2022 USFL season
The 2022 USFL season is the ongoing inaugural season of the revived United States Football League (USFL), and the first season of a league using that name since 1985. The season began on April 16 and is scheduled to conclude on July 3. The league's eight teams represent various geographical locales and associated team names that were part of the 1984 season of the original USFL. For 2022, all regular-season games are being played in Birmingham, Alabama, either at Protective Stadium or Legion Field. The USFL will play its postseason at Tom Benson Hall of  Fame Stadium, adjacent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Semifinal games are scheduled for June 25, featuring the top two teams from each division. The winners will then meet in USFL Bowl I on July 3. Location. The city of Birmingham and the USFL announced that the city would host all eight teams. Regular-season games are played at Protective Stadium and Legion Field. The choice of Birmingham as the league's sole city led to substantial crowds for the Birmingham Stallions and to very small crowds for games involving only teams named after other cities  and states. The opening-week matchup between the Tampa Bay Bandits and Pittsburgh Maulers, rescheduled to Monday night, was played in an almost entirely empty stadium. "USA Today" reported that during the Week 2 matchup between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, crowd shots included more Fox broadcast staff members than fans. On February 16, 2022, the league announced that the 2022 playoffs would be held in Canton, Ohio, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium instead of Birmingham due to schedule conflicts with the 2022 World Games. Playoffs will be held from June 25 to July 3. Draft. The 2022 USFL Draft  occurred on February 22 and 23, 2022, and had a format similar to the 2020 XFL Draft, where players would be selected in phases based on positions. Teams. The eight teams competing in the USFL's 2022 season all feature the names and colors of USFL teams that existed in 1984. During the 2022 season, all regular-season games will be held at either Protective Stadium or Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. Season schedule. The league announced in November 2021 that teams would each play a ten-game schedule, with each team facing divisional opponents twice and non-divisional opponents  once. The champion and runner-up of each division will qualify for the playoffs, which will consist of a semifinal and championship round played in the beginning of July. Most games are played on Saturdays and Sundays, with some "special broadcasts" on Fridays and Mondays. On January 6, 2022, the league announced on its website that the season would begin on April 16. The full 2022 season schedule was released March 7, 2022, with the highlights including a doubleheader of Week 1 games on Easter Sunday. Regular season. All games at Protective Stadium during Weeks 1–7 and 9, and at  Legion Field during weeks 8 and 10. All times listed are EDT. All games on NBC are simulcast on Peacock. Changes to game schedules or broadcasting are listed in notes after each week's matchups. Playoffs. The playoffs will start on June 25 and will end with the championship on July 3. All games will be played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Awards and statistics. Players of the Week. The following were named the top performers during the 2022 season: League finances. For the 2022 season, tickets cost $10 per person, with children aged 15 and under  free. Tickets provide access to all games scheduled for the same day. On March 3, 2022, the league announced that 15 states have approved legal, regulated betting on USFL games. Compensation. USFL players and staff will be able to receive a college degree "tuition-free and debt-free", through a partnership with for-profit universities Strategic Education’s Capella University and Strayer University. They will be able to take classes online or in-person. USFL players receive weekly salaries of $4,500 for active roster players, $1,500 for practice squad players, and $600 during training camp. Players also  receive bonuses of $850 per regular-season or postseason win and $10,000 for winning the championship. Players must cover their own housing costs. The league offers hotel rooms at a discounted price of $75 per room per day, with an option for two players to share a room. Media. Telecasts for the 2022 season are produced by Fox Sports and NBC Sports. Fox airs 12 regular season games, one semi-final, and the championship game. NBC broadcasts eight regular season games and one semi-final. Other games air on USA Network, FS1, and Peacock. The opening game  was broadcast on April 16, 2022, at 7:30 PM Eastern time on both Fox and NBC. Fox produced the game and NBC produced all studio coverage. It was the first football game to be simulcast across two major American broadcast networks since the 2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game. Fox brought back its lead XFL broadcast team from 2020, Curt Menefee and Joel Klatt, for USFL coverage. Kevin Kugler and Mark Sanchez serve as the second broadcast team. Brock Huard reports from the sidelines during selected games. The NBC crew features Jac Collinsworth and Paul Burmeister handling play -by-play duties alongside analysts Jason Garrett, Michael Robinson and Cameron Jordan. Zora Stephenson and Corey Robinson are sideline reporters and Sara Perlman hosts halftime and post-game coverage.