USFL Pro Football Spring League 2022 TV Schedule

[Hyper Casey]

USFL Pro Football Spring League 2022 TV Schedule

Spring football is back, as the USFL will try to capitalize on an opportunity to expand the game. For the third time in the last four years, a new football league will attempt to stick around as an alternative style to the NFL.

The USFL is the newest league to give it a shot. The league chose eight franchises that were also in the original USFL, which ran from 1983 to 1986, and retained rights to key original team names (Philadelphia Stars, New Jersey Generals, New Orleans Breakers, etc.). What separates the USFL from the Alliance of American Football and the XFL is all the games in its inaugural season will be played in a centralized location in Birmingham, Alabama -- at Protective Stadium and Legion Field.

These are the eight teams that will play in 2022. Four will be in the North Division and four will be in the South Division:

NORTH DIVISION
Michigan Panthers
New Jersey Generals
Philadelphia Stars
Pittsburgh Maulers

SOUTH DIVISION
Birmingham Stallions
Houston Gamblers
New Orleans Breakers
Tampa Bay Bandits

The USFL will operate under a different set of rules and regulations that will make the game more exciting for the fans. Included are the extra point system that rewards teams for successful conversion tries, stand-still kickoffs, alternative onside kicks, and a best-of-three playoff shootout for overtime.


WEEK 1 SCHEDULE, TEAMS/TIME/TV NETWORK

New Jersey Generals at Birmingham Stallions, Apr. 16, 7:30 p.m. ET FOX, NBC

Houston Gamblers at Michigan Panthers, Apr. 17, 12 p.m. ET NBC

Philadelphia Stars at New Orleans Breakers, Apr. 17, 4 p.m. ET USA

Tampa Bay Bandits at Pittsburgh Maulers, Apr. 17, 8 p.m. ET, FS1



Are you ready for some Football?

 

[Yespage]

The USFL will operate under a different set of rules and regulations that will make the game more exciting for the fans. Included are the extra point system that rewards teams for successful conversion tries, stand-still kickoffs, alternative onside kicks, and a best-of-three playoff shootout for overtime.

None of that sounds remotely "exciting". A clock that doesn't stop, losing possession if intentionally taking the ball of out of bounds, forward pass is a free ball and anyone can gain possession, ground can cause a fumble, "no yards" CFL punt returning rule. THAT would make it more exciting and compelling to watch.

They have an opportunity to change something big... and we get, "stand-still kickoffs"? PHFFT! USFL is just a rehash of most of the same NFL rules... with lesser talent... in the spring.

 

[AZ.]

None of that sounds remotely "exciting". A clock that doesn't stop, losing possession if intentionally taking the ball of out of bounds, forward pass is a free ball and anyone can gain possession, ground can cause a fumble, "no yards" CFL punt returning rule. THAT would make it more exciting and compelling to watch.

They have an opportunity to change something big... and we get, "stand-still kickoffs"? PHFFT! USFL is just a rehash of most of the same NFL rules... with lesser talent... in the spring.

Its also a farm system for the NFL..Just like the XFL was, all flash and mediocre talent....but every once and a while someone made it to the big dance.....

 

[Don in CT]

One I forget it started, also don't care. Haven't watched a second of it. Probably never will. They picked a bad time to start this league. NBA playoffs, baseball season started. PGA in full swing.

 

[Yespage]

Decent crowd shows up for USFL's Saturday night Stallions-Gamblers game

The Birmingham Stallions are technically the road team on Saturday night against the Houston Gamblers.

profootballtalk.nbcsports.com

Why they simply don't have regional league(s) is beyond me. Playing in the same place for all the games? Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Toledo, Akron, Indianapolis, South Bend makes travel work for a Midwest league.

 

[Don in CT]

Any ratings on this league. Are people watching?

 

[SamCdbs]

Any ratings on this league. Are people watching?

Week One:
Saturday night 1.78 (3.06M people) Fox and NBC joint telecast
Sunday noon 1.06 (one hour rain delay) NBC
Sunday 4:00 0.30 (one hour rain delay) USA
Monday night 0.17 (rescheduled from Sunday night due to the rain delays) FS1

Week Two:
Friday night 0.17 FS1
Saturday noon 0.68 (1.05M people) Fox
Sunday 3:00 0.48 NBC
Saturday night 0.24 FS1

 

[Don in CT]

Week One:
Saturday night 1.78 (3.06M people) Fox and NBC joint telecast
Sunday noon 1.06 (one hour rain delay) NBC
Sunday 4:00 0.30 (one hour rain delay) USA
Monday night 0.17 (rescheduled from Sunday night due to the rain delays) FS1

Week Two:
Friday night 0.17 FS1
Saturday noon 0.68 (1.05M people) Fox
Sunday 3:00 0.48 NBC
Saturday night 0.24 FS1

I see this league going the way all the others did.

 

[Yespage]

With no one at the games... and no one going to the games... that isn't a recipe for even getting to mid-season.

It would make the most sense to regionalize a large football league. Midwest, Northeast, maybe the SE. Could you do it with Jacksonville, Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh? Maybe Texas has a region? Teams exclusively play inside their regions. Then a centralized round robin championship. But again, the game needs to be different. They keep selling a near identical system as the NFL, that is always less talented. I have no idea why they thought Birmingham could float this whole thing.

 

[SamCdbs]

With no one at the games... and no one going to the games... that isn't a recipe for even getting to mid-season.

I have no idea why they thought Birmingham could float this whole thing.

They are selling all-day tickets for $10. Still cannot draw flies. And they haven’t played any games yet at Legion Field, which is way bigger, and more of a dump, and in a bad neighborhood. Birmingham metro is over 1M. They cannot find 10K people to watch football on a. Sunday?

Anyway, the city is giving the USFL use of both stadiums and all the rest for free. Local pols said they would make the $$ through tourism.

 

[Derwin0]

Decent crowd shows up for USFL's Saturday night Stallions-Gamblers game

The Birmingham Stallions are technically the road team on Saturday night against the Houston Gamblers.

profootballtalk.nbcsports.com

Why they simply don't have regional league(s) is beyond me. Playing in the same place for all the games? Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Toledo, Akron, Indianapolis, South Bend makes travel work for a Midwest league.

Facility costs. Birmingham is desperate for pro football and is probably charging them nothing, meanwhile all the cities with larger stadiums have pro team and high costs to lease the stadiums.

 

[Derwin0]

They are selling all-day tickets for $10. Still cannot draw flies. And they haven’t played any games yet at Legion Field, which is way bigger, and more of a dump, and in a bad neighborhood. Birmingham metro is over 1M. They cannot find 10K people to watch football on a. Sunday?

Anyway, the city is giving the USFL use of both stadiums and all the rest for free. Local pols said they would make the $$ through tourism.

Competition. During this time of year, the people that would go to those games are taking their kids to little league, soccer, etc...

 

[jerryez]

Who is playing on TV next weekend?

 

[Jimbo]

I watched some of the 1st week ....
looked for it on TV the 2nd week and couldn't find it ....
Probably not gonna try this next week unless I'm bored.

 

[SamCdbs]

Who is playing on TV next weekend?

Every game is on TV all season.

Bandits-Gamblers, Sat. 4 Fox
Stallions-Breakers Sat. 8 Fox
Maulers-Panthers Sun 2:30 USA
Generals-Stars Sun 8 Peacock

 

[jerryez]

They sure have not done a good job of advertising the USFL. The first that I have heard about it is hear on Sat Guys.

 

[Derwin0]

They sure have not done a good job of advertising the USFL. The first that I have heard about it is hear on Sat Guys.

Same here

 

[Yespage]

Awesome video perspective betrays USFL.

USFL shared a video cam of an interception. Kind of cool. 'cept if one is paying the slightest bit of attention, they'll remember this is during a football game and there isn't a single person in the seats in the shot.

The Breaker won their game with about 500 yards of offense and 23 points.

 

[Yespage]

USFL happy with ratings.

Mulvihill shared the League’s intent on displaying a demand for televised spring football, which he now attests can now be proven by the USFL’s ratings. He shared that the "USFL averaged just over a million viewers on FOX and NBC, which is better than the NHL regular season, better than the Premier League, better than MLS."

Yup! USFL ratings are about 6% that of the NFL. But it whoops English Premier League football... and cricket... so attaboy!