When it comes to spring football, NBC Sports president Jon Miller knows all about the dangers. When NBC and Vince McMahon partnered up to start the XFL in 2001, he was a part of the network’s crew. Since then, he has watched several leagues fail.
Miller is hopeful that a reimagined USFL will be a success. “I’m hoping for the best this time around.” According to Miller, “I believe the timing is right, the partnership is right, and the model is bred for success.” That being said, “We’re optimistic, hopeful, and excited all in one!”
The New Jersey Generals take on the Birmingham Stallions in the league’s inaugural game on Saturday night in Birmingham, Alabama.
There will be a total of 22 games broadcast across both networks, with the season opener airing on both networks on Saturday. There hasn’t been a game aired on several broadcast networks since the 2007 regular-season finale between the Boston Patriots and New York Giants.
The USFL is owned by Fox Sports, which is investing $150 million over the next three years. The team names are the only thing that connects the USFL of 1983-85 to the current league.
If the coronavirus pandemic hadn’t occurred, Fox Sports Executive Vice President Michael Mulvihill believes that the XFL would have been a success.
Florida Bandits and Michigan Panthers are both listed as 4.5-1 favorites by FanDuel Sportsbook. Coach Jeff Fisher of the Panthers and Todd Haley of the Bandits are both ex-Titans and Rams coaches.
In addition, Michigan boasts two of the most well-known quarterbacks in the country. Former University of Michigan star Shea Patterson will start, with Paxton Lynch as his backup. A former Broncos and Seahawks linebacker, Lynch is now a coach.
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In the first half of the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl game on January 29 in Pasadena, California, Jeff Fisher is on the sidelines. The USFL’s Michigan Panthers have hired the former NFL coach as their new head coach.
