USFL Considering Expansion for 2024?

[GDAWG]

Brandon Anderson of the Comeback Period says according to people within the league the USFL is considering adding a Canton team and bringing Tampa back if they get NJ in NJ and Pittsburgh in the Steelers stadium, he later mentions he thinks it won’t happen.

[johnnyangryfuzzball]

Is that expansion or just relocating, though? Because abandoning Philadelphia and Houston could achieve the same effect.

[4th&long]

Is that expansion or just relocating, though? Because abandoning Philadelphia and Houston could achieve the same effect.

Oh Lord... I hope not. NOLA maybe. They need big markets.

[laxtreme56]

No expansion, as expected. Hubs remain in play

[Sykotyk]

No expansion, as expected. Hubs remain in play

I think the biggest holdback for the hub model going away is Philly/NJ. I'm really stumped what USFL does with Canton/Pittsburgh. If they can't get Acrisure, I can't imagine another year of Pittsburgh in Canton. But if Maulers win can you imagine a name/location change? I can't. This would be like USFL 1.0 having the Stars move.

Philly/NJ in Philly (somewhere, anywhere). Detroit hosts Michigan by themselves. Canton hosts Pittsburgh as Pittsburgh one more year. They just struggle through it. New Orleans gets a home. Houston hubs with someone else again or goes with Rice or Shell Energy for a host site. Probably Rice if anywhere.

2025 would be where USFL needs all 8 to be at eight stadiums. Show 3 years of numbers and go with funding from somewhere (internal or external) to get NJ into MetLife or RBA or Rutgers, Philly in Philly, either Pittsburgh becomes Ohio and stays in Canton or they spend the money for Acrisure Stadium and play on the crap grass.

Houston if they hub in 2024 would finally go somewhere in 2025. That's when you finally reach stability and can picture growth. But then you have to transition to working on attendance/revenue streams there and not just TV.

[GDAWG]

No expansion, as expected. Hubs remain in play

I think the biggest holdback for the hub model going away is Philly/NJ. I'm really stumped what USFL does with Canton/Pittsburgh. If they can't get Acrisure, I can't imagine another year of Pittsburgh in Canton. But if Maulers win can you imagine a name/location change? I can't. This would be like USFL 1.0 having the Stars move.

Philly/NJ in Philly (somewhere, anywhere). Detroit hosts Michigan by themselves. Canton hosts Pittsburgh as Pittsburgh one more year. They just struggle through it. New Orleans gets a home. Houston hubs with someone else again or goes with Rice or Shell Energy for a host site. Probably Rice if anywhere.

2025 would be where USFL needs all 8 to be at eight stadiums. Show 3 years of numbers and go with funding from somewhere (internal or external) to get NJ into MetLife or RBA or Rutgers, Philly in Philly, either Pittsburgh becomes Ohio and stays in Canton or they spend the money for Acrisure Stadium and play on the crap grass.

Houston if they hub in 2024 would finally go somewhere in 2025. That's when you finally reach stability and can picture growth. But then you have to transition to working on attendance/revenue streams there and not just TV.

Does Houston have the need for two spring league teams? I know it's the largest city in Texas, but the Roughnecks are already there.

[Sykotyk]

No expansion, as expected. Hubs remain in play

I think the biggest holdback for the hub model going away is Philly/NJ. I'm really stumped what USFL does with Canton/Pittsburgh. If they can't get Acrisure, I can't imagine another year of Pittsburgh in Canton. But if Maulers win can you imagine a name/location change? I can't. This would be like USFL 1.0 having the Stars move.

Philly/NJ in Philly (somewhere, anywhere). Detroit hosts Michigan by themselves. Canton hosts Pittsburgh as Pittsburgh one more year. They just struggle through it. New Orleans gets a home. Houston hubs with someone else again or goes with Rice or Shell Energy for a host site. Probably Rice if anywhere.

2025 would be where USFL needs all 8 to be at eight stadiums. Show 3 years of numbers and go with funding from somewhere (internal or external) to get NJ into MetLife or RBA or Rutgers, Philly in Philly, either Pittsburgh becomes Ohio and stays in Canton or they spend the money for Acrisure Stadium and play on the crap grass.

Houston if they hub in 2024 would finally go somewhere in 2025. That's when you finally reach stability and can picture growth. But then you have to transition to working on attendance/revenue streams there and not just TV.

Does Houston have the need for two spring league teams? I know it's the largest city in Texas, but the Roughnecks are already there.

Depends on ticket prices. Houstonians will pay $10 for a high school football game in the suburbs. I think they can support a USFL team once the Roughnecks season finishes. The problem is just the USFL needs to start focusing on building fan support in-stadium. And not just focusing on TV.

[4th&long]

No expansion, as expected. Hubs remain in play

I think the biggest holdback for the hub model going away is Philly/NJ. I'm really stumped what USFL does with Canton/Pittsburgh. If they can't get Acrisure, I can't imagine another year of Pittsburgh in Canton. But if Maulers win can you imagine a name/location change? I can't. This would be like USFL 1.0 having the Stars move.

Philly/NJ in Philly (somewhere, anywhere). Detroit hosts Michigan by themselves. Canton hosts Pittsburgh as Pittsburgh one more year. They just struggle through it. New Orleans gets a home. Houston hubs with someone else again or goes with Rice or Shell Energy for a host site. Probably Rice if anywhere.

2025 would be where USFL needs all 8 to be at eight stadiums. Show 3 years of numbers and go with funding from somewhere (internal or external) to get NJ into MetLife or RBA or Rutgers, Philly in Philly, either Pittsburgh becomes Ohio and stays in Canton or they spend the money for Acrisure Stadium and play on the crap grass.

Houston if they hub in 2024 would finally go somewhere in 2025. That's when you finally reach stability and can picture growth. But then you have to transition to working on attendance/revenue streams there and not just TV.

Sykotyk is correct, they need to engage Philly/NJ. Philly = 2.51% tv household share and NNJ-NY is 6.24%, combined 8.75% or 57% of the USFL marketshare. Need Houston too. NOLA like Birm and Memphis is a waste of resources. There is major upside focusing on Philly/NJ. Combined Birm/NOLA/Memphis is about 60% the size of philly.
If they did move a team to Canton/Cleveland - it should be NOLA.

USFL by TV market share:
Rank Market TV Homes Share
52 Memphis 644,360 0.52%
50 New Orleans 687,110 0.56%
45 Birmingham 766,220 0.62%
26 Pittsburgh 1,174,940 0.95%
14 Detroit 1,937,250 1.57%
7 Houston 2,666,330 2.15%
4 Philadelphia 3,108,960 2.51%
1 New York 7,726,580 6.24%

If they add one hub in 2024 it should be Philly - and at least some NJ games played there (the rest can be Canton).

Looks like Pitt back at Canton. If in Houston at all gotta be April/May - its a humid fest there.