Playoffs Begin June 25 In Canton, Ohio
LOS ANGELES, February 16, 2022 – The new United States Football League (USFL) has reached an agreement with Hall of Fame Village, LLC to hold its inaugural playoffs and championship game 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.
“We’re excited to play our first playoffs and championship game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium,” said Edward Hartman, USFL Executive Vice President, Business Operations. “It’s a beautiful stadium with all the facilities necessary to host football at the highest level, and we look forward to crowning our first champion in the shadow of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.”
As a spring football league, the USFL will launch 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, New Jersey Generals, Philadelphia Stars, and Pittsburgh Maulers in the North Division. There will be a 10-week regular season, with all 40 games played in Birmingham, Ala.
The 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.
“We are honored that the state-of-the-art Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium was selected as the destination for the USFL’s 2022 playoff,” said Mike Levy, President of Operations for HOFV. “Our facility and campus will provide the perfect setting and backdrop for the USFL’s inaugural playoffs and championships, offering fans and guests visiting our destination multiple opportunities to be engaged at the birthplace of professional football.
The games allow our Company to not only share a great event but to showcase the Village with attendees and participants who will also stay at our destination and enjoy our many other entertainment opportunities. We are excited to highlight all that the Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls has to offer to the USFL audience.”
For the inaugural season, the USFL will play the vast majority of regular season games at the state-of-the-art 45,000-seat Protective Stadium, with remaining contests at historic Legion Field, both in Birmingham. Unfortunately, Protective Stadium is unavailable to host USFL postseason games due to the previously scheduled 2022 World Games.
The USFL inaugural kickoff game on April 16 begins at 7:30 PM ET at Protective Stadium. The primetime matchup pits the New Jersey Generals against the Birmingham Stallions, and it will be televised live on NBC and FOX, making it the first scheduled sports competition to air at the same time on two competitive broadcast networks since Super Bowl I aired on NBC and CBS, January 15, 1967. Tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com and fans can attend this historic game for $10 each with kids under 15 admitted free.
The USFL will announce specific times and details regarding the availability of tickets for postseason games in Canton at a later date.
About the USFL
The United States Football League (USFL) is a new, independent football league controlled by FOX Sports through USFL HoldCo, LLC, a new business entity, and it is not associated or affiliated with the USFL of the 1980s or its owners. As a spring football league, the USFL will launch 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, New Jersey Generals, Philadelphia Stars, and Pittsburgh Maulers in the North Division. Each team will play a 10-game regular-season, followed by semifinals between the top two teams in each division, and a championship game between division winners. All 40 regular-season games will be played in Birmingham, Ala. All three playoff games will be played in Canton, Ohio. The USFL will hold an inaugural Player Draft February 22-23, and training camps will open on March 21. The USFL will provide an opportunity to play professional football for more than 360 athletes, as each team will carry a 38-man active roster plus a seven-man practice squad. USFL players will receive base compensation in addition to being eligible for victory bonuses. NBC Sports and FOX Sports are the league’s official media partners, committed to carrying all 43 regular- and postseason games on FOX, FS1, NBC, USA, or Peacock networks. Brian Woods, a USFL co-founder, serves as President, Football Operations, and former Dallas Cowboys standout and long-time NFL on FOX game analyst Daryl Johnston is Executive Vice President, 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, serves as Executive Vice President, Business Operations. For more information, visit http://theUSFL.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
About Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company
Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company (NASDAQ: HOFV, HOFVW) is a resort and entertainment company leveraging the power and popularity of professional football and its legendary players in partnership with the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Headquartered in Canton, Ohio, the Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company is the owner of the Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls, a multi-use sports, entertainment and media destination centered around the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s campus. Additional information on the Company can be found at www.HOFREco.com.
About Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls
Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls is a multi-use sports, entertainment and media destination centered around the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s campus in Canton, Ohio. Owned by the Hall of Fame Resort and Entertainment Company (NASDAQ: HOFV, HOFVW), the Village currently has over $250 million worth of assets under management and is one of the largest ongoing construction projects in Ohio. Phase I of the project entailed the construction of the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, a world-class 20,000 seat, sports and entertainment stadium, and the National Youth Football and Sports Complex. Phase II, currently under construction, will add the Constellation Center for Excellence, the Center for Performance, a Fan Engagement Zone, a Hall of Fame indoor waterpark and a Hilton Tapestry Hotel. Phase III is currently in planning stages. For more information, visit www.HOFVillage.com.
