USFL teams, rosters, schedule, rules & more to know about the 2023 football league | Sporting News (2024)

The USFL is doing something that spring football leagues haven't done often in their histories. It is coming back for a second season.

The USFL is set to kick off its second campaign in mid-April, just before the end of the XFL season and the start of the 2023 NFL Draft. It will run through the first day of July as it looks to establish itself as the premier spring-league option.

A lot has changed across the USFL since the Birmingham Stallions won the championship in July of 2022. Half of the league's head coaches have changed while roster turnover has been rampant, as teams have lost talented players to the NFL and XFL.

Even still, there are plenty of quality players left on rosters, and that should set the USFL to have a strong second season.

MORE:Watch USFL games live on Fubo (free trial)

Here's everything to know about the USFL — from what it is to when its championship game will be played — as its 2023 season begins.

What is the USFL?

The USFL is a spring league start-up that began playing in 2022. The league ran an entire 10-week regular season and two-week postseason in 2022 and will now be returning to action with a similar schedule in 2023.

The rebooted USFL is unrelated to the first edition of the USFL, which played from 1983 to 1985 before it shuttered after planning to compete with the NFL on a fall schedule. The newer spring league does use the same team names and branding as the original league, but it shares no affiliation with its original owners.

The USFL is owned by Fox Sports and was founded by Brian Woods, who previously founded another football start-up The Spring League. Former Cowboys fullback and current Fox broadcaster Daryl Johnston is the president of the league.

MORE:Daryl Johnston on what to expect from USFL in 2023

USFL 2022 season recap

The 2022 USFL season began on April 16 in Birmingham, Ala. and ended on July 3 in Canton, Ohio.The Birmingham Stallions were the league's inaugural champion after posting a 9-1 regular-season record and winning their two playoff games to take home the title. The Philadelphia Stars were the runner-up.

Below is a look at the results from the 2022 USFL season:

North division standings

South division standings

Divisional round playoffs

• North: Stars 19,Generals 14
• South: Stallions 31, Breakers 17

Championship game

• Result: Stallions 33,Stars 30
• MVP: WR/KR Victor Bolden Jr.

USFL awards for 2022

• MVP: WR/KR KaVontae Turpin, Generals
• Offensive Player of the Year: RB Darius Victor, Generals
• Defensive Player of the Year: DE Chris Odom, Gamblers
• Coach of the Year: Mike Riley, Generals

USFL team namesfor 2023

The USFL will once again be an eight-team league in 2023. Seven of the participants in the first season will return to play again while one team, the Tampa Bay Bandits, has rebranded to become the Memphis Showboats.

Below is a look at the eight teams playing in the USFL during the 2023 season:

• Birmingham Stallions
• Houston Gamblers
• Memphis Showboats
• Michigan Panthers
• New Jersey Generals
• New Orleans Breakers
• Philadelphia Stars
• Pittsburgh Maulers

USFL coaches, players, rosters for 2023

The USFL's offseason was unique in that it didn't have to complete a start-up draft because the league played in 2022. As such, its rosters are comprised of many returning players along with some notable veteran additions who joined the league as free agents.

That said, the league did hold a draft during which it acquired the rights to players who have completed their college careers and are heading to the pros. Sporting News tracked those results when that draft occurred.

MORE: Tracking the picks made in the 2023 USFL Draft

All told, USFL teams will have 50 roster spots but only 40 players will dress on game day. That means 400 players will ultimately begin the season as part of the league, though many others will cycle through as injury replacements.

As for the coaches, there are four new faces leading USFL franchise in 2023. Below is a breakdown of the team leaders and their track records.

Birmingham Stallions

• Head coach: Skip Holtz

Holtz is returning to coach the Stallions for a second season after leading them to a championship in 2022. The 59-year-old has a rich history as a college head coach, having spent nine years as the leader at Louisiana Tech before going to Birmingham in 2022.

Holtz has an 11-1 record as a USFL coach including the postseason. He also had a winning record during his college coaching days, posting a 152-121 combined mark at UConn, East Carolina, South Florida and Louisiana Tech.

The Stallions will feature J'Mar Smith, who played under Holtz at Louisiana Tech, as their top quarterback, though Alex McGough may get some playing time as part of the league's best quarterback room. Football fans will also recognize former Alabama running backBo Scarbrough, former Packers tight end Jace Sternberger and veteran pass rusher Jonathan Newsome among those on the Birmingham roster.

Houston Gamblers

• Head coach: Curtis Johnson

Johnson is taking over the Gamblers for the 2023 USFL season after Kevin Sumlin resigned. The Gamblers went 3-7 last year, so Johnson will be tasked with helping to turn them around.

Johnson has a rich history as a receivers coach, holding the role at high-end jobs like Miami (Fla.) from 1996 to 2005 and with the Saints from 2006 to 2011. He served as Tulane's coach from 2012 to 2015 and posted a 15-33 record overall with one winning season. After that, he returned to the NFL as a position coach and ultimately spent more time with Sean Payton and the Saints from 2017 to 2021.

The job with the Gamblers will be Johnson's first high-end coaching job since 2021, but the USFL believes he will be ready for it. President Daryl Johnston called him a "rockstar" and said that the Gamblers' culture under him is "really, really different" than what they had in 2022.

"He's just such a quality guy," Johnston told Sporting News in an interview. "I think they're gonna surprise some people this year."

Former Florida running backMark Thompson will be the top offensive talent with which Johnson gets to work. On the other side of the ball, the reigning USFL Defensive Player of the Year Chris Odom is now with the Cleveland Browns, so Johnson will have to see if they can find a replacement for his skill-set.

Memphis Showboats

• Head coach: Todd Haley

The Showboats are technically a new team, but in reality, they just shifted the Bandits coaching staff and roster over to Memphis. As such, Todd Haley will return to the USFL in the hopes of improving upon the 4-6 record he led his team to in 2022.

Haley came to the USFL with three years of NFL head coaching experience under his belt and more than two decades worth of NFL experience. While his 23-32 coaching record is merely decent, he is considered a sharp offensive mind. That's why he has been an NFL offensive coordinator three times.

Unfortunately, Haley won't get to work with Jordan Ta'amu at quarterback in 2023, as he is now playing for the XFL's D.C. Defenders. However, the Showboats have added former Seahawks running back Alex Collins to the roster and have an intriguing quarterback room featuring Memphis product Brady White. Defensive tackles John Atkins and Daylon Mack also have NFL experience and should help the Showboats be strong against the run this season.

Michigan Panthers

• Head coach: Mike Nolan

Jeff Fisher was one of the faces of the USFL reboot, but he will not be returning in 2023 after resigning during the offseason. That said, the Panthers have a well-known replacement taking over for him in veteran NFL coach Mike Nolan.

Nolan, 64, has been coaching since 1981 and had a three-and-a-half-year stint as the head coach of the 49ers. He went 18-37 during that time. He has been a defensive coordinator for a whopping eight NFL teams and should bring a gritty defensive mindset to the Panthers.

Top runner Reggie Corbin is returning to the Panthers and should be a solid complement to the team's quarterback, be it USFL veteran Josh Love or the newly signed Carson Strong. Wide receivers Trey Quinn and Whop Philyor will be names familiar to football fans from their times with the Commanders and at Indiana respectively.

Michigan also has linebacker Frank Ginda, who starred for the team last year, and Paddy Fisher, who was a four-year playmaker at Northwestern. Former Seahawks third-round pick Delano Hill at safety and star kicker Cole Murphy will help to give this team plenty of upside under Nolan.

New Jersey Generals

• Head coach: Mike Riley

Riley was the USFL's Coach of the Year in its inaugural season after leading the Generals to a 9-1 record. Now, he will return to the team and look to earn his first USFL postseason victory.

Riley, 69, has been a head coach in five different leagues: the CFL, NFL, NCAA, AAF and USFL. He won two Grey Cups coaching in the CFL and had a winning record as a college coach (112-99)with most of his success coming during his time at Oregon State. In his three-year stint with the Chargers from 1999 to 2001, Riley posted a record of just 14-34.

The Generals are returning some of the talent that helped them go 9-1 during the regular season in 2023. That includes the USFL's reigning Offensive Player of the YearDarius Victor and quarterback De'Andre Johnson. The team will have to work hard to replace reigning MVP KaVontae Turpin as well as starting quarterback Luis Perez, but at least they will return star safetyShalom Luani to the fold.

New Orleans Breakers

• Head coach: John DeFilippo

DeFilippo is replacing Larry Fedora as the head coach of the Breakers after Fedora resigned from his post during the offseason. Getting the respected quarterbacks coach and three-time NFL offensive coordinator was a boon for the USFL, as Johnston described.

"DeFilippo, in 2017, was one of the hottest names in the NFL as a prospective head coach," he told Sporting News. "For him to come to the USFL and bring his knowledge [of] the quarterback position to the offensive side of the football is a great opportunity for every player on the New Orleans Breakers."

DeFilippo has never been a head coach at any level, so this jump could test the 44-year-old. Even still, he has 22 years of coaching experience and had been in the NFL since 2005 before jumping to the USFL.

That said, DeFilippo will have to remake a Breakers offense that is replacing its quarterback room from 2022, with former CFL quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson being the veteran of the group. The return of star receiverJonathan Adams will help him acclimate to the league while the star linebacker duo ofJerod Fernandez and Vontae Diggs will create a solid core on defense once again.

Philadelphia Stars

• Head coach: Bart Andrus

The Stars came up just short in their quest for a title last year, but Bart Andrus is back and ready to coach them to victory this season. The 65-year-old has coached all over the world in the NFL, NFL Europe, the CFL, the Spring League and many more. He has typically found success, much as he did with the Stars last season.

Philadelphia could be poised to be one of the USFL's best teams, as starting quarterback Case Cookus is returning to the team after a brief stint in the NFL. Cookus was arguably the best passer in the USFL last season despite starting the year as the backup to Bryan Scott, and he should get better in year two with former NFL first-round pickCorey Coleman joining the roster at receiver.

Other familiar names on the Stars include former Notre Dame and Packers running back Dexter Williams, former Patriots tight end Ryan Izzo andChanning Stribling, who was the USFL's interception leader last season. Philadelphia could be the best team in the North, and the Stars will have a chance to contend for another title, especially if Cookus can remain healthy.

Pittsburgh Maulers

• Head coach: Ray Horton

Horton is taking over the Maulers, who finished with a league-worst 1-9 record last season, from Kirby Wilson. He will have his work cut out for him in doing so, but his decade of playing experience with the Bengals and Cowboys should give him a chance to succeed in the role.

Horton, 62, has 23 years of coaching experience, including six years as a defensive coordinator with the Cardinals, Browns and Titans. He has won three Super Bowls, one as a player and two as the defensive backs coach for the Steelers.

Horton doesn't have any head coaching experience and since 2017, he has only spent one season coaching. That was in the NFL in 2019 as Washington's defensive backs coach. So, coming back to the field may be an adjustment, but the Maulers will have nowhere to go but up under his watch.

The Maulers have attempted to remake their roster during the offseason, but top receiver Bailey Gaither is returning in 2023. Elsewhere, former Jets fourth-round pick James Morgan will join the quarterback room and could emerge as the starter. Defense still figures to be Pittsburgh's strength, and it will be interesting to see how former 49ers first-round pick Reuben Foster fares as he attempts to return from a devastating knee injury that left him with nerve damage and drop foot.

USFL 2023 schedule

Once again, the USFL will be playing a 10-game schedule in 2023. The regular season will last exactly 10 weeks — there are no bye weeks — and will begin on April 15 and end on June 18.There will then be three playoff games — two divisional contests and one championship game — that will take place in late June and early July.

Games will be played at four sites: Birmingham, Detroit, Memphis and Canton, Ohio.

The USFL has announced the dates and TV channels for all of its contests in 2023. The games will air on the Fox and NBC family of networks, which includes Fox, NBC, FS1 and USA. All of the contests will be available to stream onFubo, which comes with a free trial, and those on NBC will be available on Peaco*ck.

Below is a look at the full 10-week schedule and matchups for the 2023 USFL season:

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10

USFL playoffs schedule 2023

The USFL playoffs will take place immediately after the 2023 season concludes. The first round of the playoffs will begin on Saturday, June 24 while the championship game will be held a week later on July 1.

The USFL announced that the championship game will be played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, just as it was in 2022. The sites that will host the semifinal matchups are yet to be determined.

Semifinals

Championship

Rule differences between USFL and NFL

The USFL's first season saw the league experiment with some rule changes to create excitement and intrigue around the new league. The league's goal was to put an emphasis on offense and create extra scoring opportunities and chances for dramatic plays.

Below is a run-down of some of the key rule differences between the USFL and NFL that you will notice during the USFL's first weekend of action in 2023.

3-point conversion opportunity

The USFL will allow teams to attempt a 3-point conversion from their 10-yard line if they desire. Teams will also have the option of attempting a traditional extra point from the 15-yard line or a 2-point conversion from the 2-yard line.

Once a team decides which conversion it wants to attempt, it cannot change its mind unless it calls a timeout. Additionally, if a team attempts a 3-point conversion and it is returned for a score by the other team, it is worth only two points.

EXTRA POINTS 💪

In the USFL you can go for 1, 2 or 3 points after scoring a touchdown 🏟 pic.twitter.com/vtcmxsmx9H

— USFL (@USFL) March 23, 2022

Game timing differences

The USFL will utilize a 35-second play clock and a 25-second clock after administrative stoppages. The NFL currently uses a 40-second play clock, so this change should, hypothetically, create more plays.

Additionally, the USFL is planning to stop the clock after first downs during the final two minutes of the second and fourth quarters. This will allow teams to save time on two-minute drills and create a better two-minute drill scenario.

Finally, the league is also planning to keep the game clock running even after incomplete passes save for the final five minutes of each half. Why? They want to keep the running time of the games to three hours or less, per the USFL's head of officiating Mike Pereira.

Alternate onside kick attempt rule

USFL teams will be able to try onside kicks if they desire, but there is another alternative to them. Teams can also choose to run a fourth-and-12 play from their own 33-yard line — eight yards ahead of where an onside kick would be attempted.

If the team converts on the fourth-and-12, they keep the ball. If not, the defense gets the ball at the dead-ball spot.

A lot of risk, but a lot of reward 😏

In the USFL you have another option on top of the onside kick: A 4th & 12 scrimmage play from the 33-yard line 👇 pic.twitter.com/zGprwoSlHD

— USFL (@USFL) March 23, 2022

How kickoffs will work in the USFL

The USFL has designed its kickoffs to generate returns but also avoid excessive forcible contact as a part of them.

So, how do they work?The kicking team will kick off from their own 20-yard line. All of the kicking team's personnel must be lined up no farther than 1-yard back from the 20 to avoid creating a running start.

Meanwhile, the receiving team must have nine of its blockers in the "set-up zone," which is located between the kicking team's 35- and 45-yard lines. The purpose of these formations is to create fewer opportunities for high-speed collisions on special teams.

A new twist to the kickoff is that once a ball travels 20 yards, the receiving team must be first to touch it. If no member of the receiving team touches it or a member of the kicking team touches it, it is a dead ball.

During the 2022 season, the USFL had its kickers kick off from the 25-yard line. However, they wanted to make sure more than 90 percent of the kickoffs were returned, so that necessitated moving the kicker back an extra five yards to make touchbacks that much more difficult.

Punting rule changes

On punts, gunners aren't allowed to line up outside the numbers and the receiving team can't double-team those players until the ball is kicked.

How overtime works in the USFL — OT shootout

The USFL is taking inspiration from both college football and the NHL by instituting a shootout for overtime games. What will that entail? If the game is tied after regulation, the teams alternate two-point conversion attempts from the 2-yard line in a best-of-three series. If no victor is decided within three attempts, we go to sudden death.

Rules are HERE 🔥

First up: An Overtime like you've never seen before ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/6aGRsUalGt

— USFL (@USFL) March 23, 2022

This system was successful in 2022 and created some drama without extending the time of the game. As such, it is expected to remain in place in 2023.

Replay review differences

Each coach will get one challenge to use during the game. However, the replay crew will be able to overrule incorrect personal foul calls and have the power to determine if pass interference is intentional 15 or more yards beyond the line of scrimmage.

Mike Pereira will be in charge of the replay review system and will communicate with the broadcast about what calls are and are not being made.

Intentional vs. unintentional pass interference

Why does determining intentional pass interference matter so much? Well, in the USFL, pass interference is being officiated differently than it is in the NFL.

In cases of defensive pass interference where a player is intentionally tackled beyond 15 yards, it is a spot foul. For any other defensive pass interference infraction over 15 yards, it will be only a 15-yard penalty. Additionally, pass interference calls within 15 yards of the line of scrimmage will be assessed as spot fouls.

Meanwhile, on passes that don't cross the line of scrimmage, there are no offensive pass interference penalties. Nor are there ineligible man downfield penalties. So, if teams are throwing behind the line of scrimmage, blockers will be free to move downfield to set up opportunities to run after the catch.

🟨

Here's how pass interference rules will differ in the USFL this season ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/M6p26VBZvv

— USFL (@USFL) March 23, 2022

USFL's two forward passes rule

This is a rule that the USFL originally took from the XFL in 2020. Teams are allowed to throw the ball forward twice, so long as the first pass is completed behind the line of scrimmage and the second is thrown from behind the line of scrimmage.

This may create some strange-looking plays, but it will keep both defenses and fans alike on their toes.

Sensors in the USFL ball

The USFL is looking to accurately measure each first down. How are they doing that? They have sensors in the ball that will help officials decide whether the offensive team made the line to gain. It's similar to the system used to determine whether a ball is in or out in tennis.

First down measurements that are more accurate than ever 🔥

Take a look at the first down technology that will be featured this season in the USFL ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/fLT2boDOVd

— USFL (@USFL) April 9, 2022