USFL Announces Birmingham As Host City, $10 Tickets For Adults
The United States Football League (USFL) has found its home.
FOX Sports CEO and executive producer Eric Shanks announced Tuesday that all games will be played in Birmingham, Alabama for the inaugural 2022 season. The newly minted Protective Stadium, home of University of Alabama-Birmingham football, will host the majority of games. The historic Legion Field, which opened its doors in 1927, will host additional games as well.
The New Jersey Generals and Birmingham Stallions will kickoff at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 16 in the first game of the season. History will be made right from the jump, as the game will be simulcast by NBC and FOX. The last sporting event to air on two competing broadcast networks was Super Bowl I in 1967.
"The first game played in any new league is itself historical, and having the USFL’s inaugural game simulcast by NBC and FOX makes it even more so," Shanks said. "It’s rare when two competitors can come together and see how cooperation can lead to long-term benefit."
Tickets for the inaugural showdown are $10 across the board for adults and free for kids under the age of 15.
According to FOX Sports, the network will carry 22-of-43 games. 12 will broadcast on FOX, while 10 will air on FS1. NBC has come on as a media partner and will carry eight on its own network, nine on USA and four exclusively on Peacock.
"We're thrilled to have NBC Sports join FOX Sports as an official media partner of the new USFL," Shanks said. "Like FOX, NBC has a reputation for excellence in football production, and the exposure both companies have committed to the USFL, including a combined 20 games on broadcast television, will provide fans unprecedented access all season long."
The eight teams will be split into two divisions: North and South. Each team will play a 10-game schedule, with the top two teams in each division squaring off in the semifinals. The winners of the respective divisions will then face off in the championship game.
North
South
With a location and teams nailed down, all that's left is to fill out rosters. A player selection meeting will take place Feb. 22-23, with each team carrying a 38-man roster and a seven-man practice squad. Once rosters are finalized, training camps will open for business on March 21.
6-of-8 head coaches have been announced thus far: Skip Holtz (Birmingham Stallions), Kirby Wilson (Pittsburgh Maulers), Kevin Sumlin (Houston Gamblers), Mike Riley (New Jersey Generals), Todd Haley (Tampa Bay Bandits) and Bart Andrus (Philadelphia Stars).
Of the announced cast, Riley and Haley have both been head coaches in the NFL. Meanwhile, Holtz and Sumlin have been head coaches at the Division I level in college football.
Sumlin, who's amassed a 95-63 record across stops at Houston (2008-11), Texas A&M (2012-17) and Arizona (2018-20), said he's excited for the chance to coach at the professional level.
"A new league like the USFL provides opportunities for coaches as well as players, and I’m very excited to have this opportunity to be a head coach at the professional level," Sumlin said. "I love coaching football players. It’s in my blood, and there are many, many athletes who are hungry to play high-quality football. I can’t wait to build my team and work with them this spring."
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