The Showboats are making moves in preparation for Year 2 of the USFL. After a tweet from Tony Catalina set the Alt-Football world in mayhem on November 6th, the then Tampa Bay Bandits officially became the Memphis Showboats on November 15th. On January 18th the Showboats and the USFL made another move by bringing in the marketing firm Sullivan Branding, in an effort to grow and solidify the Memphis-based team.

The partnership between the Showboats and Sullivan Branding, bring together a Memphis based company and one of the USFL’s classic franchises that played in the 1984 and 1985 seasons led by Hall of Fame Defensive Lineman Reggie White

. The return of the Showboats with a modern twist, bringing football back to Memphis. Memphis who is no stranger to pro football has seen the CFL (Memphis Mad Dogs), XFL 1.0 (Memphis Maniax), and AAF (Memphis Express) all call Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium home over the past three decades since the Showboats of the 80s ceased operations.

As the Showboats gear up for a year in transition the football city of Memphis is ready to greet them. Much like the St. Louis Battlehawks of the XFL, the people of Memphis love football and with Sullivan Branding, it appears that the local company will have the ability to market to the local populace and get people excited about the return of the Showboats.