The United States Football League’s inaugural season — in its re-booted form — is almost here, as the season kicks off with four games this weekend. The USFL has not played in 37 years, but this spring it will make a return as a new league with the same name.
It’s an eight team league with a 10-week regular season and a two week postseason (here’s everything you need to know). The USFL is broken down into the North Division and the South Division, with four teams in each. The inaugural draft took place in February, allowing each team to select 35 players. A secondary draft was held in March, where teams added another 10 players (here’s a look at every team’s roster).
The names of each team are a nod to the original USFL teams, which existed from 1983 to 1985. The season will begin on Saturday with a primetime game between the New Jersey Generals and the Birmingham Stallions, and each regular season weekend will have four games. Below we’ll break down how you can watch all four games this Saturday and Sunday. They’ll all be held in Birmingham, Alabama and you can stream them on fuboTV (Try it for free).
Week 1 USFL schedule
| MATCHUP | DATE/TIME | NETWORK/STREAMING |
|---|---|---|
|
New Jersey Generals at Birmingham Stallions |
Saturday, April 16, 7:30 p.m. ET |
Fox, NBC, fuboTV (Try it for free) |
|
Houston Gamblers at Michigan Panthers |
Sunday, April 17, 12 p.m. ET |
NBC, fuboTV |
|
Philadelphia Stars at New Orleans Breakers |
Sunday, April 17, 4 p.m. ET |
USA, fuboTV |
|
Tampa Bay Bandits and Pittsburgh Maulers |
Sunday, April 17, 8 p.m. ET |
FS1, fuboTV |
Generals vs. Stallions
The New Jersey Generals and Birmingham Stallions are kicking things off on Saturday, April 16 at 7:30 p.m. with the first game of the season.
The Generals currently have the worst odds to win the USFL Championship this year at +900, via Caesars Sportsbook, but they do have some notable pieces to their team that could change this narrative. Keep an eye out for former Ohio State Buckeye, running back Mike Weber to make a statement on offense.
The Stallions do not have great odds to win the USFL Championship either at +700 — despite effectively playing all their games at home, as every regular-season game will be held in Birmingham — and are ranked No. 6 in the CBS Sports Power Rankings heading into the season. With the Generals ranked dead last at No. 8 in the power rankings, these teams appear to be a close matchup, with a slight edge towards Birmingham (here’s who we’re picking ATS in every game).
How to watch New Jersey Generals vs. Birmingham Stallions:
Date: April 16
Time: 7:30 pm ET
Location: Birmingham, Alabama
TV Channel: Fox, NBC
Streaming: fuboTV (Try it for free)
Houston Gamblers at Michigan Panthers
The Houston Gamblers and Michigan Panthers have the first Sunday slot on April 17, playing at 12 p.m.
The Panthers have the second-best odds to win the USFL Championship this season at +450, while the Gamblers are at +700 odds and are ranked at No. 7 in the CBS Sports Power Rankings.
The Panthers’ strengths come in their coach-quarterback duo of well-know former NFL head coach Jeff Fisher and former Michigan Wolverines standout Shea Patterson. Patterson was the No. 1 pick in the USFL Draft and the Panthers grabbed another quarterback, former Denver Broncos first-round pick Paxton Lynch, in the draft as well.
On the other side of the ball, the Gamblers have former Northwestern QB Clayton Thorson, who was taken in the first round and has some NFL experience. He can also provide some help on the ground, judging by his college resume, which includes 20 rushing touchdowns.
How to watch Houston Gamblers at Michigan Panthers:
Date: April 17
Time: 12 pm ET
Location: Birmingham, Alabama
TV Channel: NBC
Streaming: fuboTV (Try it for free)
Philadelphia Stars at New Orleans Breakers
The Philadelphia Stars have the fourth best odds to win the USFL Championship as we enter this season, at +550. They are ranked No. 4 in the CBS Sports Power Rankings as we approach Week 1.
The Stars quarterback Zach Mettenberger is coming off an undefeated season in the 2020 Spring League and lead his team to the championship. He could make an impact for Philadelphia.
The Breakers have slightly better odds than their opponents at +450 and are ranked at No. 3 in our Power Rankings. Quarterback Kyle Sloter excelled in preseason games while in the NFL, though he never appeared in a regular season game.
How to watch Philadelphia Stars at New Orleans Breakers
Date: April 17
Time: 4 pm ET
Location: Birmingham, Alabama
TV Channel: USA
Streaming: fuboTV (Try it for free)
Tampa Bay Bandits and Pittsburgh Maulers
The Tampa Bay Bandits and Pittsburgh Maulers will conclude the first week of USFL action, playing Sunday, April 17 at 8 p.m. ET.
The Bandits are tied for the best odds to win the USFL Championship at +450 and they sit at No. 1 in our Power Rankings. The Maulers are No. 5 on Power Rankings, with odds of +550.
Bandits coach Todd Haley and No. 2 USFL draft pick and former XFL player Jordan Ta’amu are considered the best coach-quarterback duo in the league.
The Maulers do not have as solid of a quarterback situation. They took Kyle Lauletta with their top pick and later took Josh Love. Lauletta will likely get the start Week 1.
How to watch Tampa Bay Bandits at Pittsburgh Maulers
Date: April 17
Time: 8 pm ET
Location: Birmingham, Alabama
TV Channel: FS1
Streaming: fuboTV (Try it for free)
