The United States Football League (USFL) made significant strides in the 2023 season by announcing its decision to expand the locations for team games. After the 2022 season, where all games were hosted in Birmingham, Alabama, the league decided to diversify its location choice. Now, four impressive stadiums across the country serve as home grounds for the eight teams in the league.
So where are USFL games played? There are four USFL locations for the 2023 season.
A Nostalgic Return to Birmingham: Protective Stadium
- Home Teams: Birmingham Stallions, New Orleans Breakers
- Surface: Turf
- Capacity: 47,100
- Year Built: 2021
The Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama, which hosted most games in the 2022 season, continued its role in the 2023 season as the home ground for the Birmingham Stallions and New Orleans Breakers. The Protective Stadium is the newest hub stadium for the USFL, having opened in October 2021.
Protective Stadium replaces the historic Legion Field, offering a state-of-the-art venue for exciting USFL games. With a capacity of 47,100, this impressive stadium could potentially draw a large crowd as the league continues to grow.
Touchdown in Tennessee: Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium
- Home Teams: Houston Gamblers, Memphis Showboats
- Surface: AstroTurf
- Capacity: 58,325
- Year Built: 1965
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, formerly known as the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee, has been secured for the 2023 season. It will be the home ground for the Houston Gamblers and the Memphis Showboats. Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium is not a stranger to the USFL, having been a host to the original league in the ’80s. The stadium boasts a capacity of 58,325 and offers an AstroTurf playing surface.
USFL Lands in Michigan: Ford Field
- Home Teams: Michigan Panthers, Philadelphia Stars
- Surface: FieldTurf
- Capacity: 65,000
- Year Built: 2002
Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan, is a notable addition to the USFL’s choice of locations. This expansive stadium will serve as home ground to the Michigan Panthers and Philadelphia Stars in the 2023 season. Being the largest USFL hub stadium with a capacity of 65,000, Ford Field sets the stage for thrilling games with potentially large audiences. Moreover, it’s the only USFL hub stadium that also hosts an NFL team, the Detroit Lions.
Football History in Ohio: Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium
- Home Teams: New Jersey Generals, Pittsburgh Maulers
- Surface: Turf Nation
- Capacity: 23,000
- Year Built: 1938
The league announced that Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, will host the New Jersey Generals and the Pittsburgh Maulers. With the Generals as the host team, the stadium will also be the site for both the North Division playoff game and the 2023 USFL Championship Game, as it was in 2022.
Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium is relatively small compared to the others, with a capacity of only 23,000. But it holds significant charm, nestled adjacent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In 2022, it played host to the USFL playoffs, which proved successful, warranting a return in the 2023 season.
Expansion on the Horizon
From one city to four, the USFL’s strategic expansion promises more thrilling games for fans and greater exposure for the league. These four could lead to more locations as the league grows in the coming years.
Ken Granito
May 30, 2023 at 9:22 pm
Hey Mark, In total agreement that the stadiums are very impressive stadiums. I have only been to Canton and love it there, but I imagine the others only go up from there. I have to be honest that I am a little disappointed with the attendance this year, however. I honestly expected better. Memphis had a couple of respectable crowds. The first Panthers game seemed pretty good, and maybe also the Stallions first game, but on all honesty each stadium has mostly empty seats. In fairness I get that half the games had no home teams. Memphis has to stay. They seem to have the best following. I had hoped with less games in Birmingham, more people would find their way to the stadium. Hoping they put at least 20k-30k in the seats for that game. Just overall hoping fans support these locations. I think this is a good product with room to grow. As I have stated, the league does have to tweak their rules. You can’t have it that it is this difficult to have a 100 yard runner and 175 yard passer in the same game. There are Stars in this leqgue like Reggie Corbin and Darius Victor going home with 8 carries and 10 touches in total. What 10 year kid is going home excited that the star of the team has 10 touches. The USFL is doing a great job at every step and to be honest the help that the likes that you do at News Hub and the Newsroom are helping us fan keep it real. I yelled down to Moose Johnston a couple of weeks ago in Canton, telling him I drove out there from Jersey for what he helped build. It’s been that good of a job they have done. Still some work to do. I hope along the way that as they continue to build it, they will come.