USFL kicks off 2023 season as Birmingham Stallions look to repeat

The USFL will kick off its second season this week.

The revamped spring football league will run the 2023 season from April 15 to July 1, when the championship game will return to Canton, Ohio. The top two teams from each division will play against each other in the playoffs on June 24-25.

There will be a few different changes to the format of the schedule. The USFL moved away from the bubble format as each team played in Birmingham, Alabama, last year. This year, there are four locations for play in what’s being called the hub format. Birmingham, Canton, Detroit and Memphis, Tennessee, will be the hubs. The Tampa Bay Bandits moved to Memphis to become the Showboats.

Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Ford Field in Detroit and Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton will be the host cities.

Here are more things to know about the 2023 USFL season.

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Who are the defending champions?

The Birmingham Stallions won the USFL Championship last summer, holding off Case Cookus and the Philadelphia Stars, 33-30. Cookus broke his leg during the game and his absence may have helped give the Stallions the edge in the game. Victor Bolden Jr. was named the MVP of the championship.

Coaching changes

There were a few head-coaching changes during the USFL offseason.

Mike Nolan replaced Jeff Fisher for the Michigan Panthers. Curtis Johnson replaced Kevin Sumlin with the Houston Gamblers. Ray Horton replaced Kirby Wilson with the Pittsburgh Maulers. John DeFilippo replaced Larry Fedora with the New Orleans Breakers.

The four other teams kept their head coaches. Mike Riley coaches the New Jersey Generals. Bart Andrus coaches the Philadelphia Stars. Skip Holtz coaches the Birmingham Stallions. Todd Haley coaches the Memphis Showboats.

Players you may know

Birmingham Stallions: RB Bo Scarbrough, QB J’Mar Smith, TE Jace Sternberger, TE Thaddeus Moss, DE Jonathan Newsome, S Nate Holley, LB Scooby Wright III.

Houston Gamblers: RB Mark Thompson, G Avery Gennesy, T Brandon Hitner, OL Kristjan Sokoli.

Memphis Showboats: QB Brady White, RB Alex Collins, WR John Franklin III, WR Osirus Mitchell, WR Rashard Davis, WR Vinny Papale, CB Quenton Meeks, DT John Atkins.

Michigan Panthers: QB Carson Strong, QB Josh Love, TE Marcus Baugh, RB Reggie Corbin, RB Stevie Scott III, DL Ethan Westbrooks.

USFL VOWS TICKET AFFORDABILITY AHEAD OF 2023 SEASON: ‘BEST VALUE IN PROFESSIONAL SPORTS’

New Jersey Generals: TE Braedon Bowman, RB Darius Victor, QB De’Andre Johnson, QB Kyle Lauletta, RB Trey Williams, LB Chris Orr, S Shalom Luani.

New Orleans Breakers: WR Johnnie Dixon, WR Jonathan Adams, QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson, LB Jerod Fernandez.

Pittsburgh Maulers: WR Bailey Gaither, QB James Morgan, DT Christopher Okoye, LB Reuben Foster.

Philadelphia Stars: TE Bug Howard, QB Case Cookus, WR Chris Rowland, QB K.J. Costello, RB Matt Colburn II, DE Adam Rodriguez, CB Channing Stribling.

Rule changes

The USFL brought new quirks to the football rule book last season with experimental changes to extra points, instant replay, kickoffs, onside kicks and scrimmage plays overtime, punts, timing, pass interference and two forward passes. The USFL kept the fans in mind when thinking of the new rules and days before kickoff unveiled a few more changes.

Kickoffs will start from the 20-yard line. Kickoffs that go out of bounds will be placed 30 yards from the spot of the kick.

On punts, gunners are barred from lining up outside the numbers when the ball is snapped and cannot be double-team blocked until the ball is kicked.

The USFL took aim at fumbles in the end zone. A ball fumbled forward from the field of play into the end zone and out of bounds is no longer a touchback but returned to the spot of the fumble with the team that fumbled the ball retaining possession.

NFL fans were up in arms about the emergency quarterback rule in the NFC Championship Game, and the USFL addressed the need. Teams will be allowed to carry an inactive third QB. If the player is activated and enters the game at any point in the first three quarters, the other two quarterbacks may not reenter the game. If the emergency QB enters in the fourth quarter, then either of the two quarterbacks can play.

The replay center will have the breadth to overturn incorrect roughing the passer penalties, all personal fouls and all unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. The USFL Command Center is based in Los Angeles.

The league will also look to keep game lengths to fewer than three hours. The clock will run after incomplete passes in the entire first and third quarters and outside of five minutes in the second and fourth quarters. 

“When a runner goes out of bounds, the clock will start on the ready-for-play except inside two minutes of the second and fourth quarters,” the league says.

“The clock will remain stopped after a penalty inside two minutes of the second and fourth quarters. The clock will stop after a first down inside two minutes in the second and fourth quarters. The halftime length is 10 minutes. The play clock is 35 seconds.”

When is Week 1?

Week 1 of the 2023 season begins on Saturday, April 15, and Sunday, April 16. 

Saturday, the Stars take on the Showboats in Memphis at 4:30 p.m. ET on FOX. The Generals play the Stallions in Birmingham at 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX. On Sunday, the Panthers play the Gamblers in Memphis at noon ET on NBC and Peacock. The Maulers will play the Breakers in Birmingham at 6:30 p.m. ET.