2023 USFL season | |
---|---|
League | United States Football League |
Sport | American football |
Duration | Regular season: April 15 – June 18 Playoffs: June 24 – July 1 |
Number of games | 43 (40 regular-season games, 3 postseason games) |
Number of teams | 8 |
TV partner(s) | Fox, FS1, NBC, Peacock, USA |
Season MVP | Alex McGough |
North champions | Pittsburgh Maulers |
North runners-up | Michigan Panthers |
South champions | Birmingham Stallions |
South runners-up | New Orleans Breakers |
2023 USFL Championship | |
Venue | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Canton, Ohio |
Champions | Birmingham Stallions |
Runners-up | Pittsburgh Maulers |
Finals MVP | Deon Cain |
The 2023 USFL season was the second season of the United States Football League. [1] [2] The regular season started on April 15 and ended on June 18. The postseason began on June 24 and ended with the 2023 USFL Championship Game on July 1. The league expanded the locations their teams play to four total stadiums, adding Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan, and Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee.
With the league beginning its second season on April 15, the USFL became the first American spring league since the World League of American Football to complete its first season and return for a second. [3] This ended up being the USFL's last season before it merged with the XFL to form the United Football League.
During the 2022 season, many were concerned about the hub model and attendance figures 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, they did not release figures for the other 39 regular-season games, which appeared to be played in a mostly-empty stadium. [4] [5] The poor attendance and the league's inability to connect with fans in most of their city-named teams' markets was believed to hurt league image and credibility amongst casual and mainstream football fans. [6]
On June 27, 2022, Fox Sports confirmed to Sports Business Journal that the USFL would return for another season in 2023, after a "profitable" first season, with an estimated annual revenue of $7.5 million. [7] There would be no team expansion, and the league would continue to use a hub model. [8] Both Fox and NBC were happy with the first season play quality, joint production and the viewership number, while acknowledge the sparse in-person attendance. [9] [10] The USFL promised to play 2023 season in two to four cities, and the USFL parent company, Fox, hired investment bank Allen & Company to find minority investors to help fund the league's expansion into local markets. [11] [12]
After the conclusion of the 2022 USFL co-founder, Brian Woods, has resigned from his role as the league CEO "for family reasons". [13] [14] It would later be revealed that he was launching a spring football league for high school players. [15]
After the season the league saw ten of its coaches join XFL teams, [16] while some players chose to leave the USFL and join the rival league, including All-USFL and Championship Game Most Valuable Player Victor Bolden [17] and quarterback Luis Perez, who went on to become the XFL Championship Game MVP. [18] Nevertheless, 180 players from the 2022 season got invited to NFL tryouts, while 69 players signed with NFL teams and 13 players finished the 2022 NFL season on active 53-man NFL rosters. [19] [20] 2022 season MVP KaVontae Turpin, who signed with Dallas Cowboys, finished the 2022 NFL season as a Pro Bowler. Another Dallas signee, former Birmingham Stallions place kicker Brandon Aubrey, set NFL records in 2023 for most consecutive field goals made to start a career and highest field goal percentage by a rookie in a single season. [21]
The league stated its intention to expand the locations in which teams play, from one (Birmingham, Alabama) in the previous season to two or four. [1] In November 2022, the league announced an agreement with Birmingham to continue hosting two of the league's eight teams, the Stallions and the Breakers, at Protective Stadium. [22]
On November 15, 2022, the league announced that it had secured an agreement to play games at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (formerly known as the Liberty Bowl) in Memphis, Tennessee. [23]
The league contacted two stadiums in Michigan, Ford Field in Detroit and Rynearson Stadium in Ypsilanti, as potential locations for a North Division hub, with the Panthers as the host team. [24] It was later revealed that Ford Field would be the home of the Michigan Panthers and Philadelphia Stars, while Rynearson Stadium would host the teams' practices. [25] [26]
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 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, with the Generals as the host team. [27] 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.
On November 15, 2022, in conjunction with its agreement to play at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, the USFL announced that the Memphis Showboats would be replacing the Tampa Bay Bandits for the 2023 season. [23] The seven other teams in the league returned as they were in 2022.
For the 2023 season, each USFL team started training camp with 58-men rosters, with a mandatory cut down to 54 and then a last cut down to 50. The final rosters are 40 active players and 10 inactive players on game days. [29] The league also started a partnership with HUB Football for the 2023 season for players tryouts. [30] [31]
On December 15, 2022, USFL player representatives (United Football Players Association and United Steelworkers [32] ) and the league parent company FOX 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 most XFL salaries. [33] 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. [34] Continuing as a benefit from the 2022 season, USFL players and staff are still able to receive a college degree "tuition-free and debt-free", through a partnership with for-profit universities Strategic Education's Capella University and Strayer University. [35]
The 10-round 2023 USFL College Draft took place on February 21, 2023, while draft pool included over 3,000 eligible players. The first overall pick was decided by the winner of the Week 10 game between the 1–8 Pittsburgh Maulers and 1–8 Michigan Panthers. The Panthers were victorious 33–21. [36] The New Jersey Generals had their 1st round selection moved to the last pick in the draft and their rounds 2 to 5 picks were penalized due to "a violation of offseason roster management rules". [29] Michigan State offensive lineman Jarrett Horst was the first overall pick. [37]
Transactions [38]
On March 15, all teams announced their coaching staffs for the upcoming season. [55] [56] [57] [58] [59] [60] [61] [62]
Team | Departing coach | Incoming coach | Reason for leaving | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Michigan Panthers | Jeff Fisher | Mike Nolan | Resigned | Fisher compiled a record of 2-8 (.200) in his lone season as head coach. His replacement was announced February 2, 2023, for what the league described as "personal reasons." [63] Nolan, who had previously been head coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 2005 to 2008, had most recently been defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys in 2020. |
New Orleans Breakers | Larry Fedora | John DeFilippo | Resigned | Fedora compiled a record of 6–4 (.600) in his lone season as head coach, losing his lone playoff game. He resigned on September 15, 2022, stating he would not return to the USFL unless all of its teams played in their home markets. [64] DeFilippo had spent the previous two seasons as quarterbacks coach of the Chicago Bears. This is his first head coaching position. |
Pittsburgh Maulers | Kirby Wilson | Ray Horton | Resigned | Wilson compiled a record of 1-9 (.100) in his only season as head coach. His replacement was announced January 17, 2023, for what the league described as "personal reasons." [65] Horton, who had been an NFL assistant coach from 1994 to 2019, is in his first head coaching position. His son Jarren Horton was the Maulers' defensive coordinator in 2022. |
Houston Gamblers | Kevin Sumlin | Curtis Johnson | Resigned | Sumlin went 3–7 (.300) in his only season as the head coach for the Gamblers. He had already indicated his intentions to leave in fall 2022 but did not make it public nor official until accepting the associate head coach position for the Maryland Terrapins football team on February 14, 2023. [66] Johnson won the 2001 national championship as the wide receivers coach with Miami as well as Super Bowl XLIV with the New Orleans Saints. Johnson also spent 4 seasons as the head coach of Tulane where he compiled a 15–33 record (.313). |
For the 2023 season, the league intends to change clock rules so every game will be played in a 180-minute window. Also, kickoffs will be from the 20-yard line and halftime is trimmed to 10 minutes, while the Championship Game will remain at 30 minutes. [67] [68] [69]
North Division | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | W | L | PCT | GB | DIV | PF | PA | STK | |||
1 | (y) Pittsburgh Maulers | 4 | 6 | .400 | - | 4–2 | 177 | 178 | W2 | ||
2 | (x) Michigan Panthers | 4 | 6 | .400 | - | 3–3 | 171 | 215 | W1 | ||
3 | (e) Philadelphia Stars | 4 | 6 | .400 | - | 2–4 | 220 | 258 | L3 | ||
4 | (e) New Jersey Generals | 3 | 7 | .300 | 1 | 3–3 | 187 | 212 | L1 | ||
(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 | 8 | 2 | .800 | - | 4–2 | 287 | 196 | W5 | ||
2 | (x) New Orleans Breakers | 7 | 3 | .700 | 1 | 4–2 | 237 | 184 | W3 | ||
3 | (e) Houston Gamblers | 5 | 5 | .500 | 3 | 2–4 | 223 | 236 | L2 | ||
4 | (e) Memphis Showboats | 5 | 5 | .500 | 3 | 2–4 | 190 | 213 | L2 | ||
(x)–clinched playoff berth; (y)–clinched division; (e)–eliminated from playoff contention |
Training camp started on March 21 in each team specific hub, a day later than what they had scheduled last year. [70] [71]
The league announced that it would retain the previous season's scheduling format, with the regular season starting in April and ending in June and the playoffs extending to early July. The schedule was released on February 7, 2023. [1]
The postseason will be a four-team playoff, with the top 2 teams in each division making the postseason. On January 28, it was announced that the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, will host the 2023 USFL Championship. [72]
All games produced by NBC Sports will stream on Peacock unless otherwise noted. Viewership figures for streaming platforms are released four weeks after the event, all times listed are in ET.
Week 1 | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Time [73] [74] | Away team | Score | Home team | Stadium | Broadcast | Refs | ||
Network | Viewership (millions) [75] | Rating [76] | |||||||
April 15 | 4:30 p.m. [77] | Philadelphia Stars | 27–23 | Memphis Showboats | Liberty Stadium | Fox | 0.84 | 0.5 | [78] [79] |
7:30 p.m. [80] | New Jersey Generals | 10–27 | Birmingham Stallions | Protective Stadium | 0.86 | [81] [82] | |||
April 16 | 12:00 p.m. [83] | Michigan Panthers | 29–13 | Houston Gamblers | Liberty Stadium | NBC | 0.97 | 0.6 | [84] [85] |
6:30 p.m. [86] | Pittsburgh Maulers | 15–22 | New Orleans Breakers | Protective Stadium | FS1 | 0.48 | 0.3 | [87] [88] |
Week 2 | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Time [89] [90] | Away team | Score | Home team | Stadium | Broadcast | Refs | ||
Network | Viewership (millions) [91] | Rating [92] | |||||||
April 22 | 12:30 p.m. [93] | Houston Gamblers | 31–38 | New Orleans Breakers | Protective Stadium | USA | 0.13 | 0.1 | [94] [95] |
7:00 p.m. [96] | Memphis Showboats | 2–42 | Birmingham Stallions | Fox | 0.80 | 0.5 | [97] [98] | ||
April 23 | 1:00 p.m. [99] | New Jersey Generals | 20–3 | Pittsburgh Maulers | Hall of Fame Stadium | NBC | 0.73 | [100] [101] | |
7:00 p.m. [102] | Michigan Panthers | 24–10 | Philadelphia Stars | FS1 | 0.21 | 0.1 | [103] [104] |
Week 3 | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Time [105] [106] | Away team | Score | Home team | Stadium | Broadcast | Refs | ||
Network | Viewership (millions) [107] | Rating [108] | |||||||
April 29 | 12:30 p.m. [109] | New Orleans Breakers | 45–31 | Birmingham Stallions | Protective Stadium | USA | 0.30 | 0.2 | [110] [111] |
7:00 p.m. [112] | Memphis Showboats | 26–30 | Houston Gamblers | Liberty Stadium | Fox | 0.78 | 0.5 | [113] [114] | |
April 30 | 12:00 p.m. [115] | Pittsburgh Maulers | 21–13 | Philadelphia Stars | Ford Field | NBC | 0.76 | [116] [117] | |
4:00 p.m. [118] | New Jersey Generals | 28–13 | Michigan Panthers | Fox | 0.56 | 0.4 | [119] [120] |
Week 4 | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Time [121] [122] | Away team | Score | Home team | Stadium | Broadcast | Refs | ||
Network | Viewership (millions) [123] | Rating [124] | |||||||
May 6 | 1:00 p.m. [125] | Houston Gamblers | 41–16 | Philadelphia Stars | Ford Field | Fox | 0.52 | 0.3 | [126] [127] |
7:30 p.m. [128] | Memphis Showboats | 29–10 | Michigan Panthers | NBC | 2.06 | 1.1 | [129] [130] | ||
May 7 | 3:00 p.m. [131] | New Orleans Breakers | 20–17 | New Jersey Generals | Hall of Fame Stadium | NBC [W4 1] | 0.83 | 0.5 | [132] [133] |
6:30 p.m. [134] | Birmingham Stallions | 24–20 | Pittsburgh Maulers | FS1 | 0.55 | 0.3 | [135] [136] |
Week 5 | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Time [137] [138] | Away team | Score | Home team | Stadium | Broadcast | Refs | ||
Network | Viewership (millions) [139] | Rating [140] | |||||||
May 13 | 12:30 p.m. [141] | Pittsburgh Maulers | 23–7 | Michigan Panthers | Ford Field | USA | 0.26 | 0.2 | [142] [143] |
4:00 p.m. [144] | Houston Gamblers | 27–20 | Birmingham Stallions | Protective Stadium | Fox | 0.91 | 0.5 | [145] [146] | |
May 14 | 12:00 p.m. [147] | New Jersey Generals | 21–24 | Philadelphia Stars | Ford Field | NBC | 0.76 | [148] [149] | |
3:00 p.m. [150] | Memphis Showboats | 17–10 | New Orleans Breakers | Protective Stadium | Fox | 0.56 | 0.4 | [151] [152] |
Week 6 | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Time [153] [154] | Away team | Score | Home team | Stadium | Broadcast | Refs | ||
Network | Viewership (millions) [155] | Rating [156] | |||||||
May 20 | 12:30 p.m. [157] | Pittsburgh Maulers | 0–22 | Memphis Showboats | Liberty Stadium | USA | 0.23 | 0.1 | [158] [159] |
4:00 p.m. [160] | Birmingham Stallions | 27–13 | Michigan Panthers | Ford Field | Fox | 0.73 | 0.5 | [161] [162] | |
May 21 | 12:00 p.m. [163] | New Orleans Breakers | 10–16 | Philadelphia Stars | FS1 | 0.22 | 0.1 | [164] [165] | |
4:00 p.m. [166] | New Jersey Generals | 10–16 | Houston Gamblers | Liberty Stadium | Fox | 0.63 | 0.4 | [167] [168] |
Week 7 | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Time [169] [170] | Away team | Score | Home team | Stadium | Broadcast | Refs | ||
Network | Viewership (millions) [171] | Rating [172] | |||||||
May 27 | 4:00 p.m. [173] | Birmingham Stallions | 24–20 | New Orleans Breakers | Protective Stadium | Fox | 0.70 | 0.4 | [174] [175] |
9:00 p.m. [176] | Philadelphia Stars | 37–31 | Pittsburgh Maulers | Hall of Fame Stadium | FS1 | 0.16 | 0.1 | [177] [178] | |
May 28 | 3:00 p.m. [179] | Houston Gamblers | 20–23 | Memphis Showboats | Liberty Stadium | USA | 0.25 | [180] [181] | |
5:30 p.m. [182] | Michigan Panthers | 25–22 | New Jersey Generals | Hall of Fame Stadium | FS1 | 0.27 | 0.2 | [183] [184] |
Week 8 | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Time [185] [186] | Away team | Score | Home team | Stadium | Broadcast | Refs | ||
Network | Viewership (millions) [187] | Rating [188] | |||||||
June 3 | 12:00 p.m. [189] | Houston Gamblers | 20–19 | Pittsburgh Maulers | Hall of Fame Stadium | USA | 0.23 | 0.1 | [190] [191] |
3:00 p.m. [192] | Philadelphia Stars | 24–27 | Birmingham Stallions | Protective Stadium | NBC | 0.75 | 0.5 | [193] [194] | |
June 4 | 1:00 p.m. [195] | Memphis Showboats | 25–16 | New Jersey Generals | Hall of Fame Stadium | Fox | 0.72 | [196] [197] | |
4:00 p.m. [198] | Michigan Panthers | 20–24 | New Orleans Breakers | Protective Stadium | 0.78 | [199] [200] |
Week 9 | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Time [201] [202] | Away team | Score | Home team | Stadium | Broadcast | Refs | ||
Network | Viewership (millions) [203] | Rating [204] | |||||||
June 10 | 12:00 p.m. [205] | Michigan Panthers | 7–19 | Pittsburgh Maulers | Hall of Fame Stadium | Fox | 0.70 | 0.4 | [206] [207] |
3:00 p.m. [208] | New Orleans Breakers | 31–3 | Memphis Showboats | Liberty Stadium | CNBC [W9 1] | 0.67 | [209] [210] | ||
June 11 | 1:00 p.m. [211] | Birmingham Stallions | 38–15 | Houston Gamblers | Peacock [W9 2] | [212] [213] | |||
7:00 p.m. [214] | Philadelphia Stars | 33–37 | New Jersey Generals | Hall of Fame Stadium | Fox | 0.90 | 0.6 | [215] [216] |
Week 10 | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Time [217] [218] | Away team | Score | Home team | Stadium | Broadcast | Refs | ||
Network | Viewership (millions) [219] | Rating [220] | |||||||
June 17 | 1:00 p.m. [221] | Pittsburgh Maulers | 26–6 | New Jersey Generals | Hall of Fame Stadium | USA | 0.24 | 0.1 | [222] [223] |
4:00 p.m. [224] | Birmingham Stallions | 27–20 | Memphis Showboats | Liberty Stadium | Fox | 0.64 | 0.4 | [225] [226] | |
June 18 | 1:00 p.m. [227] | New Orleans Breakers | 17–10 | Houston Gamblers | FS1 [W10 1] | 0.17 | 0.1 | [228] [229] | |
7:00 p.m. [230] | Philadelphia Stars | 20–23 | Michigan Panthers | Ford Field | Fox | 0.71 | 0.4 | [231] [232] |
The playoffs started on June 24 and 25 and ended with the championship game on July 1. The South Division championship was played at Protective Stadium and the North Division championship and championship game was played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. [72]
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 |
Division Finals | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Time [233] [234] | Away team | Score | Home team | Stadium | Broadcast | Refs | ||
Network | Viewership (millions) [235] | Rating [236] | |||||||
June 24 | 8:00 p.m. [237] | Michigan Panthers | 27–31 (OT) | Pittsburgh Maulers | Hall of Fame Stadium | NBC | 0.96 | 0.6 | [238] [239] |
June 25 | 7:00 p.m. [240] | New Orleans Breakers | 22–47 | Birmingham Stallions | Protective Stadium | Fox | 0.85 | 0.5 | [241] [242] |
USFL Championship | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Time [243] [244] | Away team | Score | Home team | Stadium | Broadcast | Refs | ||
Network | Viewership (millions) [245] | Rating [246] [247] | |||||||
July 1 | 8:00 p.m. [248] | Pittsburgh Maulers | 12–28 | Birmingham Stallions | Hall of Fame Stadium | NBC | 1.16 | 0.7 | [249] [250] |
Reference: [251]
The following Players of the Week were named the top performers during the 2023 season:
The following 28 players were selected by the league as "athletes who played consistently well over the course of the season". [262] [263]
Most Valuable Player of the Year | Offensive Player of the Year | Defensive Player of the Year | Special Teams Player of the Year | Coach of the Year | Assistant Coach of the Year | Sportsman of the Year | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alex McGough (QB) (Birmingham Stallions) | Mark Thompson (RB) (Houston Gamblers) | Frank Ginda (LB) (Michigan Panthers | Derrick Dillon (KR) (Memphis Showboats) | Skip Holtz (Birmingham Stallions) | Jarren Horton (Pittsburgh Maulers) | Ethan Westbrooks (DE) (Michigan Panthers) |
Category | Player | Team | Stat | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Offense | ||||
Passing | Yards | McLeod Bethel-Thompson | New Orleans Breakers | 2,433 |
Touchdowns | Alex McGough | Birmingham Stallions | 20 | |
Interceptions | Josh Love | Michigan Panthers | 10 | |
Rushing | Yards | Wes Hills | New Orleans Breakers | 679 |
Touchdowns | Mark Thompson | Houston Gamblers | 14 | |
Receiving | Yards | Corey Coleman | Philadelphia Stars | 669 |
Receptions | 51 | |||
Touchdowns | Jace Sternberger | Birmingham Stallions | 7 | |
Defense | ||||
Tackles | Frank Ginda | Michigan Panthers | 104 | |
Sacks | Breeland Speaks | Michigan Panthers | 9.0 | |
Interceptions | Mark Gilbert | Pittsburgh Maulers | 4 | |
Passes Defensed | 15 | |||
Special teams | ||||
Return yards | Kick | Josh Simmons | Pittsburgh Maulers | 862 |
Punt | Isiah Hennie | Pittsburgh Maulers | 297 | |
Field goals | Made | Luis Aguilar | Philadelphia Stars | 25 |
Percentage | Matt Coghlin | New Orleans Breakers | 95% | |
Punting | Yards | Matt Mengel | Pittsburgh Maulers | 1,675 |
Average | Colby Wadman | Birmingham Stallions | 41.1 |
Reference [264]
After the 2022 season, Fox Sports had hired investment bank Allen & Company to find minority investors to help fund the league's expansion into local markets, with a plan to raise between $150 million and $200 million. [265]
For the 2023 regular season ticket prices ranged from $25 to $120. [266]
In April 13, the league with Blockchain Creative Labs (BCL), FOX's Web3 media and creative technology company launched an all-new fans loyalty program. [267] In April 14, Upper Deck Announced as the exclusive trading card partner [268] and Antigua Apparel named an "Authentic Sideline Apparel Partner Of The USFL". [269]
Other USFL's sponsors include: FedEx, Gatorade, Henry Schein, Jersey Mike's Subs, Mars, Molson Coors, Rocket Mortgage, T-Mobile and Wendy's. [270]
This was the second year of the three-year rights deal agreement between NBC Sports along with Fox Sports (Fox doesn't have to pay a rights fee due to being one of the owners of the league). [271]
Telecasts for the 2023 season will air on Fox, FS1, NBC, USA Network and CNBC. Fox aired 17 regular season games and 1 semi-final, NBC broadcast 7 full regular season games plus the first quarter of 1 game on June 10 then the remaining 2 hours of another game on June 11 (originally scheduled to air 9 full games), 1 semi-final and the Championship game, and FS1 and USA Network broadcast 7 games each, and CNBC broadcast the remaining one of the games on NBC caused by a weather delay on June 10. Unlike the 2022 season, in order to increase the leagues exposure, Peacock will not air exclusive games (however it aired an hour of exclusive game coverage on Sunday June 11). Instead, Peacock will simply simulcast all games produced by NBC Sports. An emphasis will also be made on having high-profile events serve as lead-ins to the league, with some games following NASCAR and Major League Baseball broadcasts on Fox or the Kentucky Derby on NBC. [272]
Curt Menefee and Joel Klatt will return as Fox's lead commentary team for USFL coverage. Kevin Kugler and Mark 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. [273]
The NBC crew features Jac Collinsworth and Paul Burmeister handling play-by-play duties alongside analysts Jason Garrett, Michael Robinson and Cameron Jordan. Zora Stephenson, Corey Robinson, Lewis Johnson, and Caroline Pineda are the sideline reporters. Colt McCoy, Kyle Rudolph and Anthony Herron are the additional analysts for selected games.
In millions of viewers
Broadcaster | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Division finals | Championship game | Total | Average |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fox | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.8 | – | 13.1 | 0.7 |
0.9 | – | 0.6 | – | 0.6 | 0.6 | – | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.7 | – | – | |||
FS1 | 0.5 | 0.2 | – | 0.6 | – | 0.2 | 0.2 | – | – | 0.2 | – | – | 2.2 | 0.3 |
– | – | – | – | – | – | 0.3 | – | – | – | – | – | |||
NBC | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 2.1 | 0.8 | – | – | 0.8 | 0.7 | – | 0.9 | 1.2 | 9.8 | 1.0 |
– | – | – | 0.8 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |||
USA | – | 0.1 | 0.3 | – | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.2 | – | 0.2 | – | – | 1.6 | 0.2 |
CNBC | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 0.5 | – | – | – | 0.5 | 0.5 |
Total | 3.2 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 4.0 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 2.8 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 27.2 | |
Average | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 0.6 |
* One decimal place is shown in table but three decimal places are used in all calculations.
* Viewership figures for games streaming on Peacock were not released.
NBC Sports, FOX Sports and DAZN will 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 the United Kingdom and Ireland it will be will be broadcast through Sky Sports, in Australia by FOX Sports Australia, in Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland and Sweden by Viaplay in Hungary by Network 4 and in the Philippines by Elite. [274]
Games involving the Michigan Panthers have been broadcast by radio station WJR, which covers a substantial portion of the midwestern United States and Southern Ontario in Canada with a 50,000-watt signal. [275] WKIM carried the Memphis Showboats. [276]
The USFL open the season strong with between 15,000 [277] and 20,000 [278] fans in Memphis and ~17,000 in Birmingham. [279] Alas, the league second return to play was also marked with the same complaints from the previous season of a lack of fans in the stands in other locations (5,000-8,000 fans in Canton for week 1 [280] and approximately 7,500 fans in the Panthers opener [281] ) or "neutral site games", [282] while the league announced "it will be maintaining their policy in partnership with their venues of not releasing attendance figures" during the season. [283] It was later reveled that most "neutral site games" had between 800 and 900 fans in the stands. [284] President of Football Operations Daryl Johnston acknowledged the issue before the championship game and said: "it does motivate us to make sure we get our eight teams into their home markets as quickly as we can, but we can't rush it". [270] After the USFL merged with the XFL, Johnston would acknowledge that the league lacked the raucous fan environments present in the XFL's markets, especially the St. Louis Battlehawks, and that this had had a negative impact on the USFL's players. [285] He also noted that the Showboats' attendance had dropped substantially over the course of the 2023 season, a trend that continued into 2024, concerning him. [286]
Before the season, some fans felt disrespected of the USFL commercials to promote the league's return, which took aim at the XFL. [287] [288] Nonetheless, the USFL week 1 ratings outdraws XFL Week 9, as the USFL averaged 789,500 viewers across four games with the XFL posting an averaged of 588,250 viewers across four games, although three USFL games were on broadcast TV while three XFL games were on cable. [289] USFL average viewership in 2023 was down 16% from its debut season to 601,000 and 3% lower than the XFL's 2023 season, despite having 28 over the air network games compare to the XFL's eight. [270] Johnston himself expressed disappointment and anger that the USFL was comparable to the XFL in ratings for the 2023 season, dismissing the XFL as "no competition" to the "far superior" USFL and questioning how "to be on par with our competition from a ratings standpoint in Year 2, I'm still trying to figure out: How did that happen? (...) they're not even close." [270]
Contrary to the 2022 season, most markets decided to cover the teams locally, while the third week of games received tentative praise from national outlet, with Bill Shea of The Athletic writing an article titled "I attended a USFL game so you don't have to (but maybe you should?)" after attending a game between Michigan Panthers and New Jersey Generals. [290]
The league approach to adopt technology got rave reviews, especially for the use of first down measurements technology. [291]
The following list features players who signed with NFL teams during the 2023 NFL season following their involvement with the USFL in 2023:
Legend | |
---|---|
Made an NFL team (active, practice squad or PUP) | |
Bold | Made the active roster |
The Memphis Showboats were an American football franchise in the United States Football League. They entered the league in its expansion in 1984 and made the 1985 playoffs, losing in the semifinal round to the Oakland Invaders. Perhaps the most prominent players on the Showboats' roster during their two seasons of existence were future Pro Football Hall of Fame member Reggie White and future professional wrestler "The Total Package" Lex Luger.
The United States Football League (USFL) was a professional American football minor league that played two seasons from 2022 to 2023. It is now one of the two-component conferences of the United Football League (UFL), along with the XFL.
The 2022 USFL season was the inaugural season of the United States Football League, and the first season of a league using that name since 1985. 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 the 1984 season of the original USFL. For 2022, all regular-season games were played in Birmingham, Alabama, at Protective Stadium and at Legion Field.
The Michigan Panthers are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. The Panthers compete in the United Football League (UFL) as a member of the USFL Conference. The team is owned-and-operated by Dwayne Johnson's Alpha Acquico and Fox Corporation. The team plays its home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit, which also hosts the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL).
The Birmingham Stallions are a professional American football team based in Birmingham, Alabama. The Stallions compete in the United Football League (UFL) as a member of the USFL Conference. They were a founding member of the second iteration of the United States Football League (USFL) in 2022. The Stallions are owned and operated by Dwayne Johnson's Alpha Acquico and Fox Corporation, and play their home games at Protective Stadium. They have won three league championships since their founding, defeating the Philadelphia Stars 33–30 in 2022 and the Pittsburgh Maulers 28–12 in 2023 as part of the USFL, and most recently the San Antonio Brahmas 25–0 in the inaugural UFL Championship Game in 2024.
The Pittsburgh Maulers were a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania but played their home games in Canton, Ohio. The Maulers competed in the United States Football League (USFL) North division.
The 2023 XFL season was the second season in the reboot of the XFL, the first under its new ownership group of Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, and Gerry Cardinale, and the third in the history of the XFL brand created and originally owned by Vince McMahon.
Jordan McCray is an American football center for the Memphis Showboats of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football at the University of Central Florida and was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2014.
The 2022 Pittsburgh Maulers season was the first season for the Pittsburgh Maulers as a professional American football franchise, as well as the only one under head coach Kirby Wilson. They played as charter members of the United States Football League, one of eight teams to compete in the league for the 2022 season. The Maulers technically played as a traveling team.
The 2022 USFL championship game was an American football game which was played on July 3, 2022, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. The contest, which determined the champion of the United States Football League (USFL), featured the winners of the playoff semifinal games: the Philadelphia Stars from the North Division and the Birmingham Stallions from the South Division. It was the inaugural USFL championship game and the final game of the 2022 USFL season. The game began at 7:30 p.m. EDT and was broadcast on Fox. Prize money was awarded to players on the winning team in the amount of $10,000 in addition to their salary.
The 2023 season was the Michigan Panthers second season in the United States Football League (USFL), their first playing at Ford Field and their first under head coach/general manager tandem of Mike Nolan and Steve Kazor. They improved upon their 2–8 record from the previous season and reached the playoffs where they lost to the Pittsburgh Maulers in the USFL North Division Championship Game in overtime.
The Houston Roughnecks are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The Roughnecks compete in the United Football League (UFL) as a member of the USFL Conference. The team is owned-and-operated by Dwayne Johnson's Alpha Acquico and Fox Corporation. The team was a founding member of the USFL, as the Houston Gamblers in 2022, named after the 1980s USFL team of the same name. Though named after the city of Houston, the 2020s Gamblers never played there under that brand, instead playing its home games as the guest of other USFL teams in Birmingham, Alabama in 2022 and Memphis, Tennessee in 2023. When the USFL and XFL merged to form the UFL in 2024, the Gamblers took over the branding of the original Houston Roughnecks that had played the 2020 and 2023 seasons in the XFL and played in Houston at Rice Stadium and will once again play at TDECU Stadium for 2025 season.
The 2023 USFL championship game was an American football game that was played on July 1, 2023, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. The contest determined the champion of the 2023 USFL season and was played between the Pittsburgh Maulers and the Birmingham Stallions, eventually crowning Birmingham the champion of the league for the second year in a row.
The 2024 Houston Roughnecks season was the third season of Houston Roughnecks (2024), an American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team's first season in the United Football League (UFL) after a merger in the offseason between the USFL and the XFL. Under the terms of the agreement, the team consists of the roster and coaching staff of the former USFL's two-season-old Houston Gamblers franchise, taking over the Roughnecks branding and home city previously used by the XFL team with the same name.
The 2024 USFL season was the planned third season of the United States Football League. The regular season was expected to start March 30, 2024, and to end in June 2024. The postseason was expected to begin in June 2024 and end with the 2024 USFL Championship Game in July 2024.
The United Football League (UFL) is a professional American football high-level minor league which started play in March 2024. The league was created following the merger of the latest incarnations of the XFL and United States Football League (USFL). It consists of eight teams, all of which were members of the XFL or USFL prior to the UFL's creation, concentrated in the Midwest and Southern United States.
The 2024 UFL season was the first season of the United Football League, which was created following the merger of the XFL and USFL, and the fifth season in the combined history of the two leagues, following the 2020 XFL season, 2022 USFL season, and separate 2023 seasons for both the USFL and XFL.
This timeline of the United Football League (UFL) tracks the history of each of the league's eight franchises from their enfranchisements in the XFL and USFL, through the merger of the two leagues, and to the present day.
The 2024 season was the Birmingham Stallions first season in the United Football League and their third under head coach Skip Holtz and general manager Zach Potter. The Stallions defended their back-to-back 2022 and 2023 USFL championship to create a three-peat and becoming the first UFL champions.
The 2025 UFL season is the upcoming second season of the United Football League. The Birmingham Stallions are the defending champions where they defeated the San Antonio Brahmas 25–0 in the 2024 UFL Championship Game, the only shutout of the entire season, to win their third consecutive spring football championship, adding to their back-to-back championships in the rebooted USFL.
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: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)For the second consecutive season, all Memphis Showboats games will air on News Talk 98.9 The Roar of Memphis.