Earlier this year the football world was rocked by the announcement that the USFL would be returning in 2022. At the time details were slim, but we’re starting to get a much clearer vision of their plans.
Last month the USFL revealed it’s first set of hires, which included Brian Woods coming in to serve as President of Football Operation, Daryl Johnston as EVP Football Operations and Mike Pereira as Head of Officiating. Needless to say, this was a huge indicator that FOX was taking the new USFL serious.
In the leadup to the 2022 season, the league has revealed all eight franchises and confirmed that the USFL will play in a central location for its first season.
The last we heard about the location was that a deal was seemingly finalized between the USFL and reps from the City of Birmingham, AL. When the league announced it would play in a central hub, it didn’t specify where. This led to fans online speculating if the deal fell through, while others speculated that the league was waiting for the right time to make it official.
Well, it seems we may have our answer.
Over the weekend some new job listings for the USFL were listed online, and the description tells you everything you need to know.
Well the secret is out… its Birmingham lol #USFL pic.twitter.com/begGECZZJS
— This is The USFL Podcast (@ThisistheUSFL) December 12, 2021
If there was any worry that the league wasn’t going to be in Birmingham, there shouldn’t be anymore. The job description states:
Each team will play a 10-game schedule followed by 4-team semifinals and a championship game. In the inaugural season of the USFL, all eight teams will play in one location – Birmingham, AL. In the future, the USFL expects teams to play in their own markets.
Although the kickoff hasn’t been made official, it’s been reported that the league is targeting April 15th for its inaugural game. The job description mentions “mid-April” as kickoff, so it seems we’re on the right track.
The 2022 USFL regular season will begin in mid-April and run through mid-June, followed by the playoffs. FOX Sports is an official broadcast partner of the USFL and will air games on a weekly basis.
Although the central location hasn’t been made official just yet, it looks like you can expect to see the league in Birmingham next year.
Looking forward to 2022 the USFL is planning to have as many as four teams in Birmingham, with all teams reporting to their respective locations by 2023.
Are you going to be tuning into the USFL in 2022? Do you plan on traveling to Birmingham to attend a game? Let us know down in the comments below or join the conversation on Discord.
