USFL 2023 season preview: More spring gridiron for football fans

The USFL will play its second season this spring, giving football fans more gridiron action. The USFL has some competition in the spring football market, as the XFL returned in 2023. 

The XFL is nearing the end of its 10-week regular season. It will have some overlap with the USFL. The XFL playoffs and Championship Game will take place in late April and early May, just as the USFL is kicking off.

So, what is new for season No 2 of the USFL? The league got strong reviews in 2022, although some football fans are probably surprised the league is back for a second go.

USFL Season No 2 Format

The 2022 season was played exclusively in Birmingham, Alabama. The playoffs were then staged in Canton, Ohio. The decision to host games in one location was made to provide stability to the fledgling league.

This season, the USFL will have four host cities: Birmingham, Canton, Detroit, and Memphis. The hope is the USFL will spread its wings and become more than just a television show.

Along with playing in four different cities, the USFL 2023 season will welcome a new team. The Tampa Bay Bandits relocated to Tennessee to become the Memphis Showboats. Fans of the old USFL will remember the Showboats as one of the original teams in the football league.

The USFL will feature eight teams for 2023. Like the XFL, it will have two divisions of four teams each. Do you smell some kind of working relationship or merger with the XFL on the horizon?

Who are the USFL 2023 teams?

The USFL will overlap with both the NFL and XFL in terms of teams.

North Division:

• Michigan Panthers
• New Jersey Generals
• Philadelphia Stars
• Pittsburgh Maulers

South Division:

• Birmingham Stallions
• Houston Gamblers
• New Orleans Breakers
• Memphis Showboats

Two teams will share a home stadium for 2023.

• The Generals and Maulers will play home games at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.
• The Stallions and Breakers will play home games at Protective Stadium in Birmingham.
• The Panthers and Stars will play home games at Ford Field in Detroit.
• The Showboats and Gamblers will play home games at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis.

USFL regular season format

The USFL will feature a 10-week regular season. Each team will play its divisional rival two and opposite division teams once. The top two teams in each division will qualify for the playoffs.

The teams will then play a divisional championship game, with the winner progressing to the USFL Championship Game in Canton at the end of June.

When does the USFL 2023 season begin?

The USFL 2023 season begins on April 15. The 10-week regular season will end on Saturday, June 17. The playoffs and Championship Game will follow before the end of the month. Once the USFL season ends, the NFL will begin their preseason, giving gridiron fans the chance to watch football all year round.

Which team won the USFL 2022 Championship Game?

The New Jersey Generals and Philadelphia Stars qualified for the USFL playoffs from the North Division in 2022. Meanwhile, the Stallions and Breakers reached the postseason from the South Division.

Philadelphia and Birmingham then met in the Championship Game, with the Stallions coming out on top 33-30.

USFL’s impact on the NFL

Following the USFL season, more than 180 players were invited to NFL tryout camps. By the time the NFL 2022 season ended, 13 USFL players from the 2022 campaign were active members of an NFL team’s roster. The league is seen by some fans as a stepping stone for players to reach or return to the NFL. Will season No 2 of the USFL be as fruitful as the previous campaign?

USFL Outright Winner Betting Odds

Sportsbooks have updated odds for the USFL 2023 outright winner. Here are the latest odds as of April 18 courtesy of Bet365.

• Birmingham Stallions +240
• NJ Generals +400
• Philadelphia Stars +400
• New Orleans Breakers +500
• Michigan Panthers +550
• Memphis Showboats +1000
• Houston Gamblers +1200
• Pittsburgh Maulers +1600