| 2022 USFL season | |
|---|---|
_logo.png){kind=logo} | |
| League | United States Football League |
| Sport | American football |
| Duration | Regular season: April 16 – June 19 Playoffs: June 25 – July 3 |
| Number of games | 43 (40 regular-season games, 3 postseason games) |
| Number of teams | 8 |
| TV partner(s) | Fox,FS1,NBC,USA |
| Streaming partner(s) | Fox Sports app,Peacock |
| Season MVP | KaVontae Turpin |
| North champions | Philadelphia Stars |
| North runners-up | New Jersey Generals |
| South champions | Birmingham Stallions |
| South runners-up | New Orleans Breakers |
| 2022 USFL Championship | |
| Venue | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium,Canton, Ohio |
| Champions | Birmingham Stallions |
| Runners-up | Philadelphia Stars |
| Finals MVP | Victor Bolden Jr. |
| Seasons | |
2023 → | |
The2022 USFL season was the inaugural season of theUnited States Football League, and the first season of a league using that name since1985. The season began on April 16 and concluded on July 3. The league's eight teams represent various geographical locales and associated team names that were part of the1984 season of theoriginal USFL. For 2022, all regular-season games were played inBirmingham, Alabama, atProtective Stadium (Weeks 1–7, 9) and atLegion Field (Weeks 8 & 10).
The USFL played its postseason games atTom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, adjacent to thePro Football Hall of Fame inCanton, Ohio. TheBirmingham Stallions won theUSFL Championship game against thePhiladelphia Stars on July 3.
On June 3, 2021,The Spring League founder Brian Woods announced that he had acquired the remaining extant trademarks of theUnited States Football League with intent of launching a USFL-branded league in 2022, with Fox Sports remaining as a partner in the new USFL.[1] What was to become of The Spring League remained, at the time, an unresolved question, but according to the initial announcement TSL was to continue,[2] probably as a scouting showcase or developmental operation. It was later reported that TSL in no longer associated with the new USFL,[3] and Woods would later state that TSL was "no longer operational."[4]
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.[5][6][7] It was speculated that the "bubble" setup would 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.[8]
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.[9][10][11]
The city of Birmingham and the USFL announced that the city would host all eight teams. The regular-season games would be played atProtective Stadium andLegion Field.[12]
The choice of Birmingham as the league's sole city led to substantial crowds for the Birmingham Stallions and to very small crowds for games involving only teams named after other cities and states. The opening-week matchup between the Tampa Bay Bandits and Pittsburgh Maulers, rescheduled to Monday night, was played in an almost entirely empty stadium.[13]USA Today reported that during the Week 2 matchup between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, crowd shots included more Fox broadcast staff members than fans.[14]
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 schedule conflicts with the2022 World Games. Playoffs were held on June 25 and July 3.[15]
The eight teams competing in the USFL's 2022 season all feature the names and colors of USFL teams that existed in 1984.[16] During the 2022 season, all regular-season games were held atProtective Stadium (Week 1–7, 9) andLegion Field (Week 8 & 10) inBirmingham, Alabama.[12][17]
For the 2022 season, all eight carried a 38-man active roster and a seven-man practice squad (45 total).[19] After week 5 the league announced they'll expands game-day rosters by two, total rosters by five (40/10).[20] Contrary to other leagues, since injured players did not get paid, they were released after they got injured instead of reverting to "injured reserve list".[21]
In May, 2022 the organization contacted players from the newly formedUSFL in attempt unionize,[22] with a petition to represent the approximately 360 USFL players was later filed at theNational Labor Relations Board (NLRB).[23] The UFPA would later join forces with theUnited Steelworkers as the players union representation on behalf the USFL players.[24][25]
USFL players and staff will be 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 or in-person.[26]
USFL players receive weekly salaries of $4,500 for active roster players, $1,500 for practice squad players, and $600 during training camp, while injured players did not get paid. Players also receive bonuses of $850 per regular-season or postseason win and $10,000 for winning the championship.[27][28] Players had to cover their own housing costs, but the league offered hotel rooms at a discounted price of $75 per room per day, with an option for two players to share a room.[29]
The2022 USFL draft occurred on February 22 and 23, 2022, and had a format similar to the2020 XFL draft, where players were selected in phases based on positions.[30]Michigan quarterbackShea Patterson was the first overall pick by theMichigan Panthers.
The USFL has instituted a standard professional football system where players who are cut by a team will be put on waivers for 24 hours. During this period, a player can be claimed by any other team. After the third regular-season game, the League based its waiver priority on inverse league standings. Players clearing waivers with no claim were released, no longer be under USFL contract, and became free agents.[33]
| North Division | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | W | L | PCT | GB | DIV | PF | PA | STK | |||
| 1 | (y)New Jersey Generals | 9 | 1 | .900 | – | 6–0 | 232 | 182 | W9 | ||
| 2 | (x)Philadelphia Stars | 6 | 4 | .600 | 3 | 4–2 | 262 | 243 | L1 | ||
| 3 | (e)Michigan Panthers | 2 | 8 | .200 | 7 | 2–4 | 211 | 236 | W1 | ||
| 4 | (e)Pittsburgh Maulers | 1 | 9 | .100 | 8 | 0–6 | 147 | 243 | L5 | ||
| (x)–clinched playoff berth;(y)–clinched division;(e)–eliminated from playoff contention | |||||||||||
| South Division | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | W | L | PCT | GB | DIV | PF | PA | STK | |||
| 1 | (y)Birmingham Stallions | 9 | 1 | .900 | – | 5–1 | 234 | 169 | W1 | ||
| 2 | (x)New Orleans Breakers | 6 | 4 | .600 | 3 | 3–3 | 196 | 164 | L1 | ||
| 3 | (e)Tampa Bay Bandits | 4 | 6 | .400 | 5 | 2–4 | 162 | 195 | L2 | ||
| 4 | (e)Houston Gamblers | 3 | 7 | .300 | 6 | 2–4 | 196 | 208 | W2 | ||
| (x)–clinched playoff berth;(y)–clinched division;(e)–eliminated from playoff contention | |||||||||||
The league announced in November 2021 that teams would each play a ten-game schedule, with each team facing divisional opponents twice and non-divisional opponents once. The champion and runner-up of each division will qualify for the playoffs, which will consist of two semifinal games played on June 25 and a championship game played on July 3.[38] Most games were played on Saturdays and Sundays, with some "special broadcasts" on Fridays.[39] On January 6, 2022, the league announced on its website that the season would begin on April 16.[40]
The full 2022 season schedule was released March 7, 2022, with the highlights including a then-planned tripleheader of Week 1 games onEaster Sunday.[41][42][43]
All games atProtective Stadium during Weeks 1–7 and 9, and atLegion Field during weeks 8 and 10. All times listed areET. All games on NBC are simulcast on Peacock.
Changes to game schedules or broadcasting are listed in notes after each week's matchups.
All matchups will be officially announced by the league no later than 2 weeks ahead of game time and may be flexed from cable to broadcast if needed.
The playoff bracket was set after the Week 9 contests, rendering Week 10's games to be effectivelyexhibition games. In an effort to avoidtanking, the USFL declared that the two lowest-ranked teams—both coincidentally set to play each other that day—would be playing for the rights to the first overall pick in the 2023 USFL draft, with the winner receiving that selection.[44]
| Week 1 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and time | Away team | Score | Home team | Broadcast | Refs | ||
| Network | Viewership (millions)[45] | Rating [46][47] | |||||
| April 16, 7:30 p.m. | New Jersey Generals | 24–28 | Birmingham Stallions | Fox andNBC | 3.07 | 1.8 | [48][49][50] |
| April 17, 12:50 p.m. | Houston Gamblers | 17–12 | Michigan Panthers | NBC[W1 1] | 2.15 | 1.1 | [49][51] |
| April 17, 5:00 p.m. | Philadelphia Stars | 17–23 | New Orleans Breakers | USA[W1 2] | 0.77 | 0.4 | [49][52] |
| April 18, 7:00 p.m. | Tampa Bay Bandits | 17–3 | Pittsburgh Maulers | FS1[W1 3] | 0.27 | 0.2 | [53] |
| Week 2 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and time | Away team | Score | Home team | Broadcast | Refs | ||
| Network | Viewership (millions)[54] | Rating [47] | |||||
| April 22, 8:00 p.m. | Michigan Panthers | 6–10 | New Jersey Generals | USA | 0.36 | 0.2 | [55][56] |
| April 23, 12:00 p.m. | Pittsburgh Maulers | 23–30 | Philadelphia Stars | Fox | 1.06 | 0.7 | [57][58] |
| April 23, 7:00 p.m. | Birmingham Stallions | 33–28 | Houston Gamblers | FS1[W2 1] | 0.42 | 0.2 | [59] |
| April 24, 3:00 p.m. | New Orleans Breakers | 34–3 | Tampa Bay Bandits | NBC | 0.81 | 0.5 | [60] |
| Week 3 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and time | Away team | Score | Home team | Broadcast | Refs | ||
| Network | Viewership (millions)[61] | Rating [62] | |||||
| April 30, 4:00 p.m. | Tampa Bay Bandits | 27–26 | Houston Gamblers | Fox | 0.83 | 0.5 | [63][64] |
| April 30, 8:00 p.m. | Birmingham Stallions | 22–13 | New Orleans Breakers | Fox[W3 1] | 1.11 | 0.7 | [65][66] |
| May 1, 2:30 p.m. | Pittsburgh Maulers | 0–24 | Michigan Panthers | USA[W3 1] | 0.29 | 0.2 | [67][68] |
| May 1, 8:00 p.m. | New Jersey Generals | 24–16 | Philadelphia Stars | Peacock | N/A | [69][70] | |
| Week 4 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and time | Away team | Score | Home team | Broadcast | Refs | ||
| Network | Viewership (millions)[71] | Rating [72] | |||||
| May 6, 10:20 p.m. | Philadelphia Stars | 26–25 | Michigan Panthers | FS1 | 0.21 | 0.1 | [73][74] |
| May 7, 2:30 p.m. | New Jersey Generals | 21–13 | Pittsburgh Maulers | Peacock | N/A | [73][75] | |
| May 7, 7:00 p.m. | Tampa Bay Bandits | 10–16 | Birmingham Stallions | Fox | 1.05 | 0.6 | [73][76] |
| May 8, 3:00 p.m. | Houston Gamblers | 16–23 | New Orleans Breakers | NBC | 1.16 | 0.7 | [77] |
| Week 5 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and time | Away team | Score | Home team | Broadcast | Refs | ||
| Network | Viewership (millions)[78] | Rating [79] | |||||
| May 13, 8:00 p.m. | Michigan Panthers | 20–27 | Tampa Bay Bandits | USA | 0.25 | 0.2 | [80] |
| May 14, 3:00 p.m. | New Orleans Breakers | 17–27 | New Jersey Generals | Fox | 0.72 | 0.5 | [81] |
| May 15, 12:00 p.m. | Birmingham Stallions | 30–17 | Philadelphia Stars | NBC | 0.91 | 0.6 | [82] |
| May 15, 4:00 p.m. | Pittsburgh Maulers | 21–20 | Houston Gamblers | Fox | 0.69 | 0.4 | [83] |
| Week 6 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and time | Away team | Score | Home team | Broadcast | Refs | ||
| Network | Viewership (millions)[84] | Rating [85] | |||||
| May 21, 1:00 p.m. | Tampa Bay Bandits | 28–35 | Philadelphia Stars | NBC[W6 1] | 0.79 | 0.5 | [86] |
| May 21, 7:30 p.m. | Michigan Panthers | 17–33 | Birmingham Stallions | 1.20 | 0.7 | [87] | |
| May 22, 12:00 p.m. | Pittsburgh Maulers | 16–26 | New Orleans Breakers | FS1 | 0.28 | 0.2 | [88] |
| May 22, 4:00 p.m. | Houston Gamblers | 25–26 | New Jersey Generals | Fox | 0.67 | 0.4 | [89] |
| Week 7 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and time | Away team | Score | Home team | Broadcast | Refs | ||
| Network | Viewership (millions)[90] | Rating [91] | |||||
| May 28, 12:00 p.m. | New Jersey Generals | 20–13 | Tampa Bay Bandits | USA | 0.23 | 0.2 | [92] |
| May 28, 9:00 p.m. | New Orleans Breakers | 31–27(OT) | Michigan Panthers | FS1 | 0.27 | 0.2 | [93] |
| May 29, 2:00 p.m. | Birmingham Stallions | 26–16 | Pittsburgh Maulers | Fox | 0.83 | 0.5 | [94] |
| May 29, 6:00 p.m. | Philadelphia Stars | 35–24 | Houston Gamblers | Peacock | N/A | [95] | |
| Week 8 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and time | Away team | Score | Home team | Broadcast | Refs | ||
| Network | Viewership (millions)[96] | Rating [97] | |||||
| June 3, 8:00 p.m. | Pittsburgh Maulers | 18–29 | New Jersey Generals | USA | 0.21 | 0.1 | [98] |
| June 4, 3:00 p.m. | New Orleans Breakers | 9–10 | Birmingham Stallions | Fox | 0.63 | 0.4 | [99] |
| June 5, 12:00 p.m. | Michigan Panthers | 24–46 | Philadelphia Stars | 0.77 | 0.5 | [100] | |
| June 5, 4:00 p.m. | Houston Gamblers | 3–13 | Tampa Bay Bandits | Peacock | N/A | [101] | |
| Week 9 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and time | Away team | Score | Home team | Broadcast | Refs | ||
| Network | Viewership (millions)[102] | Rating [103] | |||||
| June 11, 1:00 p.m. | New Jersey Generals | 25–23 | Michigan Panthers | NBC | 0.82 | 0.5 | [104] |
| June 11, 6:00 p.m. | Houston Gamblers | 17–15 | Birmingham Stallions | USA | 0.21 | 0.2 | [105] |
| June 12, 4:00 p.m. | Tampa Bay Bandits | 6–17 | New Orleans Breakers | Fox | 0.74 | 0.5 | [106] |
| June 12, 7:30 p.m. | Philadelphia Stars | 17–16 | Pittsburgh Maulers | FS1 | 0.39 | 0.2 | [107] |
| Week 10 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and time | Away team | Score | Home team | Broadcast | Refs | ||
| Network | Viewership (millions)[108] | Rating [109] | |||||
| June 18, 12:00 p.m. | Philadelphia Stars | 23–26 | New Jersey Generals | USA | 0.24 | 0.2 | [110] |
| June 18, 4:00 p.m. | Birmingham Stallions | 21–18 | Tampa Bay Bandits | Fox | 0.65 | 0.4 | [111] |
| June 19, 12:00 p.m. | Michigan Panthers | 33–21 | Pittsburgh Maulers | USA | 0.28 | 0.2 | [112] |
| June 19, 8:30 p.m. | New Orleans Breakers | 3–20 | Houston Gamblers | FS1 | 0.18 | 0.1 | [113][114] |
The playoffs started on June 25 and ended with the championship game on July 3. All games were played atTom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
| Division Finals June 25, 2022 | USFL Championship July 3, 2022 | ||||||||
| N2 | Philadelphia Stars | 19 | |||||||
| N1 | New Jersey Generals | 14 | |||||||
| N2 | Philadelphia Stars | 30 | |||||||
| S1 | Birmingham Stallions | 33 | |||||||
| S2 | New Orleans Breakers | 17 | |||||||
| S1 | Birmingham Stallions | 31 | |||||||
| Division Finals | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and time | Away team | Score | Home team | Broadcast | Refs | ||
| Network | Viewership (millions)[115] | Rating[116] | |||||
| June 25, 3:00 p.m. | Philadelphia Stars | 19–14 | New Jersey Generals | Fox | 0.96 | 0.6 | [117] |
| June 25, 8:00 p.m. | New Orleans Breakers | 17–31 | Birmingham Stallions | NBC | 1.00 | 0.7 | [118] |
| USFL Championship | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and time | Away team | Score | Home team | Broadcast | Refs | ||
| Network | Viewership (millions)[119] | Rating[120] | |||||
| July 3, 7:30 p.m. | Birmingham Stallions | 33–30 | Philadelphia Stars | Fox | 1.52 | 0.9 | [121][122] |
Reference[123]
The following Players of the Week were named the top performers (by the fans voting in a poll) during the 2022 season:
| Week | Offensive Player of the Week | Defensive Player of the Week | Special Teams Player of the Week | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | QBJ'Mar Smith (Birmingham Stallions) | DEDavin Bellamy (New Orleans Breakers) | KRChad Williams (New Orleans Breakers) | [124] |
| 2 | QBKyle Sloter (1) (New Orleans Breakers) | LBVontae Diggs (New Orleans Breakers) | KNick Vogel (Houston Gamblers) | [125] |
| 3 | WRJohnnie Dixon (New Orleans Breakers) | LBDeMarquis Gates (Birmingham Stallions) | KTyler Rausa (Tampa Bay Bandits) | [126] |
| 4 | RBReggie Corbin (Michigan Panthers) | LBScooby Wright (Birmingham Stallions) | KTaylor Bertolet (New Orleans Breakers) | [127] |
| 5 | RBC. J. Marable (Birmingham Stallions) | LBDemarquis Gates (Birmingham Stallions) | KRamiz Ahmed (Pittsburgh Maulers) | [128] |
| 6 | RBBo Scarbrough (Birmingham Stallions) | SJoJo Tillery (Birmingham Stallions) | KCole Murphy (1) (Michigan Panthers) | [129] |
| 7 | QBKyle Sloter (2) (New Orleans Breakers) | LBDonald Payne (1) (Houston Gamblers) | KCole Murphy (2) (Michigan Panthers) | [130] |
| 8 | QBCase Cookus (Philadelphia Stars) | DEChris Odom (Houston Gamblers) | K Ramiz Ahmed (Pittsburgh Maulers) | [131] |
| 9 | WRJoe Walker (Michigan Panthers) | CBTrae Elston (New Jersey Generals) | PMax Duffy (Pittsburgh Maulers) | [132] |
| 10 | QBPaxton Lynch (Michigan Panthers) | LBDonald Payne (2) (Houston Gamblers) | DEChris Odom (Houston Gamblers) | [133][134][135] |
The following 27 players were selected by the league as "athletes who played consistently well over the course of the season".[136]
| Position | Player(s) |
|---|---|
| Defensive end | 93Chris Odom,Houston Gamblers 56Davin Bellamy,New Orleans Breakers |
| Defensive tackle | 70 Reggie Howard Jr.,New Orleans Breakers 90Toby Johnson,New Jersey Generals |
| Linebacker | 47DeMarquis Gates,Birmingham Stallions 15Donald Payne,Houston Gamblers 45 Jerod Fernandez,New Orleans Breakers |
| Cornerback | 8Channing Stribling,Philadelphia Stars 4William Likely,Houston Gamblers |
| Safety | 25Shalom Luani,New Jersey Generals 22 Bryce Torneden,Pittsburgh Maulers |
| Most Valuable Player of the Year | Offensive Player of the Year | Defensive Player of the Year | Coach of the Year | Sportsman Player of the Year | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KaVontae Turpin WR (New Jersey Generals) | Darius Victor RB (New Jersey Generals) | Chris Odom DE (Houston Gamblers) | Mike Riley (New Jersey Generals) | Matt Colburn RB (Philadelphia Stars) | [137] |
| North Division Final Player of the game | South Division Final Player of the game | USFL Championship Most Valuable Player/Player of the game |
|---|---|---|
| Maurice Alexander WR (Philadelphia Stars) | J'Mar Smith QB (Birmingham Stallions) | Victor Bolden Jr. WR (Birmingham Stallions) |
| Category | Player | Team | Stat | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offense | ||||
| Passing | Yards | Jordan Ta'amu | Tampa Bay Bandits | 2,015 |
| Touchdowns | 14 | |||
| Interceptions | 12 | |||
| Rushing | Yards | Jordan Ellis | New Orleans Breakers | 596 |
| Touchdowns | Darius Victor | New Jersey Generals | 9 | |
| Receiving | Yards | KaVontae Turpin | New Jersey Generals | 540 |
| Receptions | Lance Lenoir | Michigan Panthers | 52 | |
| Touchdowns | Isaiah Zuber | Houston Gamblers | 5 | |
| Defense | ||||
| Tackles | Donald Payne | Houston Gamblers | 117 | |
| Sacks | Chris Odom | Houston Gamblers | 12.5 | |
| Interceptions | Channing Stribling | Philadelphia Stars | 7 | |
| Passes Defensed | 11 | |||
| Special teams | ||||
| Return yards | Kick | Maurice Alexander | Philadelphia Stars | 787 |
| Punt | Rashard Davis | Tampa Bay Bandits | 224 | |
| Field goals | Made | Brandon Aubrey | Birmingham Stallions | 18 |
| Percentage | Cole Murphy | Michigan Panthers | 92% | |
| Punting | Yards | Brandon Wright | Tampa Bay Bandits | 2,176 |
| Average | 41.1 | |||
Reference[138]
Fox Sports owns the league and has reportedly committed $150 million–$200 million over three years to its operations,[139][140] with plans to attract an additional $250 million from investors.[141] For the 2022 regular season, tickets cost $10 per person, with children aged 15 and under free. However, for the 2 division finals games tickets will cost $15 per person with children aged 15 and under $5, for the championship game those prices are increased by $5 (meaning $20 per person and $10 for children 15 and under)[142] Tickets provide access to all games scheduled for the same day.[143] On March 3, 2022, the league announced that 15 states have approved legal, regulated betting on USFL games.[144]
On February 15, 2022, the USFL signed a multi-year partnership withSportradar, making them the official sports data partner of the league. Sportradar will also provide betting data during USFL telecasts.[145]
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.[146] It would later reported that the league estimated annual revenue is around $7.5 million.[147]
This was the first year of the three-year rights deal agreement betweenNBC Sports along withFox Sports (Fox Does not have to pay a rights free due to it being one of the owners of the league).[148]
Telecasts for the 2022 season will air onFox,FS1,NBC,Peacock andUSA Network, Fox broadcast 13 regular season games (1 simulcast with NBC), 1 semi-final, and the championship game.[149] 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 aired on Cable networks USA Network (9 games) and FS1 (7 games).[150]
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.[151]
Fox brought back its leadXFL broadcast team from 2020,Curt Menefee andJoel Klatt, for USFL coverage.[152]Kevin Kugler andMark Sanchez serve as the second broadcast team.Brock Huard reports from the sidelines during selected games.[153]
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.[154]
In millions of viewers
| Broadcaster | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Division finals | Championship game | Total | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fox | 1.8 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 14.1 | 0.9 |
| – | – | 1.1 | – | 0.7 | – | – | 0.8 | – | – | – | – | |||
| FS1 | 0.3 | 0.4 | – | 0.2 | – | 0.3 | 0.3 | – | 0.4 | 0.2 | – | – | 2.1 | 0.3 |
| NBC | 1.3 | 0.8 | – | 1.1 | 0.9 | 0.8 | – | – | 0.8 | – | 1.0 | – | 10.1 | 1.1 |
| 2.2 | – | – | – | – | 1.2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | |||
| USA | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.3 | – | 0.3 | – | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | – | – | 2.9 | 0.3 |
| – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 0.3 | – | – | |||
| Total | 5.4 | 2.7 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 2.0 | 1.5 | 28.2 | |
| Average | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 0.7 |
* One decimal place is shown in table but three decimal places are used in all calculations.
* Viewership figures for games streaming onPeacock were not released.
During the 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.[155][156] The series averaged 720,000 viewers per episode.[157]
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.[158]
The first week of games received mixed reviews. Although 3.07 million viewers tuning in for the league first game and 2.15 million for the second and the level of play was good,[159] some criticized the first game simulcasting and especially the camera angles anddrones shots,[160] while others praised the helmet cam and sideline access.[161] The viewership dropped 57% in the second week, while numbers continue to decline throughout the season with a season low of 337,500 average for the final week.[162] Regular season averaged 695,000 viewers per game. TheUSFL Championship Game averaged a 0.9 rating and 1.52 million viewers on FOX, and was the league's highest rated and most-watched telecast since week 1.[163]
The USFL experimented by putting sensors in game balls to measure first downs.[164] This experience cause an issue during week 1, with poor passing attempts and kicking performance for punts, field goals, and extra points, given the distribution of the extra weight of the sensor.[165] The league changed kicking balls before Week 2.[166]
Many were concerned about the attendance figures in the hub setting in Birmingham for non-Stallions games. While the league started strong with 17,500 fans in attendance for the first game, featuring the local Stallions vs New Jersey Generals, but the did not release figures for the other 39 regular-season games, which appeared to be played in a mostly-empty stadium.[13][160] The poor attendance and the league's inability to connect with fans in most of their city-named teams' markets, believed to hurt league image and credibility amongst casual and mainstream football fans.[167] The USFL acknowledged the issue, and promised to play next season in two to four cities, and the USFL parent company, Fox, hired investment bankAllen & Company to find minority investors to help fund the league's expansion into local markets.[168][169]
After the season over 180 players got invited to NFL tryouts, 69 players were invited to NFL training camps and 13 players finished the 2022/23 season on active 53-man NFL rosters.[170][171]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Made an NFL team (active, practice squad or PUP) | |
| Bold | Made the active roster |
Note the following list notes the status of players only during the2022 NFL season.[172]
After the season 48 USFL officials participated in theNFL Officiating Development Program and nine of them were selected to officiate games for the2023 NFL season.[236]
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