The USFL kicks off its second season this weekend with eight teams playing in two divisions in four cities over the course of ten weeks with games broadcast on the Fox and the NBC families of networks.
New USFL President and former Dallas Cowboy Daryl Johnston leads the league into Year 2. The league continues to grow and to operate as a stand-alone league that serves as a pipeline to the NFL. Last season, 60 USFL players signed NFL contracts highlighted by USFL MVP KaVontae Turpin who signed with Dallas and earned All-Pro honors.
Birmingham Stallions Look to Repeat
The Birmingham Stallions won the inaugural championship in the rebooted league thanks to a 4th quarter comeback against the Philadelphia Stars.
Bo Scarbrough and the Stallions begin defense of their title Saturday at Protective Stadium in Birmingham against the New Jersey Generals and their MVP candidate De’Andre Johnson. Case Cookus and the Philadelphia Stars fell just short against the Stallions in last year’s title game. Their quest to resolve unfinished business begins on the road Saturday at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis against the Showboats.
The Memphis Showboats? Yes. Memphis replaces Tampa Bay in the USFL.
(Read More: A Closer Look at the 2023 USFL Schedule)
The USFL’s Divisions, Teams, and Home Fields
Lets talk about the ABCs of this year’s USFL. As mentioned earlier, there are eight teams, and they play in two divisions. The North Division is comprised of the New Jersey Generals, the Philadelphia Stars, the Michigan Panthers, and the Pittsburgh Maulers. The Generals and the Maulers will claim Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio as their home while the Stars and the Panthers will play home games at Ford Field in Detroit, MI. The South Division is comprised by the Birmingham Stallions, the Memphis Showboats, the New Orleans Breakers, and the Houston Gamblers. These four teams will play their home games at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, AL (Birmingham and New Orleans) and at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, TN (Memphis and Houston).
The regular season is 10 weeks with the top two teams from each division qualifying for the playoffs. Those semifinal games will be played on June 24-25. The Championship Game is slated for July 1 and will be played in Canton, OH.
Each team’s roster is 50 players – 40 active and 10 inactive on game days. Top returning players in 2023 include the aforementioned Scarbrough, Johnson, and Cooke. They will be joined on the field by newcomers including former Nevada signal caller Carson Strong (Michigan), former New York Jets’ quarterback James Morgan (Pittsburgh), and former Texas A&M Aggie Jace (Birmingham) Sternberger.
(Read More: The Road to the 2023 USFL Kickoff)
Favorites to Win the USFL Championship
Championship odds have been posted by the sports books. It is not surprising to see the defending champion Birmingham Stallions as the early favorite (+275) followed by the New Jersey Generals (+300) and the Philadelphia Stars (+500). Be sure to do your homework and get the most favorable odds for your choice for USFL champion.
NBC Sports’ Vaughn Dalzell likes the roster of the New Jersey Generals led by their returning quarterback De’Andre Johnson.
“I’m taking the New Jersey Generals to win it all because last year they were on a 9-game winning streak before they lost to the Philadelphia Stars in the playoffs, but Philly’s defense was an issue last year allowing the most points per game so give me the New Jersey Generals to win the 2023 USFL title.”
Expect individual game odds to be made available as the week progresses and we approach kick-off to Season 2 in the USFL.
Enjoy the games, bet responsibly, and enjoy the sweat.