporters and Sara Perlman hosts halftime and post-game coverage.[108]
During the2022 season, Fox also aired a 13-part documentary series called"United by Football: A Season in the USFL" which produced by the league,NFL Films andFox Sports. The series followed the USFL players and coaches "behind-the-scenes" during their 2022 journey, starting with the inaugural USFL Player Draft in Birmingham, and conclude with theUSFL Championship Game.[109][110] The series averaged 720,000 viewers per episode.[111]
The show caused controversy before the first week, as a video clip, posted on social media, of Pittsburgh Maulers head coachKirby Wilson releasing running backDe'Veon Smith due to violating team protocol after asking to have pizza for lunch instead of the chicken salad.[112]
Telecasts for the 2023 season will air onFox,FS1,NBC andUSA Network. Fox will air 17 regular season games and 1 semi-final, NBC will broadcast 9 regular season games, 1 semi-final and the Championship game, and FS1 and USA Network will broadcast 7 games each. Unlike the 2022 season, in order to increase the leagues exposure,Peacock will not air exclusive games. Instead, Peacock will simply simulcast all NBC and USA Network games. An emphasis will also be made on having high-profile events serve as lead-ins to the league, with some games followingNASCAR andMajor League Baseball broadcasts on Fox or theKentucky Derby on NBC.[113]
Curt Menefee andJoel Klatt will return as Fox's lead commentary team for USFL coverage.Kevin Kugler andMark Sanchez serve as the second broadcast team.Brock Huard will report from the sidelines during selected games.Devin Gardner will also appear on select games.[114]
The NBC crew featuresJac Collinsworth andPaul Burmeister handling play-by-play duties alongside analystsJason Garrett,Michael Robinson andCameron Jordan. Zora Stephenson,Corey Robinson,Lewis Johnson, and Caroline Pineda are the sideline reporters.Colt McCoy,Kyle Rudolph andAnthony Herron are the additional analysts for selected games.
For the 2023 seasonNBC Sports,FOX Sports partnered withDAZN to broadcast live international coverage of the 14-game schedule, including the playoffs and the championship game (excludes coverage in the U.S. and the 14 countries with separate broadcast deal). In theUnited Kingdom andIreland it was broadcast throughSky Sports, inAustralia byFOX Sports Australia, inDenmark,Estonia,Finland,Iceland,Latvia, Lithuania,Norway,Poland, andSweden byViaplay in Hungary by Network 4 and in thePhilippines by Elite.[115]
| Date | Winning Team | Score | Losing Team | Score | Stadium | Location | Attendance | MVP | Network | Viewership |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 3, 2022 | Birmingham Stallions | 33 | Philadelphia Stars | 30 | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium | Canton, Ohio | 20,000 | Victor Bolden Jr. | Fox | 1.52 million |
| July 1, 2023 | Birmingham Stallions | 28 | Pittsburgh Maulers | 12 | N/A | Deon Cain | NBC | 1.16 million |
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