The USFL scheduled three games for today at Protective Field in Birmingham. Things are not going according to plan.
The first game, Houston Gamblers vs. Michigan Panthers, was scheduled for a noon Eastern Time kickoff, but has been delayed by bad weather in Birmingham. It is not clear when the game, which airs on NBC and Peacock, will actually kick off.
That could lead to delays of the second and third games, which would obviously not be ideal for the upstart league that wants fans to be able to find games as easily as possible. Game 2, Philadelphia Stars vs. New Orleans Breakers, is scheduled for 4 p.m. on USA, and Game 3, Tampa Bay Bandits vs. Pittsburgh Maulers, is scheduled for 8 p.m. on FS1.
The USFL decided to play all of its games in Birmingham to cut costs for its opening season. But there are risks involved in that approach, and we’re witnessing one of them right now.
UPDATE 1 p.m. ET: The game started after a delay of just under an hour.
