United States Football League

• 1. Origins And Dixon Plan

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  In 1965, New Orleans antiques dealer David Dixon envisioned a professional football league that would play during the spring and summer months. This timing allowed the new league to operate when the NFL and college football were in their off-seasons. Dixon had previously been instrumental in bringing the New Orleans Saints to his hometown and building the Louisiana Superdome. He developed a strategic blueprint known as The Dixon Plan to ensure financial stability from day one. The plan required teams to secure NFL-caliber stadiums in top television markets. It also mandated strict capitalization requirements for potential owners. Each prospective owner had to post a $1.5 million letter of credit for emergencies. Dixon studied previous challengers like the American Football League and the troubled World Football League before launching his venture. In May 1982, he formally announced the USFL's formation at the 21 Club in New York City. ESPN president Chet Simmons was named the league's first commissioner in June 1982. The league signed contracts with ABC and ESPN to televise games starting in 1983. These deals yielded roughly $13 million in the first year and $16 million in 1984.

• 2. Inaugural Season Dynamics

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  The Michigan Panthers won the first USFL championship game on the 10th of July 1983, defeating the Philadelphia Stars 24, 22 in overtime. Attendance averaged about 25,000 fans per game during the inaugural season. Television ratings slightly exceeded projections with an average Nielsen rating of 6.1. The Washington Federals finished tied with the Arizona Wranglers as the league's worst team with 4, 14 records. Ray Jauch coached the Federals, who were injury prone and mistake prone both on and off the field. New Jersey Generals' running back Herschel Walker emerged as the league's first superstar. He ran for 1,812 yards and scored 17 touchdowns that season. The Denver Gold drew an average of 41,736 fans despite winning only seven of eighteen games. Team owner Ron Blanding stuck to his budget and took pride in seeing his team defeat the big-budget Chicago Blitz 16, 13 in week three. The Philadelphia Stars finished a league-best 15, 3 under Coach Jim Mora. They featured NFL veteran quarterback Chuck Fusina and rookie halfback Kelvin Bryant of North Carolina. A passionate fan base stormed the field following a come-from-behind victory over the Stars at Nickerson Field in Boston.

• 3. Financial Instability And Expansion

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  The league expanded from twelve teams to eighteen teams in 1984, adding franchises like the Pittsburgh Maulers and Houston Gamblers. This rapid expansion put immense pressure on television deals not designed to support such a large number of teams. Player spending spiraled out of control as teams raided the NFL and college ranks to keep up. The Michigan Panthers reportedly lost $6 million, which was three times what Dixon suggested a team could afford to lose in the first season. The Los Angeles Express signed BYU quarterback Steve Young to a $40 million guaranteed contract. This was far and away the largest contract in pro football history at that time. The Express lost as much as $15 million in 1984 alone due to high payrolls and poor attendance. Original owners Alan Harmon and Bill Daniels sold the Express to mortgage banker J. William Oldenburg before the 1984 season. Investigations revealed Oldenburg did not have even a fraction of the money he claimed to own. He abruptly walked away from the team during the playoffs. The San Antonio Gunslingers owner Clinton Manges stopped paying bills with about a month left in the season. His franchise was revoked when he ignored deadlines to make restitution for debts.

• 4. Strategic Shift To Fall Schedule

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  On the 22nd of August 1984, USFL owners voted to move operations to the fall starting in 1986. This decision directly challenged the long-established National Football League. Chicago owner Eddie Einhorn and Generals owner Donald Trump were the strongest proponents of playing in the fall. They argued that moving to autumn would eventually force a merger with the NFL. A consulting firm had recommended sticking with the spring season, but the league ignored this advice. On the 29th of April 1985, owners voted 13, 2 to reaffirm their decision to begin playing a fall schedule in 1986. Tampa Bay Bandits owner John F. Bassett declared his intention to pull his team out of the USFL after casting one of the two nay votes. Bassett died from cancer on the 14th of May 1986, before he could organize a new spring football league. The switch to a fall schedule caused the loss of six major markets including Philadelphia, Denver, Houston, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and the Bay Area. ABC offered the USFL a four-year, $175 million TV deal to play in the spring in 1986. ESPN offered $70 million over three years. Owners walked away from contracts averaging $67 million per year to pursue victory over the NFL.

• 5. Antitrust Litigation And Verdict

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  The USFL filed an antitrust lawsuit against the National Football League claiming it had established a monopoly regarding television broadcasting rights. The case was heard by United States District Judge Peter K. Leisure in New York. The USFL sought damages of $567 million, which would have been tripled to $1.7 billion under antitrust law. The trial lasted 42 days during the spring of 1986. On July 29, a six-person jury returned a verdict for the USFL but with devastating implications. The jury declared the NFL a duly adjudicated illegal monopoly that used predatory tactics. However, they rejected most other claims made by the upstart league. The jury found that the USFL's own mismanagement caused most of its problems. They noted that the switch to a fall schedule caused the loss of major markets. Most importantly, the jury awarded the USFL nominal damages of $1. This amount was tripled under antitrust law to $3. When NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle and broadcasting chief Val Pinchbeck heard the verdict, they were devastated initially. They later realized the USFL had lost nearly all of its claims. Four days after the announcement, owners voted to suspend operations for the 1986 season.

• 6. Legacy And Player Transitions

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  Almost all of the USFL's on-field innovations were eventually adopted by the older National Football League. Nine USFL alumni are enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as of 2022. These include players like Jim Kelly, Reggie White, Steve Young, and Gary Zimmerman. Coaches Sid Gillman, George Allen, Marv Levy, and Bill Polian also received honors. The collapse of the USFL had a particularly positive effect on the Buffalo Bills. The team went 4, 28 over the course of 1984 and 1985 due to poor talent. Average attendance at Rich Stadium plummeted to under 30,000 fans per game. When the league collapsed, the Bills signed former USFL players including Jim Kelly and Kent Hull. They hired general manager Bill Polian and coach Marv Levy from the USFL. This allowed the Bills to rise to perennial Super Bowl contenders by the early 1990s. Jacksonville eventually got the expansion Jaguars in 1995 after being courted by the Houston Oilers. Phoenix lured the St. Louis Cardinals to take up residence there in 1988. Oakland saw the return of the Raiders one decade after the demise of the USFL.