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| Date | July 1, 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Kickoff time | 8:00 p.m.EDT (UTC-4) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium,Canton, Ohio | ||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Deon Cain, Birmingham | ||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Birmingham by 7 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Larry Smith[1] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | N/A | ||||||||||||||||||
| Ceremonies | |||||||||||||||||||
| National anthem | Dylan Scott | ||||||||||||||||||
| TV in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | NBC &Peacock | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Jac Collinsworth (play-by-play),Jason Garrett (analyst) and Zora Stephenson (sideline reporter) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Nielsen ratings | 0.7 (1.157 million viewers) (NBC) (1.2 million viewers) (Peacock)[2][3] | ||||||||||||||||||
The2023 USFL championship game was anAmerican football game that was played on July 1, 2023, atTom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium inCanton, Ohio.[4] The contest determined the champion of the2023 USFL season and was played between thePittsburgh Maulers and theBirmingham Stallions, eventually crowning Birmingham the champion of the league for the second year in a row.
The game featured the number one defense in the league inPittsburgh facing off against the number one offense in the league inBirmingham. After going up 3–0, the Maulers would fall afterAlex McGough threw touchdown passes toDavion Davis andDeon Cain, the eventual MVP, and would never lead again. The Maulers would add additional field goals, though their continued lack of success on the offensive side of the ball would ultimately be the reason they lost the game. The Stallions eventually won the game 28-12 to repeat as USFL champions.
TheUnited States Football League was originally founded in 1982 as a professional spring and summer league.[5] It completed three full seasons, from 1983 to 1985, before folding prior to its1986 season, which was to be played in the fall, in direct competition with theNational Football League (NFL).[5] The direct competition, in addition to a failedantitrust lawsuit against the NFL, led to the league's decline.[5] On June 3, 2021, the newUnited States Football League, a distinct league from its predecessor, announced that it would begin play with eight teams in spring 2022.[6] The list of eight teams were unveiled on November 22, 2021, all of which shared their name and colors with a team that competed in the original USFL.[7] As part of the USFL's salary structure, each member of the championship team received $10,000 in addition to their salary.[8]
On January 25, 2023, the league announced that the New Jersey Generals and the Pittsburgh Maulers (who sported a new gold-and-black uniform color scheme to emphasize the team's Pittsburgh identity) would play their home games atTom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium inCanton, with the Generals as the host team.[9] The stadium will also be the site of both the North Division playoff game and the 2023 USFL Championship Game, as it was in 2022.
The two lowest-finishing teams from each division were excluded from participation in the playoffs. From the North Division, theNew Jersey Generals were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention on June 17, and thePhiladelphia Stars were eliminated from postseason contention on June 18. In the South Division, theMemphis Showboats were the first team ruled out of the postseason, on June 17, while theHouston Gamblers were eliminated from postseason contention on June 18.
The first semifinal game was held between the North Division first and second place teams, thePittsburgh Maulers and theMichigan Panthers. The Maulers win in overtime 31–27 and clinch a berth in the championship game. The second semifinal game followed, which was contested by theBirmingham Stallions and theNew Orleans Breakers. The Stallions clinched their championship game spot with a 47–22 win. With their playoff semifinal victories, the Stallions entered the USFL championship game 8–2, while the Maulers entered the USFL championship game 4–6.
| Division Finals June 24–25, 2023 | USFL Championship July 1, 2023 | ||||||||
| N1 | Pittsburgh Maulers | 31 | |||||||
| N2 | Michigan Panthers | 27 | |||||||
| N1 | Pittsburgh Maulers | 12 | |||||||
| S1 | Birmingham Stallions | 28 | |||||||
| S1 | Birmingham Stallions | 47 | |||||||
| S2 | New Orleans Breakers | 22 | |||||||
Birmingham Stallions finished their second overall season under head coachSkip Holtz, going 8–2 and advancing to their first playoff berth to the division title game againstNew Orleans Breakers.
Pittsburgh Maulers finished their second overall season, and first under head coachRay Horton, going 4–6 and advancing to their first playoff berth to the division title game againstMichigan Panthers.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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| Pittsburgh Maulers | 3 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 12 |
| Birmingham Stallions | 0 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
atTom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium •Canton, Ohio
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Stallionswide receiver Deon Cain, previously named to the all-USFL team, was named the game'sMost Valuable Player.
After the game,Fox officially announced that the league would return in April 2024, featuring the same eight teams that competed during the 2023 season.
The game was televised byNBC andPeacock.[12]
The USFL employed the help ofDAZN for international streaming.[13]