Are you ready for some USFL football?

[BrentVU]

The USFL begins its season on Saturday, kicking off with the New Jersey Generals at the Birmingham Stallions. Three games follow the next day. (Pro football on Easter!)

The USFL promises unique access to the games, as well as a modified scoring system that will allow a 3-point conversion after a TD if you score from the 10-yard-line. You could be behind 18 points in the fourth quarter, but it's still a 2-possession game.

In making up your minds about whom to cheer for, here are the three Vandy alumni currently on USFL 45-man rosters:
Philadelphia Stars: LaDarius Wiley, S, No. 4
Pittsburgh Maulers: Arnold (Tre) Tarpley, S, No. 21
Tampa Bay Bandits: Bruno Reagan, OL, No. 61

There are some familiar names as coaches also, with Jeff Fisher coaching the Michigan Panthers, Skip Holtz coaching the Birmingham Stallions, and Kevin Sumlin with the Houston Gamblers. The Panthers also have Jeff Imamura as DB's coach, who was a defensive analyst at Vandy under Derek Mason.

[AuricGoldfinger]

Also of note--all of the USFL games will be held in Birmingham, except for the playoffs in late June which will be in Canton, OH.

[VUaskew]

looking forward to it.

[FayetteDore]

Loved the original USFL and the Memphis Showboats. Coach Pepper Rodgers and the team's owner, cotton merchant William Dunnavant as I recall, made games fun. They had a short-lived rivalry with Birmingham.

Kinda surprised Memphis doesn't have a team in the new iteration. But given the city's history with the NFL, it probably doesn't want anything to do with pro football. Plus I just saw some news reports this week that they're having to make direct payments to the Grizzlies to keep them there through 2029.

[vujoe]

They will have USFL without me.