The United States Football League was a professional American football league that played three seasons between 1983 and 1985. In the process, the National Football League had its greatest competitor since the 1960s version of the American Football League.

Organization

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The USFL was the brainchild of David Dixon, a New Orleans entrepreneur who in the 1960s envisioned football as a possible spring and summer sport. In the early 1980s, Dixon gathered a group of owners from twelve cities and announced the league's launch on May 11, 1982, to begin play in 1983.

Franchise instability

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While no teams folded during any season of the USFL, it was a close call in many cases, and some franchises folded before or after a season's play. The league experienced a great deal of franchise instability, relocation, and closure:

• During the 1983-1984 off-season:
  • The Boston Breakers franchise, which was unable to gain access to Foxboro Stadium and had played the 1983 season in Boston University's small Nickerson Field, relocated to New Orleans.
  • The owners of the Arizona Wranglers and Chicago Blitz franchises basically traded teams, with virtually all 1983 Arizona players playing in Chicago for 1984 and vice-versa. The result of this was that Chicago ended up losing a playoff caliber team and got one that was worst in its division.
  • Needing fresh capital, the league expanded from 12 to 18 teams, adding the Pittsburgh Maulers, Houston Gamblers, San Antonio Gunslingers, Memphis Showboats, Oklahoma Outlaws and Jacksonville Bulls.
• During the 1984-1985 off-season:
  • The Breakers moved a second time, this time to Portland, Oregon.
  • The owner of the Los Angeles Express franchise went bankrupt, abandoning his franchise and putting the league's television contract with ABC in jeopardy.
  • Upon the league's announcement that they would begin play in the fall of 1986, the league champion Philadelphia Stars announced they would relocate to Baltimore, Maryland for 1985.
  • The league's 1983 champion Michigan Panthers would merge with the Oakland Invaders, as team owner Alfred Taubman did not wish to compete head-to-head with the NFL's Detroit Lions in 1986.
  • The Washington Federals were relocated to Orlando, Florida where they would become the Orlando Renegades.
  • The Arizona Wranglers (nee Chicago Blitz of 1983) would merge with the Oklahoma Outlaws, forming the Arizona Outlaws. The Outlaws had originally intended to merge with the Oakland Invaders, but an agreement between their owners couldn't be reached.
  • The Pittsburgh Maulers, owned by billionaire shopping mall magnate Edward J. DeBartolo Sr. folded; and
  • The Chicago Blitz (nee Arizona Wranglers of 1983) also folded. Eddie Einhorn was granted a new franchise for Chicago, but it was repeatedly announced that the team Einhorn had purchased was not the Blitz.

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@raiderfantan naw he was tryin out for the Las Vegas gamblers #USFL trying to take the Kurt Warner route! But he gotta go bag groceries 1st
RobbEJonze (Robby Jones) Thu, 07 Jan 2010 06:48:25 -0000
@raiderfantan naw he was tryin out for the Las Vegas gamblers #USFL trying to take the Kurt Warner route! But he gotta go bag groceries 1st
@ProFootballTalk When you say Cribbs, I think Joe. #Bills #Auburn #BirminghamStallions #NFL #USFL
exilerugby (Exile Rugby) Thu, 07 Jan 2010 04:40:20 -0000
@ProFootballTalk When you say Cribbs, I think Joe. #Bills #Auburn #BirminghamStallions #NFL #USFL
The USFL had some awesome helmet designs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAtDkbvHIRI&feature=rec-rev-rn-1r-1-HM
beanmace (Brian Mace) Wed, 06 Jan 2010 13:55:46 -0000
The USFL had some awesome helmet designs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAtDkbvHIRI&feature=rec-rev-rn-1r-1-HM
Just watched @ESPN's @30for30 film on the USFL. They had crazy talent! I had no idea. Trump is still a whiney girl about it too.
nickjones82 (Nick Jones) Wed, 06 Jan 2010 03:27:39 -0000
Just watched @ESPN's @30for30 film on the USFL. They had crazy talent! I had no idea. Trump is still a whiney girl about it too.
@BigFunn I'm in jersey right now .. yea if not usfl try and get some looks
Curenton54 (Jason Curenton) Tue, 05 Jan 2010 21:32:22 -0000
@BigFunn I'm in jersey right now .. yea if not usfl try and get some looks
@brian_shoemaker In February, I long for the USFL.
QcyNews (QuincyNews.org) Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:55:05 -0000
@brian_shoemaker In February, I long for the USFL.

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