The United States Football League has announced that the league will officially return in the Spring of 2022.
Former USFL, CFL, and NFL star quarterback Doug Flutie was featured in a promotional video included in the announcement.
“The USFL is back — see you in 2022. It’s football, it is real football, it’s pro football at the highest level, it’s just being played in the spring. When I go back to our days in the USFL, that’s what it was,” Flutie said.
“We had Reggie White, we had Jim Kelly, we had Steve Young, we had Herschel Walker, we had name after name. We had 15 guys that played in the USFL that played in the NFL Pro Bowl the following year.”
The USFL announcement comes months after the leadership of the CFL and XFL announced plans to work together to identify opportunities for innovating and growing the game of football. The Rock has stated he’s excited for the ‘unique opportunity’ the CFL and XFL ‘can potentially create together.’
“The talent level is out there. It is an alternative for some players rather than going to the NFL and it’s an opportunity for other players,” Flutie said.
The league will target a minimum of eight teams and deliver high-quality, innovative professional football to fans throughout the spring season.
“We look forward to providing players a new opportunity to compete in a professional football league and giving fans everywhere the best football viewing product possible during what is typically a period devoid of professional football.”
FOX Sports will serve as the official broadcast partner for the USFL. FOX Sports also owns a minority equity stake in the company that owns the USFL.
“The relaunch of the USFL is a landmark day for football fans and FOX Sports,” Fox Sports CEO and executive producer, Eric Shanks said in a statement. “Football is in our DNA and the return of this innovative and iconic league is a fantastic addition to our robust slate of football programming.”
More information on the USFL, including cities, teams, head coaches, and game schedules, will be announced at a later date.