The United States Football League (USFL) was a professional American football league that played for three seasons, 1983 through 1985. The league played a spring/summer schedule in each of its active seasons. The 1986 season was scheduled to be played in the autumn/winter, directly competing against the long-established National Football League (NFL). However, the USFL ceased operations before that season was scheduled to begin.
The Philadelphia / Baltimore Stars were a professional American football team which played in the United States Football League (USFL) in the mid-1980s. Owned by real-estate magnate Myles Tanenbaum, they were the short-lived league's dominant team, playing in all three championship games and winning the latter two. They played their first two seasons in Philadelphia as the Philadelphia Stars before relocating to Baltimore, where they played as the Baltimore Stars for the USFL's final season. Coached by Jim Mora, the Stars won a league-best 41 regular season games and 7 playoff games.
The Tampa Bay Bandits were a professional American football team in the United States Football League (USFL) which was based in Tampa, Florida. The Bandits were a charter member of the USFL and was the only franchise to have the same principal owner, head coach, and home field during the league's three seasons of play (1983–1985). The Bandits were one of the most successful teams in the short-lived spring football league both on the field and at the ticket booth. Spurrier's "Bandit Ball" offense led them to three winning seasons and two playoff appearances, and their exciting brand of play combined with innovative local marketing helped the Bandits lead the league in attendance. However, the franchise folded along with the rest of the USFL when the league suspended play after the 1985 season.
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 Houston Gamblers were an American football team that competed in the United States Football League in 1984 and 1985. The Gamblers were coached by veteran NFL head coach Jack Pardee in both their seasons. They were noteworthy for introducing former Middletown (Ohio) High School football coach Glenn "Tiger" Ellison's Run & Shoot offense to the world of pro football.
On May 24, 1982, the United States Football League (USFL) reached an agreement with ABC and ESPN on television rights. The money for inaugural 1983 season would be a total of $13 million: $9 million from ABC and $4 million from ESPN.
John B. Corker is a former American football linebacker who played four seasons in the National Football League (NFL), mainly for the Houston Oilers, and eight seasons in the Arena Football League (AFL). In 2002, Corker was elected into the Arena Football League Hall of Fame.
Matthew Gillette Robinson is a former professional American football player, a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) from 1977–1982 for the New York Jets, Denver Broncos, and Buffalo Bills. He was later with the Jacksonville Bulls and Portland Breakers of the United States Football League (USFL) in 1984 and 1985, respectively.
Craig Wederquist is a former American football coach. He served as head football coach at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas from 1997 to 1999. Wederquist played college football as an offensive tackle at Drake University. He was selected by Michigan Panthers of the United States Football League (USFL) in the seventh round of the 1983 USFL Draft with the 83rd overall pick. He signed with the new club, was placed on injured reserve during the team's inaugural season, and retired in 1984.
Alan David Risher is a former quarterback for the LSU Tigers and the United States Football League (USFL), where he played for the Arizona Wranglers. The USFL was a 12 team league in 1983, so although Risher was drafted 170th overall in the league's 1983 draft, he was actually the team's 15th round pick that year. Risher was the starting quarterback for the Wranglers for most of the league's initial 1983 season. He is known best for directing what is widely acknowledged as the greatest upset in USFL history. He backed up Greg Landry on the 1984 Western Conference Champion Wranglers squad.
Todd Robin Thomas was an American football long snapper, center and offensive tackle. He played college football at University of North Dakota and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 1981 NFL draft in the fifth round with the 124th overall pick.
Todd Dillon is an American former professional gridiron football player, a quarterback in the Canadian Football League (CFL), where he played from 1986 to 1994 for the Ottawa Rough Riders and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Previously, he played two seasons in the United States Football League (USFL). Dillon played college football at Long Beach State University. He is now a teacher at Tokay High School in Lodi, California. He's also an assistant coach on the school's varsity football team. Prior, he taught at Lodi High School, which like Tokay, is part of the Lodi Unified School District. Dillon was also the Lodi football head coach.
Todd Gerhart is a former American football running back who played one season with the Denver Gold of the United States Football League (USFL). He played college football at California State University, Fullerton. He was also a member of the Minnesota Vikings and Houston Oilers of the National Football League (NFL).
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 Birmingham Stallions are a professional American football team based in Birmingham, Alabama. The Stallions compete in the United Football League (UFL), and 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 Tampa Bay Bandits were a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida, The Bandits competed in the United States Football League (USFL) as a member club of the league's South division, prior to going on hiatus after the season. The team played their 2022 home games at Protective Stadium and Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama, which also hosts the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers.
The United States Football League was a proposed American professional football minor league founded in 2008 and aimed to begin play on February 20, 2010. The league was also known as the New United States Football League to distinguish it from the 1983–85 league of the same name. During its lifetime, the league had three different owner groups, with the last one aimed to start a season in 2015, but the plans never materialized; it was not until 2022 that a new version of the USFL would come to fruition; none of these versions of the USFL are directly related to each other.
The Memphis Showboats are a professional American football team based in Memphis, Tennessee. They compete in the United Football League (UFL). The team is owned and operated by Dwayne Johnson's Alpha Acquico and Fox Corporation. The Showboats play their home games at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.
