From Tucson, AZ
The United States Football League (USFL) is coming back! Here is a look at what 5 cities we may see as the home towns for some of the proposed "minimum of" eight, yet-to-be-announced, franchises that will soon begin play.
Now first, to touch on the number five- it's my belief that three markets can automatically be assumed. As with any avid football lover, watching (and studying) the establishment of many spring football leagues throughout the NFL era, the three markets that always seem to get teams tend to be:
New York, NY (and for conversation's sake, "slash" New Jersey)
Chicago, IL
Los Angeles, CA
These are, of course, the top three largest television markets. They are also the three largest populations in the USA. Since FOX Sports will be the main broadcast partner of the new USFL, I believe it's safe to assume these metrics will most certainly be taken into consideration.
Now that we've discussed why we're covering FIVE teams, instead of all EIGHT... let's get on to the fun stuff!
So first, we'll cover five markets that I believe are the most likely, or would be a great fit for a professional football team. I'll also touch on five ADDITIONAL markets that I believe would just be plain fun, or interesting, fits for a pro football team. The second list is more akin to me creating my own league using the "Create-A-Team" function in Madden, than it is to any sort of market feasibility/city football history/populations, etc... Or, they just didn't make the cut.
Neither of these lists are ranked, or in any particular order.
Top 5 Candidates for a USFL Franchise in 2022:
Birmingham, AL -or- Jackson, MS Yes, for my first pick I choose two teams... wanna fight about it? I don't know why half of the time Birmingham always seems to end up getting pro football teams. I also know that it's bigger than Jackson. But I could see either one of these markets getting a team and embracing it. The south loves its football. (I think...)
Oakland, CA The Raiders are gone again. For at least another couple decades. AND... the Oakland Invaders of the old USFL are an Oakland team that actually DID beat a pro football team from Tampa Bay. Just sayin'... Plus, they're used to the Raiders leaving. They'll need something to do while they wait for their beloved boys in silver & black to come home.
San Antonio, TX No real reason for good ol' San Antone, other than Texas is a football state. San Antonio is a Texas town. It's time.
Orlando, FL Orlando seems to have an odd growth, as of late. And it looks like the city will be continuing this pace into the future. There seems to be a lot of new developments in the world of entertainment that I think could carry over into their local sports scene. However, I believe the heavy presence of WWE in the city may keep Orlando more of an XFL town.
Tucson, AZ I'll admit it, this may be the farthest stretch of all. But, with a growing half a million population, and a lot of definite opportunities (and nothing much else to do) Tucson could definitely be a prime market for pro football. They don't have the largest stadiums, but they definitely love their U of A Wildcats and ANYTHING that sets their city apart from the Phoenix folks, up north. I think it could work.
Runners-Up that I would just think would be interesting to have USFL teams:
Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN
Salt Lake City, UT
Tulsa, OK
San Diego, CA
Omaha, NE
Honorable mention:
St. Louis, MO The big white elephant in the room, here... St. Louis has the fan loyalty. St. Louis needs a pro football team. AND St. Louis is a team that both the Cardinals and the Rams NFL franchises were previously successful in. To be honest, the only reason that I don't foresee the city taking an interest in being one of the original eight is simply this- I think the new USFL will have to prove that it's there to stay for the long term. If the league can last five years, I could see talks to putting a franchise here in expansion. But probably closer to the 8-10 year mark.
These, of course, are ALL speculation on my behalf. No insider knowledge of the new USFL has been utilized in the making of these lists. Just a whole lot of experience and "trend-watching" as a life-long football fan. Time will certainly tell.
We'll do our best to stay on top of any developments that come along! I'm sure they'll be exciting!
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