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December 20, 1982 The NFL understood that the fledgling USFL would seek to fill its rosters with veteran free agents and college stars, but even they had to be shocked by the impact the recent USFL Free Agent, College and Territorial Drafts has had. What had been expected to be a trickle of talent away from the senior league has turned out to be a tsunami, and the biggest wave in that tsunami was the signing of a player the NFL refused to allow into its upcoming draft. Sophomore standout, and perhaps the biggest name in college football, Georgia's Herschel Walker, had tried and failed to gain NFL approval to come out of college after only one year. The USFL had no such qualms about the prospect of signing such a huge draw, and yesterday in NYC it was announced that Walker would indeed make the jump to the upstart league, signing a 4 year contract with the New Jersey Generals. The Walker signing alone was enough to send the NFL into a nervous frenzy, but when you add on the numerous top draft prospects who have opted to sign with the USFL instead of waiting for April's NFL Draft, the established league has to feel like it has been gut punched. In addition to Walker, the USFL has signed one of the best WR prospects in years in Michigan's Anthony Carter (Panthers), Ohio State's stud RB Tim Spencer (Blitz), SMU rusher Craig James (Federals), Southern Miss signal caller Reggie Collier (Stallions) and Arkansas back Gary Anderson (Bandits). On the defensive side, the names may not be as well known, but it is clear that players such as Buckeye linebacker Marcus Marek, Wisconsin safety David Greenwood, and Louisville corner Frank Minnifield, will be missed by the NFL come this April. Whether it is rookies like BYU center Bart Oates, or NFL veterans like Lions LB Stan White (Blitz), former Packer DT Kit Lathrop, or former Saint & Bengals DB Clarence Chapman, the NFL will be hurt by the lack of depth. The USFL has taken the first steps towards becoming a real challenge to the NFL, and if their strategy of signing college players, including sophomores, continues in future years, they could pose a significant rival to the more-established league. They may not have raided NFL rosters this year, but the signing of Walker, and so many top NCAA stars, has clearly sent a shot across the bow of the NFL.

Los Angeles, November 3, 1997 The fledgling USFL took another big step towards bringing football to the Spring, today announcing the head coaches for each of the 12 founding franchises. The twelve men tapped to head up this new venture in pro football come from every corner of the football world, and include everything from wizened NFL veterans like the Chicago Blitz's George Allen to young upstarts like Tampa Bay Bandits new chief, former Heisman winner Steve Spurrier. Allen gets the early nod as the most well-known of the 12 coaches, but there is still a lot of experience among the group, including LA's Hugh Campbell, who led the CFL's Edmonton Eskimos to 5 consecutive Grey Cup championships, and New Jersey's Chuck Fairbanks, who was the head man for the New England Patriots sandwiched between jobs leading Oklahoma and Colorado. For several coaches, this will be there first job as the Head man, as is the case for Spurrier, as well as former Patriot and Seahawk D-line coach Jim Mora, Steelers' O-line coach Rollie Dotsch, now coaching the Birmingham franchise in the USFL. Other names you might recognize are former WFL coach Dick Coury (now leading the Boston Breakers), former Broncos Head Coach Red Miller, who returns to Denver with the Gold, and another former Broncos leader, John Ralston, who also led squads at Utah State and Stanford. Of the group, likely the largest mystery is the hiring of Saints LB coach, Doug Shively to lead the Arizona Wranglers. While there are several coaches new to the lead position, the selection of Shively is the most intriguing as his resume is one of the shortest of the group. This reporter, and many others, are looking at George Allen, and possibly Hugh Campbell, as the coaches with the best chance to successfully form together new teams and get them ready to play on short notice, as players will not be drafted until December and will have only a short camp before the league's two scrimmage/preseason games in February. With the season kicking off for real in mid-March, it will be the success of these coaches in turning strangers into teammates that may determine how the USFL inaugural season goes.

New York-- October 10, 1982 The United States Football League introduced the world to their 12 founding franchises and their ownership groups today at a presser in New York's prestigious Downtown Athletic Club. In addition to the 9 cities introduced in their initial release last month, the USFL announced that the remaining 4 franchises will be in East Rutherford, New Jersey (NY-NJ market), Denver (CO), Birmingham (AL), and Phoenix (AZ). Not only are 9 of the 12 franchises located in NFL cities, but in most locations they will make use of NFL stadiums, such as the Silver Dome in Detroit, RFK Stadium in DC, Mile High Stadium in Denver, and Giants Stadium in the NY market. While many in the league's announced ownership groups are not household names to most, there are a few among the group who will bring some recognition to the league. Of course, there is David Dixon, founder of the New Orleans Saints as well as the failed World Football League. Also in the mix are LA real estate mogul Alex Spanos, oil man J. Walter Duncan, and another World Football League retred in John Bassett. Bassett brought in perhaps the biggest name, though likely not the owner with the deepest pockets, film star Burt Reynolds, a member of Bassett's ownership team for the Tampa franchise. The league also revealed the team identities for all 12 franchises today. The teams range from traditional names such as Panthers, Stallions, Stars and Generals to some unique names such as the Chicago Blitz, Denver Gold and the Washington Federals. While coaches have not yet been hired for the 12 franchises, the league did announce that a player draft would be held in 3 parts later this Fall, with a free agent draft of veteran players with NFL or CFL experience, a rookie draft, and a territorial draft in which each franchise would have 4-6 "protected" colleges from which they would each have first rights to sign players (current and past graduates). It is hoped that having some regional players will benefit the league with college football fans, though this reporter wonders if teams in Boston and NY can compete with the talent pools of franchises in football hotbeds like Alabama, Florida, and California.

Washington DC-- September 1982. In a crowded conference room in the Washington DC downtown Marriot, the press were invited to witness a birth, the birth of a new professional football league. The United States Football League proposes to offer football fans a whole new season of America's beloved sport. The league, which plans to operate with teams in 12 cities, will begin play in March, with a Spring and Summer season which will extend into July. While details were somewhat lacking in the initial press conference, led by Commissioner Chet Simmons, former ABC, NBC and ESPN executive, there are rumored to be some pretty deep pockets behind the new USFL, including former WFL leader David Dixon, and television contracts are in the works as well. Cities confirmed as founding franchises for the new league include Boston, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Oakland. A New York team is also planned, though it is not certain whether they will play in the city at either Shea Stadium or Yankee Stadium, or if they will join their NFL cousins in New Jersey. The remaining 3 cities for the 12-team league have not yet been named, but it is clear that the league is not shying away from either NFL markets or competition from Major League Baseball. Nearly 10 years after the demise of the short-lived World Football League, it seems that the dream of an alternative football league is alive and well, and with a Spring schedule which does not clash with either NFL or NCAA football, the leaders of this movement are hoping they can corner the market of diehard football fans during the long gap between January Super Bowls and the start of the NCAA and NFL seasons in September. Only time will tell if this new upstart league has what it needs to survive in a tough sports market, going head to head with Major League Baseball, NBA and NHL playoffs and the national phenomenon of March Madness.

The USFL lasted only 3 seasons, from 1983-1985. But it did not have to be this way. This site will be a repository for an alternate history of the USFL, beginning with the 1983 debut season and proceeding well beyond the original 3 year run of the ill-fated league. We will use Wolverine Studio's Draft Day Football '21 to simulate games and record stats. Storylines and developments which differ from the USFL (IRL) will be entirely the machinations of my mind and the longstanding desire I hold that the league fare better than it did. “If you are a USFL fan, or just a fan of alternate history, I hope this site will entertain you.” Where do we start? The league will start with its initial announcement of formation, followed by a 1983 preview. We will follow this with weekly scores and updates, ongoing stories, and eventually new seasons. Stats will be presented periodically, along with league leaders and news about expansion, relocation, or franchises in trouble. Kicking off soon. Let's travel back to 1983 and the start of Spring Football with the USFL.