Then there are the costs of covering insurance, paying coaching, training, front office, and support staff. Our plan is to be a dominant stand-alone spring professional football property. Well have in the ballpark of 16 to 20 players that are still a year away from their draft eligibility. Originally launched in 1983, the USFL consisted of 12 teams. Brian Woods is the co-founder and president of football operations for the new league. Brian Woods is the founder and CEO of the Spring League and now the USFL. If it is determined the defensive player intentionally interfered with the receiver, the penalty will be a spot foul similar to the NFL rule. Woods thought a spring football league would be intriguingand that the intellectual property of the former USFL could be available. "I think you can make a strong argument that had the USFL stayed in the spring, just the first iteration of the USFL I speak of back in the 1980s. They will be able to take classes online (Capella) or in-person (Strayer),[56] giving them the flexibility to pursue associate, bachelors or masters degrees in business, healthcare, IT and education. "We're looking for is the to be strategic. So the likelihood of the Gunslingers riding again in the new USFL is a good one. Continue with Recommended Cookies. At the request of. Fox Sports CEO and executive producer Eric Shanks called the USFLs relaunch a landmark day for football fans and Fox Sports. Many wishfully believe that FOX will take a larger stake in the league and start covering half the costs moving forward. The TSL is essentially a camp that players pay to participate in. However, they may not necessarily play in San Antonio, at least not in 2022. With the remaining USFL teams potentially playing at another neutral site location. 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. To make the USFL relaunch have some cache, the leagues leadership might have to. They havent been able to finish a season. Hints and rumors are circulating about the leagues plans, potential teams and coaches involved, and how the USFLs ownership will be structured. Long term, everyone on the team at FOX and the USFL, we want to create a real dominant spring professional football product., Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter based in the Philadelphia area who has been writing for PhillyVoice since its inception in 2015 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America. [63] The proposed CBA includes an annual opt-out option. From a storyline and marketing standpoint, it makes perfect sense to bring the former Gators coach back to the sidelines. Although the league owns the trademarks of the old USFL, which operated for three seasons during the mid-1980s, the new USFL is not officially associated with that entity. They need extra repetitions, they need to remain relevant.. Presuming that the USFL takes the field between March and May of 2022, the timeline gives them eight to ten months to get everything set up in time for kickoff. [4] The postseason games were played in Canton, Ohio, at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.[5]. Blame Gov. Theres probably close to 1500 players in the transfer portal right now, Woods says. Its quite sound and built for sustainability, he says. The question is, are they going all-in? Youre not chasing your dream in the USFL, youre living it. So it makes sense that the USFL would try to reach into the nostalgia playbook and look to bring on some familiar faces with ties to the leagues past. PhillyVoice Contributor. On March 23, 2022, the USFL announced an initial series of rule tweaks it would implement for its games. 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. [7][8][9] Upon the conclusion of its first season, the league became the first high-level spring football league to complete a season since the original iteration of the XFL, following the early shutdown of the AAF and COVID-19-induced hiatus of the second XFL. So that is a conversation that has not been started yet but hopefully can be started in the near term so we could eventually find the appropriate location to play home games," said Woods. Amid the noise, lounging out with his feet up on his desk, with his AirPods plugged in, an idea struck him. Not to mention many of the teams were mismanaged. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. We have a very strong relationship in that respect. All eight teams will play in one location in Birmingham, Alabama in year one. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'xflnewshub_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_9',130,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-xflnewshub_com-large-leaderboard-2-0'); The USFL presents Brian Woods best chance of making it as a football league owner. Lets look to answer those questions with information that has been gathered. After some raised eyebrows, the league pivotedit will now charge players $75 per night, confirmed a league official. The inaugural draft took place on February 22, 2022. 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. Woods has a very staunch hammer behind this venturea multi-year deal with FOX Sports, coupled with programming on NBC. Woods is not the sole owner of the Spring League; although he has the largest equity piece, hes not the only investor. The cable telecasts of the Spring League on FS1/FS2 averaged 81,000 viewers. Contact: Start typing to see results or hit ESC to close, How Curtis Johnsons Tulane Scheme Fits With The Houston Gamblers, BEST VALUE IN PROFESSIONAL SPORTS USFL ANNOUNCES 2023 TICKET PRICES, McLeod Bethel-Thompson Jumps To USFL From CFL For 2023, New Jersey Generals 2023 USFL College Draft Deep Dive, Birmingham Stallions Are a Great Trade Fit For Aqeel Glass, Birmingham Stallions 2023 College Draft: An In-Depth Guide to Every Pick, USFL Draft Aftermath, Ticket Prices, McLeod Bethel-Thompson & more | USFL Podcast #48, 2023 USFL College Draft, Gamblers New Head Coach & Case Cookus Returns | USFL Podcast #47, USFL 2023 Schedule, Season 2 Rule Changes and more | USFL Podcast #46, Talking with Asst. 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. Many questions have emerged about what the USFL is planning to announce in the coming weeks and months. Brian Woods, founder and CEO of The Spring League, is the co-founder of the new USFL. Especially in pod cities. As well as the team expenses entailed with things like equipment, travel, facilities, lodging, etc., etc., etc. Brian Woods was the perfect choice for the USFL's CEO position, given his experience in establishing football leagues. On the flip side, the Orlando Renegades, Jacksonville Bulls, and Tampa Bay Bandits could all play at a Florida site. Prior to kickoff, The Spring League CEO Brian Woods join Dave Griffith of FOX 59 Indianapolis to talk about the upcoming season. Prior to Week 5 of the first season, the scoring team's extra point decision could not be changed after a penalty or a timeout. Theres no denying the reach and potential that FOX sports has for the USFL. Its long-dormant brands and trademarks were acquired by the National Spring Football League, Inc., which now owns this USFL. 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. We learned just this week the league will not finish its first season in Birmingham. Brian Woods, the founder The Spring League, is the USFL's president of football operations, while Fox NFL and college football rules analyst Mike Pereira will act as the head of officiating.. Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. Players are required to sign USFL contracts before Tuesdays draft. The USFL will play 40 regular-season games here but skedaddle for Canton, Ohio, home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, where it will host its three playoff gamestwo semifinals and the championship gameat Tom Benson Hall of Fame Field. Therein lies the rub. Despite that shortfall, Woods is confident in this USFLs incubator mode, which, he says will save millions in travel, insurance, and other costs. Team names from the USFLs past, like the Generals, were already in play with the Spring League, but others like the Stars, Showboats, Gold, Gamblers, Express, Bandits, Breakers, and Blitz were all trademarked in early June. Fox Sports owns a. The NFL is king and this time the USFL is smart enough to realize that. When the news officially broke many assumed that The Spring League would become the feeder league to the USFL. "We're excited to take this next major step in the development of a new USFL" said Brian Woods, who made the announcement this afternoon on The Colin Cowherd Show on FOX Sports. Its quite telling that on the day of the USFL announcement in June that Doug Flutie was front and center in the promotion selling the return of the league with a New Jersey Generals hat on. [41] The Real USFL, LLC withdrew its suit with prejudice on August 22, 2022. Your email address will not be published. Still, in recent days, writer Greg Lucas report out of the San Antonio Express supports the recent scuttlebutt. Brian Woods, the former CEO of The Spring League, will become president/football operations. Wade Phillips was a guest of the Spring League this past May in their press box watching the action and was featured prominently on the FOX broadcasts. 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. [26], The first game was played on April 16, 2022 between the Birmingham Stallions and the New Jersey Generals at Protective Stadium. Obviously its no mystery that an official relationship with the National Football League at some point would definitely bode well for us long term.. [53], The league draws revenue of less than $10 million, making it ineligible to seek P visas for players from outside the United States; Liam Dobson, a Canadian offensive lineman, was disqualified from playing in the USFL because of the league's lack of revenue. They are also not obligated to stay at the Sheraton, the leagues hotel designee. Were a professional football league. It's been almost 40 years since another professional football league gained the traction of the original USFL. [62] The new deal also include a $400 per week housing stipend. The league announced the 2022 season will be played "with a minimum of eight teams. Theres no question were looking at a D-I quality of football, the quality of the on-field product will be pleasantly surprising to our fans, he promised. The other possibilities would be Robert Morris, Duquesne, or a high school field. [19], On January 4, 2022, NBC Sports reported that a player selection meeting would be held on February 22 and 23 to set teams. I must admit that I have never heard of this league until now. So, he is clearly someone who is a proponent of pro football in the spring. For the 2022 season's first three weeks, the game clock will be stopped after each incomplete pass, no matter which point of the game it occurred. See the UFL, FXFL, Reggie Fowler, and Tom Dundon with the AAF. I would say the pitch is simple: The USFL is going to allow you to live out your dream. Thats my short-term visiongetting through season one and putting an exceptional on-field product out for display. "To attract Mike Riley and Todd Haley, two former NFL head coaches, Bart Andrus, a former head coach in NFL Europe and CFL, plus an experienced college head coach in Kevin Sumlin, to . We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. I would imagine Heinz field would be in the conversation but that could be too big. In theory, the USFL would set up multiple hub sites that would house and train three to four teams at once. The inaugural 2022 regular season was played in its entirety in Birmingham, Alabama. I will tell you we have a very good relationship with the NFL and with FOX being involved, operating all of the teams, and FOX has a good relationship with the NFL, Woods stressed. We feel that not only can our league be a standalone, professional sports property and be dominant in the spring football space, but we also can offer players the opportunity to become a professional football player a little sooner than what might be [currently] allowed.. [10], On June 3, 2021, it was announced that the United States Football League would be making a return and would begin its inaugural season in April 2022. BREAKING: Pittsburgh Maulers Reveal Official USFL Rebrand, Highlights from Week Three of The Spring League. 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. Woods was equally non-committal about the leagues presence in Birmingham beyond season one, beyond the Stallons. According to Steve Ehrhart, former USFL executive director, he still owns the league rights and the "USFL still exists", while stating that the league officials still get monthly royalty checks. Back in January 2021, Brian Woods was dealing with a few small tornados. Despite the failings of leagues like this in the past, surprisingly, I get the sense that there is still hope out there that the USFL could finally be the league that finally bucks history. It all looks good on paper until the bills come due. It's part of a plan to make sure the league exists beyond this season unlike other failed leagues. Brian Woods is the Chief Executive Officer at The Spring League based in Wilmington, Delaware. The main list of investors is not something that the league is disclosing at this time. 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. Equipment Manager Andrew Skwara (Birmingham Stallions), Interview with New Orleans Breakers QB Aqeel Glass, Talking with Tony Paul (The Detroit News) | USFL Podcast Interview. Along with Brian Woods and FOX positioning their football partnership to capitalize on the opening created by the absence of the XFL. Mumme is coming off of winning a championship in TSL with the Linemen. The old USFL went too big too soon. In any variation of extra-point attempt, a defense can return a fumble, interception, or blocked kick, but will be rewarded with only two points should they reach their opponent's end zone. Highlights from week three of the former USFL could be too big position, given his in... 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