Birmingham will host USFL’s inaugural season

| January 25, 2022 

 ========= Old Image Removed =========1Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2022/01/WBHM_Photo_Template_1-1-e1643141328240.png
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:1200;s:6:"height";i:675;s:4:"file";s:50:"2022/01/WBHM_Photo_Template_1-1-e1643141328240.png";s:5:"sizes";a:10:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:50:"WBHM_Photo_Template_1-1-e1643141328240-336x189.png";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:189;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:50:"WBHM_Photo_Template_1-1-e1643141328240-771x434.png";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:434;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:50:"WBHM_Photo_Template_1-1-e1643141328240-140x140.png";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:12:"medium_large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:50:"WBHM_Photo_Template_1-1-e1643141328240-768x432.png";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:432;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:48:"WBHM_Photo_Template_1-1-e1643141328240-80x80.png";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:50:"WBHM_Photo_Template_1-1-e1643141328240-800x450.png";s:5:"width";i:800;s:6:"height";i:450;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:50:"WBHM_Photo_Template_1-1-e1643141328240-600x600.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:50:"WBHM_Photo_Template_1-1-e1643141328240-553x311.png";s:5:"width";i:553;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:50:"WBHM_Photo_Template_1-1-e1643141328240-470x265.png";s:5:"width";i:470;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:50:"WBHM_Photo_Template_1-1-e1643141328240-125x125.png";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_wp_attachment_backup_sizes] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:11:{s:9:"full-orig";a:3:{s:5:"width";i:1200;s:6:"height";i:700;s:4:"file";s:27:"WBHM_Photo_Template_1-1.png";}s:14:"thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"WBHM_Photo_Template_1-1-140x140.png";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:11:"medium-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"WBHM_Photo_Template_1-1-336x196.png";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:196;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:17:"medium_large-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"WBHM_Photo_Template_1-1-768x448.png";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:448;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:10:"large-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"WBHM_Photo_Template_1-1-771x450.png";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:450;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:14:"wbhm-icon-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"WBHM_Photo_Template_1-1-80x80.png";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"WBHM_Photo_Template_1-1-800x450.png";s:5:"width";i:800;s:6:"height";i:450;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:25:"wbhm-featured-square-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"WBHM_Photo_Template_1-1-600x600.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:23:"wbhm-featured-home-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"WBHM_Photo_Template_1-1-533x311.png";s:5:"width";i:533;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:27:"wbhm-featured-carousel-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"WBHM_Photo_Template_1-1-454x265.png";s:5:"width";i:454;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:19:"post-thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:35:"WBHM_Photo_Template_1-1-125x125.png";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}}
        )

    [_wp_attachment_image_alt] => Array
        (
            [0] => USFL Logo
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => United States Football League
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

)
1669603003 
1643113699
USFL Logo

United States Football League

It’s official. Birmingham will host the inaugural season of the United States Football League, a spring football league set to begin to play in April. Tuesday’s announcement at the BJCC confirms what had been an open secret since late last year as officials in Birmingham negotiated with the new league.

“Hey y’all, this feels like a touchdown,” said Wardine Alexander, president of the Birmingham City Council.

The 8-team league will play all its games in Birmingham at Protective Stadium and Legion Field. The season will kick off on April 16 between the Birmingham Stallions and the New Jersey Generals. The season will run through mid-June followed by a playoff. FOX owns the new league with broadcasts of the games split between networks owned by FOX and NBC.

Former college coach Skip Holtz, son of legendary football coach Lou Holtz, will be the Stallion’s head coach. The team name harkens back to a team that played in Birmingham for three seasons in the 1980s in an earlier iteration of the league.

Bringing the USFL to Birmingham took months of maneuvering. Roughly $3 million has been committed from the City of Birmingham, Jefferson County Commission, and the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau to support the USFL’s first season in Birmingham. FOX said it will put up $150 million to fund the league for three seasons. Players, coaches, and other team personnel will stay in local hotels. The CVB estimates that will translate to an economic impact of $15 million. 

At the announcement, state and local political leaders praised the effort to land the USFL as an example of regional cooperation that has often alluded the Birmingham area. Speakers also noted the draw of the new Protective Stadium which opened in October.

“You know the saying from the movie,” said Jimmie Stephens, president of the Jefferson County Commission. “If you build it, they will come. Well, we built it, and here you are.”

 

Former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones announces run for Alabama governor

Jones announced his campaign Monday afternoon, hours after filing campaign paperwork with the Secretary of State's Office. His gubernatorial bid could set up a rematch with U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, the Republican who defeated Jones in 2020 and is now running for governor. 

Scorching Saturdays: The rising heat threat inside football stadiums

Excessive heat and more frequent medical incidents in Southern college football stadiums could be a warning sign for universities across the country.

The Gulf States Newsroom is hiring an Audio Editor

The Gulf States Newsroom is hiring an Audio Editor to join our award-winning team covering important regional stories across Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana.

Judge orders new Alabama Senate map after ruling found racial gerrymandering

U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco, appointed by President Donald Trump during his first term, issued the ruling Monday putting a new court-selected map in place for the 2026 and 2030 elections.

Construction on Meta’s largest data center brings 600% crash spike, chaos to rural Louisiana

An investigation from the Gulf States Newsroom found that trucks contracted to work at the Meta facility are causing delays and dangerous roads in Holly Ridge.

Bessemer City Council approves rezoning for a massive data center, dividing a community

After the Bessemer City Council voted 5-2 to rezone nearly 700 acres of agricultural land for the “hyperscale” server farm, a dissenting council member said city officials who signed non-disclosure agreements weren’t being transparent with citizens.

More Front Page Coverage