(NEW YORK) — The USFL has announced it is returning to play in 2022.
The football league first started playing in 1983 with 12 teams but folded following the 1985 season after trying to move its schedule to the fall season to compete with the NFL.
The league will start with eight teams that will play in the spring of 2022.
“We look forward to providing players a new opportunity to compete in a professional football league and giving fans everywhere the best football viewing product possible during what is typically a period devoid of professional football,” said Brian Woods, co-founder of the new USFL and founder and CEO of The Spring League (TSL) – an elite developmental football league that started in 2017.
Fox Sports will air the games and has a minority equity stake in the league.
“The relaunch of the USFL is a landmark day for football fans and FOX Sports,” said Eric Shanks, CEO and Executive Producer, FOX Sports.
The cities and team names will be released later. In the announcement, the league said they still “retains rights to key original team names.”
Some of those names include the New Jersey Generals, Los Angeles Express, and Tampa Bandits.
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