2022 USFL season

On June 3, 2021, The Spring League founder Brian Woods announced that he had acquired the remaining extant trademarks of the United States Football League with the intent of launching a USFL-branded league in 2022, with Fox Sports remaining as a partner in the new USFL.^[1] What was to become of The Spring League remained, at the time, an unresolved question, but according to the initial announcement TSL was to continue,^[2] probably as a scouting showcase or developmental operation. It was later reported that TSL in no longer associated with the new USFL,^[3] and Woods would later state that TSL was "no longer operational."^[4]

On October 12, 2021, Tad Snider, the executive director of the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Authority, announced that the league was in serious discussions with the board of directors of the BJCC about the possibility of the USFL playing all of its games in Birmingham, Alabama. According to initial information, USFL players/staff would be housed in Birmingham during the season for an estimated economic impact of about $15 million (47,000 hotel nights), while the league would play the bubble season at Protective Stadium and Legion Field.^[5][6][7] It was speculated that the "bubble" setup would 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. The teams would then be expected to play in their own cities by Season 3.^[8]

The proposal included an eight-team 10-week season with two additional playoff rounds, from April 16 through July 3, 2022, with the broadcast proposal as follows: 25% each on Fox, NBC, FS1 and USA. Later on December 15, 2021, Fox and NBC had finalized their agreement. NBC announced that it would air nine games on NBC itself, eight on USA, and four on its streaming service Peacock.^[9][10][11]

450km
280miles

3

2

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Map of venues used in the USFL

1

Protective Stadium (Birmingham AL)

2

Legion Field (Birmingham AL)

3

Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium (Canton OH)

The city of Birmingham and the USFL announced that the city would host all eight teams. The regular-season games would be played at Protective Stadium and Legion Field.^[12]

The choice of Birmingham as the league's sole city led to substantial crowds for the Birmingham Stallions and to very small crowds for games involving only teams named after other cities and states. The opening-week matchup between the Tampa Bay Bandits and Pittsburgh Maulers, rescheduled to Monday night, was played in an almost entirely empty stadium.^[13] USA Today reported that during the Week 2 matchup between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, crowd shots included more Fox broadcast staff members than fans.^[14]

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 schedule conflicts with the 2022 World Games. Playoffs were held on June 25 and July 3.^[15]

The eight teams competing in the USFL's 2022 season all feature the names and colors of USFL teams that existed in 1984.^[16] During the 2022 season, all regular-season games were held at Protective Stadium (Week 1–7, 9) and Legion Field (Week 8 & 10) in Birmingham, Alabama.^[12][17]

For the 2022 season, all eight carried a 38-man active roster and a seven-man practice squad (45 total).^[19] After week 5 the league announced they'll expands game-day rosters by two, total rosters by five (40/10).^[20] Contrary to other leagues, since injured players did not get paid, they were released after they got injured instead of reverting to "injured reserve list".^[21]

In May, 2022 the organization contacted players from the newly formed USFL in attempt unionize,^[22] with a petition to represent the approximately 360 USFL players was later filed at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).^[23] The UFPA would later join forces with the United Steelworkers as the players union representation on behalf the USFL players.^[24][25]

USFL players and staff will be able to receive a college degree "tuition-free and debt-free", through a partnership with for-profit universities Strategic Education's Capella University and Strayer University. They will be able to take classes online or in-person.^[26]

USFL players receive weekly salaries of $4,500 for active roster players, $1,500 for practice squad players, and $600 during training camp, while injured players did not get paid. Players also receive bonuses of $850 per regular-season or postseason win and $10,000 for winning the championship.^[27][28] Players had to cover their own housing costs, but the league offered hotel rooms at a discounted price of $75 per room per day, with an option for two players to share a room.^[29]

The 2022 USFL draft occurred on February 22 and 23, 2022, and had a format similar to the 2020 XFL draft, where players were selected in phases based on positions.^[30] Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson was the first overall pick by the Michigan Panthers.

Transactions^[31][32]

The USFL has instituted a standard professional football system where players who are cut by a team will be put on waivers for 24 hours. During this period, a player can be claimed by any other team. After the third regular-season game, the League based its waiver priority on inverse league standings. Players clearing waivers with no claim were released, no longer be under USFL contract, and became free agents.^[33]

• On April 1, New Jersey Generals first round draft pick Ben Holmes 2022 due to a toe injury and replaced by Luis Perez.^[34]
• On May 26, quarterback Shea Patterson was released by Michigan and claimed by New Orleans.^[35]
• On May 28, quarterback KJ Costello Stanford signed a contract with Philadelphia Stars.^[36]
• On June 2, Houston Gamblers starting quarterback Clayton Thorson was placed on the inactive list after suffering an elbow injury.^[37]

The following Players of the Week were named the top performers (by the fans voting in a poll) during the 2022 season:

The following 27 players were selected by the league as "athletes who played consistently well over the course of the season".^[136]

Reference^[138]

Fox Sports owns the league and has reportedly committed $150 million–$200 million over three years to its operations,^[139][140] with plans to attract an additional $250 million from investors.^[141] For the 2022 regular season, tickets cost $10 per person, with children aged 15 and under free. However, for the 2 division finals games tickets will cost $15 per person with children aged 15 and under $5, for the championship game those prices are increased by $5 (meaning $20 per person and $10 for children 15 and under)^[142] Tickets provide access to all games scheduled for the same day.^[143] On March 3, 2022, the league announced that 15 states have approved legal, regulated betting on USFL games.^[144]

On February 15, 2022, the USFL signed a multi-year partnership with Sportradar, making them the official sports data partner of the league. Sportradar will also provide betting data during USFL telecasts.^[145]

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.^[146] It would later reported that the league estimated annual revenue is around $7.5 million.^[147]

This was the first year of the three-year rights deal agreement between NBC Sports along with Fox Sports (Fox Does not have to pay a rights free due to it being one of the owners of the league).^[148]

Telecasts for the 2022 season will air on Fox, FS1, NBC, Peacock and USA Network, Fox broadcast 13 regular season games (1 simulcast with NBC), 1 semi-final, and the championship game this season (on a two year rotation with NBC).^[149] NBC broadcast 8 regular season games (1 simulcast with Fox) and 1 semi-final. Peacock broadcast 4 games exclusively and simulcast all NBC games (including the opening game simulcast with Fox and NBC). Other games aired on Cable networks USA Network (9 games) and FS1 (7 games).^[150]

The opening game was broadcast on April 16, 2022, at 7:30 PM Eastern time on both Fox and NBC. Fox produced the game and NBC produced all studio coverage. It was the first football game to be simulcast across two major American broadcast networks since the 2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game.^[151]

Fox brought back its lead XFL broadcast team from 2020, Curt Menefee and Joel Klatt, for USFL coverage.^[152] Kevin Kugler and Mark Sanchez serve as the second broadcast team. Brock Huard reports from the sidelines during selected games.^[153]

The NBC crew features Jac Collinsworth and Paul Burmeister handling play-by-play duties alongside analysts Jason Garrett, Michael Robinson and Cameron Jordan. Zora Stephenson and Corey Robinson are sideline reporters and Sara Perlman hosts halftime and post-game coverage.^[154]

In millions of viewers

* One decimal place is shown in table but three decimal places are used in all calculations.
* Viewership figures for games streaming on Peacock were not released.

During the season, Fox also aired a 13-part documentary series called "United by Football: A Season in the USFL" which produced by the league, NFL Films and Fox Sports. The series followed the USFL players and coaches "behind-the-scenes" during their 2022 journey, starting with the inaugural USFL Player Draft in Birmingham, and conclude with the USFL Championship game.^[155][156] The series averaged 720,000 viewers per episode.^[157]

The show caused controversy before the first week, as a video clip, posted on social media, of Pittsburgh Maulers head coach Kirby Wilson releasing running back De'Veon Smith due to violating team protocol after asking to have pizza for lunch instead of the chicken salad.^[158]

The first week of games received mixed reviews. Although 3.07 million viewers tuning in for the league first game and 2.15 million for the second and the level of play was good,^[159] some criticized the first game simulcasting and especially the camera angles and drones shots,^[160] while others praised the helmet cam and sideline access.^[161] The viewership dropped 57% in the second week, while numbers continue to decline throughout the season with a season low of 337,500 average for the final week.^[162] Regular season averaged 695,000 viewers per game. The USFL Championship Game averaged a 0.9 rating and 1.52 million viewers on FOX, and was the league's highest rated and most-watched telecast since week 1.^[163]

The USFL experimented by putting sensors in game balls to measure first downs.^[164] This experience cause an issue during week 1, with poor passing attempts and kicking performance for punts, field goals, and extra points, given the distribution of the extra weight of the sensor.^[165] The league changed kicking balls before Week 2.^[166]

Many were concerned about the attendance figures in the hub setting in Birmingham for non-Stallions games. While the league started strong with 17,500 fans in attendance for the first game, featuring the local Stallions vs New Jersey Generals, but the did not release figures for the other 39 regular-season games, which appeared to be played in a mostly-empty stadium.^[13][160] The poor attendance and the league's inability to connect with fans in most of their city-named teams' markets, believed to hurt league image and credibility amongst casual and mainstream football fans.^[167] The USFL acknowledged the issue, and promised to play next season in two to four cities, and the USFL parent company, Fox, hired investment bank Allen & Company to find minority investors to help fund the league's expansion into local markets.^[168][169]