USFL to return in spring 2022

Hoya81

Member
SoSH Member
Feb 3, 2010
8,457

czar

fanboy
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
4,312
Ann Arbor
Between the AAF + XFL + Arena Football + whatever, how do these guys keep finding capital for this?
 

RG33

Certain Class of Poster
SoSH Member
Nov 28, 2005
7,199
CA
I wonder if for NYC billionaire and titan Donald J. Trump will want to get in on the ownership club. Might be a good way for him to build his brand and launch a later-in-life career!
 

sodenj5

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
6,619
CT
Keeping the original team names is huge and might be their only shot at getting this thing to succeed.
Is it? I’m 36 and have literally zero clue about any of the teams other than it was a failed league that was backed by Trump. Not sure the teams and branding matter that much.

If the players are trash, no one will watch. One of these leagues needs to get smart and start poaching college athletes or high school stars. None of them are going to succeed if they’re all just an NFL D League.
 

Cotillion

New Member
Jun 11, 2019
4,926
Is it? I’m 36 and have literally zero clue about any of the teams other than it was a failed league that was backed by Trump. Not sure the teams and branding matter that much.

If the players are trash, no one will watch. One of these leagues needs to get smart and start poaching college athletes or high school stars. None of them are going to succeed if they’re all just an NFL D League.
except he wasn’t an original owner. He came in. Then thought they could force a merger with the NFL. Said they should go head to head with NFL with a fall schedule.

As the saying goes “everything he touches dies”.
 

Philip Jeff Frye

Member
SoSH Member
Oct 23, 2001
10,230
If the players are trash, no one will watch. One of these leagues needs to get smart and start poaching college athletes or high school stars. None of them are going to succeed if they’re all just an NFL D League.
But that's what the original USFL did. Herschel Walker, Jim Kelly, Doug Flutie, Steve Young, Reggie White - these guys all signed with the USFL out of college. Marcus Dupree played in the USFL after he screwed up his college career. The league signed a couple of "in their prime" NFL guys too like Joe Cribbs and Gary Barbaro too. It still didn't matter. If anything, the large contracts they gave these players to lure them away from the NFL hastened the league's demise.

There hasn't been a successful new league since the AFL because there haven't been enough markets lacking teams. The AFL filled in a bunch of places that had seen enormous growth after WW II (California, Texas, Florida, Colorado) and supplemented with some older, bigger eastern towns that never had NFL teams (KC, Boston, Buffalo). Most of the original owners were people who had tried to get NFL expansion teams but were denied. This has been the case with every second league that has ever succeeded - the American League, the ABA, the All-American Football Conference. There were enough big cities without teams (and therefore fan demand) to support the new leagues.

There aren't enough very large cities today that don't already have NFL teams, especially with Los Angeles and Las Vegas now having teams.
 
Last edited:

cardiacs

Admires Neville Chamberlain
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
2,993
Milford, CT
Why not try a proper rugby league in the USA instead? I think there is huge market potential... it's like UFC vs. Boxing
(ducks)
 

sodenj5

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
6,619
CT
But that's what the original USFL did. Herschel Walker, Jim Kelly, Doug Flutie, Steve Young, Reggie White - these guys all signed with the USFL out of college. The league signed a couple of "in their prime" NFL guys too like Joe Cribbs and Gary Barbaro too. It still didn't matter. If anything, the large contracts they gave these players to lure them away from the NFL hastened the league's demise.

There hasn't been a successful new league since the AFL because there haven't been enough markets lacking teams. The AFL filled in a bunch of places that had seen enormous growth after WW II (California, Texas, Florida, Colorado) and supplemented with some older, bigger eastern towns that never did have NFL teams (Boston, Pittsburgh, Buffalo). Most of the original owners were people who had tried to get NFL expansion teams but were denied. There aren't enough very large cities today that don't already have teams.
Interesting perspective. I knew about Kelly and Walker signing with the USFL.

I guess the NFL’s popularity combined with the regional success of college football in a lot of the football hotbeds doesn’t leave a ton of room for a spring league. At least time they aren’t trying to compete directly with the NFL.
 

Awesome Fossum

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2005
3,896
Austin, TX
If anyone has caught any Spring League games on television recently, this is the same outfit. The nostalgia is great, but I'll believe that they have the juice to fill a stadium when I see it.
 
Last edited:

Hoya81

Member
SoSH Member
Feb 3, 2010
8,457
But that's what the original USFL did. Herschel Walker, Jim Kelly, Doug Flutie, Steve Young, Reggie White - these guys all signed with the USFL out of college. Marcus Dupree played in the USFL after he screwed up his college career. The league signed a couple of "in their prime" NFL guys too like Joe Cribbs and Gary Barbaro too. It still didn't matter. If anything, the large contracts they gave these players to lure them away from the NFL hastened the league's demise.

There hasn't been a successful new league since the AFL because there haven't been enough markets lacking teams. The AFL filled in a bunch of places that had seen enormous growth after WW II (California, Texas, Florida, Colorado) and supplemented with some older, bigger eastern towns that never had NFL teams (KC, Boston, Pittsburgh, Buffalo). Most of the original owners were people who had tried to get NFL expansion teams but were denied. There aren't enough very large cities today that don't already have teams.
The AFL was also different in the respect that they were backed by serious cash and the owners stuck together for the most part. Lamar Hunt, Conrad Hilton and Bud Adams were among the richest men in the world when they founded the league and Ralph Wilson at times kept the Raiders (and supposedly the Patriots at one point) afloat by personally lending money.

Interesting perspective. I knew about Kelly and Walker signing with the USFL.

I guess the NFL’s popularity combined with the regional success of college football in a lot of the football hotbeds doesn’t leave a ton of room for a spring league. At least time they aren’t trying to compete directly with the NFL.
Jeff Pearlman's USFL book is worth a read if you've got the time.
 

reggiecleveland

sublime
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Mar 5, 2004
27,957
Saskatoon Canada
I wonder if for NYC billionaire and titan Donald J. Trump will want to get in on the ownership club. Might be a good way for him to build his brand and launch a later-in-life career!
In the future on a space station of moon colony of the last survivors of Earth "People got famous with football team" will earn a student partial marks explaining why they no longer live on their native planet.
 

Awesome Fossum

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2005
3,896
Austin, TX
Lamar Hunt, Conrad Hilton and Bud Adams were among the richest men in the world when they founded the league and Ralph Wilson at times kept the Raiders (and supposedly the Patriots at one point) afloat by personally lending money.
I'm actually reading Lamar Hunt's biography right now. Best line so far is after the first AFL season, the Dallas Texans lost something like $750K, and a reporter asks Hunt's father (from whom Lamar inherited his fortune) if he was worried about his son losing money in pro football. The father responds, "at that rate, he can only last another 150 years."
 

Cesar Crespo

79
SoSH Member
Dec 22, 2002
21,588
Would a real development league work, sort of like the G league? Would being affiliated to an actual NFL team matter?
 

Super Nomario

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 5, 2000
14,012
Mansfield MA
Would a real development league work, sort of like the G league? Would being affiliated to an actual NFL team matter?
They did this already with NFL Europe.

Teams have pretty much decided that for player development, they'd rather have them in house getting reps in practice with their coaches, versus game snaps in a lesser-tier league. The expanded practice squads are only going to make it more difficult to chase fringe talent.
 

Awesome Fossum

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2005
3,896
Austin, TX
I think it depends how you are defining "work." As a critical/fan success? Profit center? Player development program?

I think NFL fans are such sickos that they would definitely consume a JV football league if it's 1:1 associated with the parent club. I don't know if it would be a financial windfall, but I think it could at least break even. But to what end? NFL Europe was losing a nominal amount of money and served as a marketing vehicle, but teams were keeping their prospects home for minicamp rather than send them over. It's much easier to just expand the practice squad if you want to control more players.
 

Winger 03

Member
SoSH Member
Oct 15, 2003
1,673
Frederick, MD
So lets pull on this JV thread a little. What if each team was affiliated with an NFL team. Used their facilities etc etc. The JV (lets call it that) would play an abbreviated game at the same location as the NFL team on game day. Suppose the JV game kicks off at 9am, lasts 2 hrs of real time in 10 minute quarters. They leave, the NFL team comes out for warm ups etc for their 1pm game.

So what is in it for the NFL team? Maybe there is value in locking up UFA's and giving them a decent amount of coaching and game action on a regular basis. The pay can be crap like it is in the MLB minor leagues and the facilities already exist. As for TV money, maybe there is something on tape delay on the NFL Network.

As proven numerous time over, putting a league in 2nd & 3rd tier cities won't work. Got to try something a little different.
 

Humphrey

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 3, 2010
3,163
I wonder if for NYC billionaire and titan Donald J. Trump will want to get in on the ownership club. Might be a good way for him to build his brand and launch a later-in-life career!
Small Potatoes
 

luckiestman

Son of the Harpy
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
32,620
I will probably watch if it is easy to watch. I thought the AAF was ok when I could find the games.
 

Hoya81

Member
SoSH Member
Feb 3, 2010
8,457
Lot of news recently, so to catch up:
View: https://twitter.com/SeifertESPN/status/1462865936709341188?s=20

Teams announced today:
Michigan Panthers
New Jersey Generals
Philadelphia Stars
Birmingham Stallions
Pittsburgh Maulers
Houston Gamblers
New Orleans Breakers
Tampa Bay Bandits

-The league seems to have obtained the rights to the original logos along with the team names

-They're expecting to play the inaugural 2022 season at one site, likely Birmingham. Games will be split between Legion Field and the new UAB stadium

-10 week season starting in April '22, running through mid July

-Games are expected to be broadcast on Fox, FS1, NBC and USA Network

-Instead of league ownership of all franchises, they'll look to have private owners.
 

joe dokes

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
30,241
I did too! I always like the logos and uniforms. And the original Beakers were the USFL's cardiac kids.
Dick Coury weeping in the endzone during a TV interview after a Johnnie Walton buzzer beating TD pass on the concrete "turf" of Nickerson Field is an enduring memory.
 

Captaincoop

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
13,487
Santa Monica, CA
The XFL concept was better. Why would a private owner want to own a team that plays its games in a neutral stadium in the poorest area in the country?

Why is anyone going to come to the games?

Empty stadiums are killer for TV.
 

Ferm Sheller

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 5, 2007
20,404
So six out of the eight teams have "brick reddish" as part of their overall color scheme, and four of the eight teams have almost the identical overall color scheme?
 

Marciano490

Urological Expert
SoSH Member
Nov 4, 2007
62,312
Lot of news recently, so to catch up:
View: https://twitter.com/SeifertESPN/status/1462865936709341188?s=20

Teams announced today:
Michigan Panthers
New Jersey Generals
Philadelphia Stars
Birmingham Stallions
Pittsburgh Maulers
Houston Gamblers
New Orleans Breakers
Tampa Bay Bandits

-The league seems to have obtained the rights to the original logos along with the team names

-They're expecting to play the inaugural 2022 season at one site, likely Birmingham. Games will be split between Legion Field and the new UAB stadium

-10 week season starting in April '22, running through mid July

-Games are expected to be broadcast on Fox, FS1, NBC and USA Network

-Instead of league ownership of all franchises, they'll look to have private owners.
@Leather don’t think we’ll be breaking out the Boogie Nights clip for these ones.
 

Awesome Fossum

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2005
3,896
Austin, TX
-Instead of league ownership of all franchises, they'll look to have private owners.
Where did you hear this?

What's the over/under in terms of # of weeks this lasts? I will say 2.
Over 2 weeks. Fox Sports is the owner, and this is a product they already somewhat understand with their XFL and Spring League experience. Still definitely a high potential for failure. I think a better over/under is 10.5 weeks. Basically, do they complete their regular season and stage a playoff game?

I have to admit, I felt a little pang of anger that it's not the Boston Breakers.
I think it's kind of weird that they are even using city names if Year 1 is all going to be in Birmingham. Are they planning on promoting the Breakers in New Orleans in 2022? Seems like they could have rolled out the eight brands without city names just as easily, and now suddenly people in Portland and Boston also get to root for the Breakers and people in Baltimore* can root for the Stars.

* Baltimore Stars actually played their 1985 season at the University of Maryland, which is not in Baltimore but rather the D.C. metro area. So there probably would be fewer crossover fans for the reigning USFL champs.
 

staz

Intangible
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 2, 2004
20,659
The cradle of the game.
(I was the only kid in my HS who wore a Boston Breakers hat and was RIDICULED for it. The wounds have healed, but the scars remain.)

Fox Sports' involvement is huge, and they're already promoting it. Watch it beat MLB's ratings in markets that have both coughTampacough.
 

Smiling Joe Hesketh

Throw Momma From the Train
Moderator
SoSH Member
May 20, 2003
35,730
Deep inside Muppet Labs
All snark aside that's a pretty good get for the USFL. Haley has tons of experience. He's an asshole and wasn't a good HC but he was a good OC and in a startup league does lend some legitimacy to the effort.
 

steveluck7

Member
SoSH Member
May 10, 2007
3,994
Burrillville, RI
Most of those are interesting. I wills ay that i don't get what ties everyone to the damn 2 yard line so much. For OT, why not have the same format but from the 5? It would open the playbook up a bit more and be more exciting, IMO.

also, they could have gotten a better voice over guy