[16][17][18], On November 17, 2021, it was announced that The Spring League founder Brian Woods would serve as the league's president, as well as Daryl Johnston as EVP of football operations, Mike Pereira as head of officiating, and Edward Hartman as EVP of business operations. What will raise some antennas is that college sophomores, depending on their talent level, will be eligible to play. The old USFL went too big too soon. The question is, are they going all-in? [29] The day after that the league announced the draft order for the 2022 USFL Draft. The league will hold a draft on February 22nd and 23rd. Ben Fischer (@BenFischerSBJ) November 17, 2021 Coming in to serve as President of Football Operations was TSL founder Brian Woods. During training camp, all USFL players will get $850 a week. The previous incarnation of the USFL did not. Brian Woods, a co-founder of this new iteration of the USFL, was a financial adviser for the failed Alliance of American Football and associated the last two years with The Spring League. Its definitely more adventurous to us with the Birmingham Stallions this year than any other team. Especially in pod cities. Enter former Tampa Bay Bandits head coach Steve Spurrier. Brian Lynch in Melbourne Beach, Florida. I would say the pitch is simple: The USFL is going to allow you to live out your dream. Because any college player who signs with the USFL would forgo their eligibility, Woods says the league isnt trying to procure talent still enrolled in college. It really helps us mitigate losses. There are a lot of different possibilities where we can land.. [66][67] Additionally, the Generals rights are owned by The Spring League, another Woods entity. Could a return of perhaps the most notorious alternative pro football league be in the cards? Its long-dormant brands and trademarks were acquired by the National Spring Football League, Inc., which now owns this USFL. Chief Strategy Officer Ezra Levine is one of the leagues minority investors. Former Dallas Cowboys player and veteran Fox NFL analyst Daryl Johnston will be executive VP of football operations; Mike Pereira, a former top NFL official and now Fox Sports NFL and college rules analyst, will be the new leagues head of officiating; and Edward Hartman will be EVP of business operations for the USFL, while retaining his current position as SVP of digital partnerships and wagering at Fox Sports. It will take at least six figures plus for the league to get Spurrier to sign on the dotted line. Thats what were hoping to create with the new USFL. On November 15, 2022, the USFL and the City of Memphis, Tennessee announced that the Tampa Bay Bandits organization would effectively be relocated to Memphis as the Memphis Showboats, taking on the name and identity of the team from the original incarnation of the league. This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 21:06. 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. Glanville has coached in the Spring League their last two seasons. Since then, the relationship has grown. Although not directly connected, it's hard to argue that we'd see the USFL had it not been for The Spring League. Lending credence, respectability, and hope towards Brian Woodss chances of making his vision work this go-round is the involvement of FOX. We feel like we can exist in the spring. Players are required to sign USFL contracts before Tuesdays draft. So they were throwing money around they didnt have. Hes a self promoting lazy old coot. Back in April, on this site, an article raised the possibility of a returning USFL. Keep the bullshit BLM politics out of the USFL and it has a chance, people are hungry for sports without pol, I agree with 4th&long Fox needs cheap content that it can control unless someone comes forward with $200 million dollars we are probably looking at hub cities and a very tight geographic footprint bus travel and short plane rides USFL will pay their players unlike TSL Two or three stadium leases using two camera crews per weekend vs 4 and also not having to move the Camera/broadcast crews around has to save a lot of money , I wonder if having ten teams isnt a mechanism for getting a certain number of football content hours to Fox? So the likelihood of the Gunslingers riding again in the new USFL is a good one. They will be talented players. [4] The postseason games were played in Canton, Ohio, at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.[5]. Unless the USFLs owners decide to bend some of their rules economically for a few players, the USFL will have very few players with mainstream name recognition. [12][13][14] The "bubble" setup may 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. As well as the team expenses entailed with things like equipment, travel, facilities, lodging, etc., etc., etc. Brian Woods, who is the President of Football Operations for the 2nd generation of the USFL thinks Pittsburgh is a perfect fit this time around "Pittsburgh is definitely an area that country. I hope my Stars come back. Woods thought a spring football league would be intriguingand that the intellectual property of the former USFL could be available. (Stallions, Wranglers, Renegades, Gamblers, and Outlaws). Number of Units: 393 Offices of the Board of Directors and their Duties . Hints and rumors are circulating about the leagues plans, potential teams and coaches involved, and how the USFLs ownership will be structured. Not to mention many of the teams were mismanaged. Maybe its a situation where theyre not starting, had they been in another program, they would be the starter. There are certainly players that are looking for a home and the USFL offers them an opportunity if the player is interested in turning pro, especially if theyre a quarterback who might enter the transfer portal. The seeds were planted in 2020 when The Spring League and FOX decided to partner up and air TSL games in the fall and then the following spring. TSL had two hub city sites with four teams each in Houston at Rice Stadium and Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium this past spring. Heres the kicker and perhaps a clue of where things may be headed for FOX Sports and TSL in the future. Lets look to answer those questions with information that has been gathered. Let us know down in the comments below or join the conversation on Discord. Well keep you posted as more information on The Spring League comes out. He adds: We would not risk the eligibility status of a young player to sign with USFL club unless our player personnel department felt very confident that that young man was going to be signed. Could Canada Dust Off the Canadian Football Act, to Stop an XFL Invasion? Thats my short-term visiongetting through season one and putting an exceptional on-field product out for display. So, in retaining an audience, if we can complete one season of football, I think that would be a step in the right direction. Learn how your comment data is processed. Hey, Sam Mills was one of my favorites, and if it wasnt for the USFL, I dont know if he would have turned into the star he became. Still, unless things have changed in their strategy, there have been no indications suggesting that FOX is willing to spend tens of millions of dollars on the USFL property in significantly funding all of the leagues teams and operations. Generating revenue in San Antonio would be tough if all the games are in Houston. Once upon a time, Woods, a sports lawyer, tried to run a genuine pro football league called the Fall Experimental Football League. 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As we sit at the cusp of the onset of this unique experiment that will see all eight teams of the new USFL playing in our city over 10 weeksjust days from the leagues draft (Feb. 22-23) and less than a month before Birmingham is swarmed with athletes with dreams, coaches, and other personnel for the start of training campits ultimate outcome is as uncertain as predicting the winner of Super Bowl LVII. Starting this season, every game will be televised and The Spring League will be aired on FOX, FS1 and FS2 instead of just FS1 and FS2. After scoring their touchdown, a team must indicate whether they will go for 1, 2, or 3 points. I am a pro football writer who has extensively covered and reported on multiple leagues over the years; you can follow me on Twitter @byMikeMitchell. February 10, 2022, 5:51 PM. The USFL filed an antitrust suit against the NFL, which resulted in the NFL violating anti-monopoly laws and USFL winning a $1 judgement. If the teams are still tied after three attempts, teams play multiple rounds until one team scores, which wins it. [58][59] Players were required to pay their own rent, but the league offered a reduced hotel price at a cost of $75 per room per day, with an option for two players to share a room. Brian Woods, USFL VP football operations There's also this: Almost all players, according to Woods, will be paid $4,500 each week they are active on a team's 38-person roster, along with an. No principals from the former USFL are involved in the current league's ownership; Brian Woods, who had previously launched the Fall Experimental Football League and The Spring League, was initially the primary owner of the new league. One of the valid reasons for hub city sites was to deal with the current pandemic, but from a financial standpoint, the strategy made perfect sense. Great job Mike. Were not so sure if thats the case, just yet at least. There would be no expansion that year, and the league would continue to use a hub model, with "two to four" locations housing all eight teams. "[65] In addition to obtaining the rights to the USFL name and logo, the new league has obtained the rights to the aforementioned former league's team names including the Los Angeles Express, Chicago Blitz, Tampa Bay Bandits, and Houston Gamblers. Plus the national media will gladly make fun of it for cheap clicks and destroy the brand name. The inaugural draft took place on February 22, 2022. It all looks good on paper until the bills come due. The immediate presentation is going to be exceptional, so I have to make sure the on-field product is equally remarkable. Birmingham, Alabama, is where the league will be based in its inaugural season. What are the implications for XFL since they also play in The Spring? The shift to the USFL may change things moving forward from a promotional standpoint but how deep into their pockets is FOX willing to go? Its not a streaming network. Ninety-eight percent of our rules come directly from the NFL rulebook, he said. I thought we had worked something out [with the USFL] but at least we still have the league playing their regular-season games here., Theres also this: Almost all players, according to Woods, will be paid $4,500 each week they are active on a teams 38-person roster, along with an $850 weekly win bonus. The United States Football League (USFL) will return in 2022, FOX Sports announced on Thursday. All of the heavy lifting has really been accomplished at this point, Woods said. We have players ready to be drafted Feb. 22 and Feb. 23. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. At the request of. The two spoke about the opportunities that The Spring League looks top provide for football players that are out of the college program, but not quite ready for the NFL. Post Week Two Power Week two TV ratings are in for the XFL 2023 season. MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Nov. 15, 2022) - USFL and city leaders announced today that the iconic Memphis Showboats have come home to the Bluff City. Copyright 2022 XFL News Hub. [28] The following day, on February 17, 2022, the league revealed uniforms for each team. [40], On April 14 (two days before the scheduled start of the new USFL's regular season), federal judge John F. Walter of the Central District of California denied a preliminary injunction to bar the new USFL from using the original league's name and trademarks, remarking that while the plaintiffs were "likely to prevail" on their claim of trademark infringement, "any alleged harm" could be "easily compensated by monetary damages". [27], On February 16, 2022, the league announced that the 2022 Playoffs would be held in Canton, Ohio, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium instead of Birmingham due to conflicting scheduling with the 2022 World Games. Many of those issues have stemmed from a lack of financingthe Spring League's very design of having players pay a fee to play points to that. Small deviations are being implemented because we feel like they can increase the tempo, and also make games closer. Former Steelers assistant coach Kirby Wilson will serve as the Maulers head coach. XFL News Hub is not associated or affiliated with Alpha Opco, LLC ("XFL") in any way. Brian Woods has resurrected the USFL, with FOX as the broadcaster and equity partner. There will be some rising juniors, some current college players who will be playing in the USFL this year that will forego their junior year in college to play in the USFL. Thats the end game here. Well also have players who were in NFL training camps the last two or three years that will make up a good number of players in this league. The Spring League is continuing. What you will see if you tune in to the USFL in April is anyones guess. "Pittsburgh is definitely an area that country that is has always shown to be supportive of professional football, the Maulers were very unique and important brand of the USFL", said Woods. On June 3rd, FOX Sports and The Spring League announced that they were bringing back the United States Football League. Hereafter, the game clock will continue to run after a pass falls incomplete, though only during the odd-numbered quarters (1st and 3rd). [citation needed] Tickets were released to the public at $10 per person; children aged 15 and under were admitted for free. Your email address will not be published. Eight teams were announced on November 22, 2021. When you account for all these things, Its easy to see why the suggestion of individual team owners is coming into play. The cable telecasts of the Spring League on FS1/FS2 averaged 81,000 viewers. The North Division will consist of the New Jersey Generals, Michigan Panthers, Pittsburgh Maulers and Philadelphia Stars. They will continue to serve as the official broadcast partner. With the 2022 year coming to a close, it looks like the USFL will be looking for a new President Of Football Operations in 2023. Former Dallas Cowboys. As of 2023, the league operates eight teams in four cities, all east of the Mississippi River; all eight teams bear the brands of teams from a previous incarnation of the United States Football League that operated from 1983 to 1985. Sports Business Executive: Expertise in contract law gained in a major sports law firm; Proven record in successfully negotiating and drafting contracts, endorsement deals and licensing agreements. Had they continued to operate in the spring, they might still be here today", said Woods. The league was falling apart at the seams with very few owners who could hold up their end of the bargain. Our teams will be reporting to training camp on March 22, and were scheduled to kick off on Saturday, April 16. The City of Birmingham, Jefferson County, and the Jefferson County Visitors & Convention Bureau have committed up $3.5 million to fund any losses, betting the investment will reap many-fold in tax revenue and other benefits, like the uncalculatable value of promised exposure on FOX and NBC, the two broadcast kahunas that will televise most of the games. Many of those issues have stemmed from a lack of financingthe Spring Leagues very design of having players pay a fee to play points to that. IF THERE IS ONE PERSON WHO CAN MAKE THE PROPOSED USFL WORK , BRIAN IS THE RIGHT LEADER. Cuts travel exp and possibly lodging while having local fans in stands and on TV.The one thing is for sure FOX needs sports programing, cheap programming or at least inexpensive; One that they have some control over.Curious about the fact they want more than 8 teams, that may really imply individual ownership as a way to raise capital, because 8 team is cheaper to run than 10 cost wise. Training camp was to begin on March 21.[20][21]. [6] This is the fifth attempt to launch a league using USFL naming, including prior attempts in 1945 (which later became the All-America Football Conference), a league proposed in the 1960s by eventual 1980s USFL founder David Dixon, the aforementioned league that existed between 1983 and 1985, and in 2010. One PERSON who can make the PROPOSED USFL work, Brian is the RIGHT LEADER USFL ) will return 2022. Most notorious alternative pro Football league be in the cards acquired by the National media will gladly fun! 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