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Full Version: A couple of relocations I would do for the USFL
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I have been studying the teams and thinking of the competition that they have with the XFL as well as the NFL and have come to these conclusions:

1. While the Houston Gamblers are an USFL legacy, Houston has both the Texans and the Roughnecks. Seriously doubt that Houston can support yet another team.

Solution: move the Gamblers to San Antonio or, better yet, Austin. Keep the classic helmets but move the star closer to Austin/San Antonio.

2. Tampa Bay Bandits- while the alliteration is cool, and really rolls off the tongue, Tampa already has the Bucs and the Vipers.

Solution: move the Bandits to Buffalo!! Have only the Bills and the Toronto Argonauts slightly to the north to contend with. Keeps the alliteration too!!! That or if you want Florida eyeballs, move the team to Orlando, but it loses the alliteration.
XFL 2023 is expected to have teams in DFW (where all nine teams will train), San Antonio and Houston.
(06-15-2022 08:01 PM)Renandpat Wrote: [ -> ]XFL 2023 is expected to have teams in DFW (where all nine teams will train), San Antonio and Houston.

Correct - all three Texas cities with XFL teams pretty much confirmed.

https://csnbbs.com/thread-948623.html
When does the USFL plan on having their teams actually play in the markets they are named after rather than Birmingham?

From what I’ve seen, the XFL plans on being in Seattle, Las Vegas, San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, St Louis, DC, and Orlando.

I’m torn as to whether some of the historic USFL cities would do well hosting reboot teams. Perhaps the Houston Gamblers need to be rebranded the Memphis Showboats if the XFL has a lock on the state of Texas. Columbus is a place I see as potentially a ripe market.
(06-17-2022 03:58 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote: [ -> ]When does the USFL plan on having their teams actually play in the markets they are named after rather than Birmingham?

From what I’ve seen, the XFL plans on being in Seattle, Las Vegas, San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, DC, and Orlando.

I’m torn as to whether some of the historic USFL cities would do well hosting reboot teams. Perhaps the Houston Gamblers need to be rebranded the Memphis Showboats if the XFL has a lock on the state of Texas. Columbus is a place I see as potentially a ripe market.
You have just seven for XFL 2023, seems you forgot DC.

USFL has yet to be announced, but they will have a second season as Larry Fedora told a podcast. Separately, a northern and southern hub concepthas allegedly been discussed to with the northern teams in Detroit and southern still Birmingham, but FOX will be hard pressed to sell franchises or gain local interest without local ties but for two cities.

https://mobile.twitter.com/PaulCatalina/..._&ref_url=
(06-15-2022 07:25 PM)DawgNBama Wrote: [ -> ]I have been studying the teams and thinking of the competition that they have with the XFL as well as the NFL and have come to these conclusions:

1. While the Houston Gamblers are an USFL legacy, Houston has both the Texans and the Roughnecks. Seriously doubt that Houston can support yet another team.

Solution: move the Gamblers to San Antonio or, better yet, Austin. Keep the classic helmets but move the star closer to Austin/San Antonio.

2. Tampa Bay Bandits- while the alliteration is cool, and really rolls off the tongue, Tampa already has the Bucs and the Vipers.

Solution: move the Bandits to Buffalo!! Have only the Bills and the Toronto Argonauts slightly to the north to contend with. Keeps the alliteration too!!! That or if you want Florida eyeballs, move the team to Orlando, but it loses the alliteration.

...if to San Antonio, they will probably become the old S.A. USFL team name of the Gunslingers, unless the current USFL didn't get the 'name rights' for it (they got a lot of them from the 'legacy' USFL teams)...

I say Memphis Showboats need to return...
(07-03-2022 10:36 PM)GreenFreakUAB Wrote: [ -> ]
(06-15-2022 07:25 PM)DawgNBama Wrote: [ -> ]I have been studying the teams and thinking of the competition that they have with the XFL as well as the NFL and have come to these conclusions:

1. While the Houston Gamblers are an USFL legacy, Houston has both the Texans and the Roughnecks. Seriously doubt that Houston can support yet another team.

Solution: move the Gamblers to San Antonio or, better yet, Austin. Keep the classic helmets but move the star closer to Austin/San Antonio.

2. Tampa Bay Bandits- while the alliteration is cool, and really rolls off the tongue, Tampa already has the Bucs and the Vipers.

Solution: move the Bandits to Buffalo!! Have only the Bills and the Toronto Argonauts slightly to the north to contend with. Keeps the alliteration too!!! That or if you want Florida eyeballs, move the team to Orlando, but it loses the alliteration.

...if to San Antonio, they will probably become the old S.A. USFL team name of the Gunslingers, unless the current USFL didn't get the 'name rights' for it (they got a lot of them from the 'legacy' USFL teams)...

I say Memphis Showboats need to return...

The AAF Memphis Express inflated their attendance numbers more than any team in that league. They were drawing around five thousand per game
(06-17-2022 03:58 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote: [ -> ]When does the USFL plan on having their teams actually play in the markets they are named after rather than Birmingham?

From what I’ve seen, the XFL plans on being in Seattle, Las Vegas, San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, St Louis, DC, and Orlando.

I’m torn as to whether some of the historic USFL cities would do well hosting reboot teams. Perhaps the Houston Gamblers need to be rebranded the Memphis Showboats if the XFL has a lock on the state of Texas. Columbus is a place I see as potentially a ripe market.

So my eyes weren't deceiving me that every game was in Birmingham? Who would sign up for a franchise and not have the team play in their own hometown/area?
(07-04-2022 10:16 PM)PirateTreasureNC Wrote: [ -> ]
(06-17-2022 03:58 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote: [ -> ]When does the USFL plan on having their teams actually play in the markets they are named after rather than Birmingham?

From what I’ve seen, the XFL plans on being in Seattle, Las Vegas, San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, St Louis, DC, and Orlando.

I’m torn as to whether some of the historic USFL cities would do well hosting reboot teams. Perhaps the Houston Gamblers need to be rebranded the Memphis Showboats if the XFL has a lock on the state of Texas. Columbus is a place I see as potentially a ripe market.

So my eyes weren't deceiving me that every game was in Birmingham? Who would sign up for a franchise and not have the team play in their own hometown/area?

That is correct. To save travel money and stadium rentals they did all of season 1 in the same city
(07-09-2022 07:30 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote: [ -> ]
(07-04-2022 10:16 PM)PirateTreasureNC Wrote: [ -> ]
(06-17-2022 03:58 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote: [ -> ]When does the USFL plan on having their teams actually play in the markets they are named after rather than Birmingham?

From what I’ve seen, the XFL plans on being in Seattle, Las Vegas, San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, St Louis, DC, and Orlando.

I’m torn as to whether some of the historic USFL cities would do well hosting reboot teams. Perhaps the Houston Gamblers need to be rebranded the Memphis Showboats if the XFL has a lock on the state of Texas. Columbus is a place I see as potentially a ripe market.

So my eyes weren't deceiving me that every game was in Birmingham? Who would sign up for a franchise and not have the team play in their own hometown/area?

That is correct. To save travel money and stadium rentals they did all of season 1 in the same city

Correct. IIRC the plan their agreement had with Birmingham's stadium authority had a rough roadmap of essentially:

  1. Year 1 - all 8 teams in Birmingham
  2. Year 2 - "up to four" teams in Birmingham
  3. Year 3 - all teams playing in their respective namesake cities.

That roughly aligns with articles earlier this summer from league executives mentioning studying doing either 2 or 4 hub cities. "Moose" Johnston specifically mentioned Philadelphia at the Championship Game media days as a market of interest (noting it would be at least theoretically possible to get NJ and Pittsburgh fans to come out as well given the relatively drivable distance)

I think Detroit and New Orleans were also rumored to be under consideration as hub sites as well.

Think if it goes to 2 hubs for next season it would be a North Division (NJ,PHI, PIT, MI) hub in either Detroit or Philly, and keep the South Division (BHM, TB, NOLA, HOU) in Birmingham.

If they go to 4, I could see two hubs per division: Birmingham (BHM, TB), New Orleans (NOLA, HOU) for the South, and Detroit (MI, PIT) and Philadelphia (PHI, NJ) for the North.
So it may appear that we have our first relocation for the new USFL. The Tampa Bay Bandits may be moving to Memphis and rebranding as the Showboats.

https://usflnewshub.com/usfl-news/report...-hub-city/

No official confirmation yet from the league, nor if if the the team would play games in Memphis itself. The USFL did recently just file for expanded trademarks for the "Showboats" name and wordmark, as well as an updated logo.
And the league just announced at a press conference in Memphis last week that the Tampa Bay bandits will be put on "temporary hiatus" but the actual team/coaches/staff itself will physically relocate to Memphis, rebrand as the 'Memphis Showboats' from the USFL 1.0 era (albeit with new colors), and play in the Liberty Bowl.

Interestingly enough, Memphis native and FedEx founder/CEO Fred Smith apparently approached the USFL first about reviving the Showboats, and Memphis' mayor seems interested in adding/upgrading sports venues in the area to drive economic development, so the Showboats may be seen as a part of that.

The league also announced that Memphis will serve as a second hub site for the 2023 season alongside Birmingham, with the Houston Gamblers playing in Memphis along with the Showboats. (Birmingham will host the Stallions and New Orleans Breakers for next season).

The Detroit News is also reporting the USFL is looking at stadium locations in the Detroit metropolitan area as a hub site for North Division teams (prioritizing venues with turf fields due to heavy activity and with good locker rooms/training and broadcasting facilities), and has reached out to Eastern Michigan about using Rynearson Stadium. Philadelphia may be in the mix as either an alterative to Detroit, or a second hub for north division teams for 2023.

Looks like the league is ramping up its physical team sites and promotions for 2023
Well, if Ypsilanti is chosen, they'll die just like the Detroit Wheels of the World Football League nearly 50 years ago.
Folks there avoid Ypsi.
USFL Update:

Two More "Hub" cities have been announced for the 2023 USFL Season:

- Canton Ohio will host the recently-rebranded Pittsburgh Maulers and the New Jersey Generals for the 2023 Season at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Canton will be treated as a "home" market for the Maulers as part of "Greater Pittsburgh" (according to the league anyway). Canton will also host the North Division playoff semi-final and the USFL Championship Game this season once again: https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/local/...c5e4b1e120

- Detroit, Michigan will also host the Michigan Panthers and the Philadelphia Stars, both of whom will be playing at Ford Field in downtown Detroit for the 2023 season
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports...832456007/

As a result the league has now expanded from 1 central hub in Birmingham last year to four hubs with 2 teams each this year. Birmingham (Stallions, New Orleans Breakers) and Memphis (Showboats, Houston Gamblers) are the other two host cities.

Still disappointed they don't have all 8 teams in home markets yet, but I am curious to see how each of the 4 hubs does attendance wise. It helps that one of these leagues actually finally made it to a season 2.
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