The USFL is five games into its 10-game inaugural season. By all accounts, everything has gone smoothly and to plan. The startup football league is using this season to show a proof of concept and prove live sports can draw an audience on streaming platforms as well, much like Thursday Night Football in the NFL will show this upcoming season. So, when uninformed critics of the USFL point to in-person attendance, it’s clear they don’t understand the business side of sports, as the USFL has been a success.
It has been so much of a success that viewership has competed well with NHL, MLB and many other sports thus far.
USFL Increases Roster Size for Second Half of the Season
Possibly the most impressive and great thing the USFL has shown this season is its ability to adapt. We have seen in-season rule changes and clarifications that made sense to everyone involved, which is something other large sports organizations have failed to do. Along with this, the USFL recently increased the roster sizes for the second half of the season.
The active roster size for the USFL is increasing from 38 players to 40. The practice squads are growing from seven to 10.
We have seen some injuries take place in the USFL, which is natural in the game of football. As the weather heats up in Birmingham, we could see more injuries take place. It makes sense to have more players on the roster and learn the system. So, if there are injuries or if players are unable to perform, there will be more competency in the replacements. There also are more players getting opportunities, which is the point of these startup football leagues.
Inside the USFL
On this week’s episode of Inside the USFL, Birmingham Stallions center and myself talked about things heating up in Birmingham, both weather-wise and with the possibility of rivalries forming.
The point of our show is to give our audience an inside look at the USFL from someone on the inside. So, if you have any questions you would like answered, drop your questions in the comment section of the YouTube video, and we’ll talk about it next week! You can also listen to the show at the links below.
