More opportunity for elite players to join teams pushing for playoffs
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., May 18, 2022 – To provide more opportunity for “draftable grade” players to join teams pushing for the new league’s first-ever playoffs, the United States Football League (USFL) today announced that game day active rosters will expand from 38 to 40 players starting with Week 6 games this weekend.
“Week 5 games were the most well-played and most competitive we’ve had all season. Our current 38-man game day rosters have produced outstanding football for our fans” said Daryl Johnston, Executive Vice President of Football Operations. “There were more players with draftable grades in the 2022 Draft Pool than any draft in history, so we think now is the perfect time to expand our team rosters by five additional players while increasing our game day rosters to 40 players. This move will also help set up playoff runs as our eight teams compete for the four postseason spots on June 25.”
After completing a 10-week regular-season, the USFL playoffs will begin Saturday, June 25, as the top two teams in each division face each other in the league’s semifinals. The final two teams will play in the inaugural USFL Championship Game on Sunday, July 3. All three playoff games will be played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium is a 20,000-seat professional-grade facility adjacent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It hosts the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony and the NFL Hall of Fame Game.
Moving forward, each USFL team will carry a 40-man game day active roster plus a 10-man practice squad.
The second half of the inaugural USFL regular season starts Saturday, May 21, as the Tampa Bay Bandits take on the Philadelphia Stars (1:00 PM ET on NBC) and the Michigan Panthers face the Birmingham Stallions (7:30 PM ET on NBC). Week 6 action continues Sunday May 22, as the Pittsburgh Maulers face the New Orleans Breakers (12:00 PM ET on FS1) and the Houston Gamblers take on the New Jersey Generals (4:00 PM ET on FOX). All four games will be played at Birmingham’s Protective Stadium.
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About the USFL
The United States Football League (USFL) is a new, independent football league that is not affiliated with the defunct 1980s league or its owners. The inaugural USFL season kicked off April 16 with eight teams split into two divisions: the Birmingham Stallions, Houston Gamblers, New Orleans Breakers, and Tampa Bay Bandits in the South Division; and the Michigan Panthers, Pittsburgh Maulers, New Jersey Generals, and Philadelphia Stars in the North Division. Each team will play a 10-game regular-season in Birmingham. Playoff semifinals begin in Canton on June 25 between the top two teams in each division and a championship game on July 3 between division winners. Each USFL team carries a 40-man active roster plus a 10-man practice squad. Players receive base compensation and are eligible for victory bonuses. NBC Sports and FOX Sports are the League’s official media partners and will present all 43 regular- and postseason games on FOX, FS1, NBC, USA, or Peacock networks. Brian Woods is President of Football Operations, and former Dallas Cowboys standout and long-time NFL on FOX game analyst Daryl Johnston is Executive Vice President of Football Operations. Former NFL Vice President of Officiating and FOX Sports’ NFL and college football rules analyst Mike Pereira is Head of Officiating, and FOX Sports’ Edward Hartman is Executive Vice President of Business Operations. For more information, visit theUSFL.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
