One step closer to United States Football League in The Magic City
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In case you missed it, the United States Football League (USFL) has been working closely with The BJCC and Birmingham area leaders over the past month. The goal? To bring USFL to Birmingham for a number of games this spring. Just this morning, Birmingham City Council passed a resolution of intent to fund the initiative.
Highlights of USFL Season in Birmingham
Birmingham may see the return of USFL games after a 37-year drought. What might that look like for Magic City spectators?
Highlights of the USFL arrangement include the following:
- Birmingham would host eight of the league’s teams, including our hometown favorites, Birmingham Stallions
- Games would be played in a “bubble” format (similar to NBA) for 12 weeks from April-July 2022
- Birmingham would host 43 games, including two playoffs and a championship
- Roughly 1/3 of the games would be held at Legion Field, with the rest at Protective Stadium
- Games would be aired nationally
The fine print
Today, city councilors discussed, “a Resolution of intent to fund the athletic field improvements at the Protective Stadium for the NUSFL football league for an amount up to $500,000.00, beginning with the 2022 fiscal year, and to urge the Mayor to use revenue from the hotel lodging fund.”
The item was submitted and Recommended by Council President Alexander, Council Pro Tem Smitherman and Councilor Williams. It was unanimously approved.
Approval from Birmingham City Council
Today, Tuesday Nov 2, the Birmingham City Council approved the allocation of funds. At this time, the council has offered a non-binding intent to support.
Non-binding MOUs are also in place with The BJCC and Legion Field, contingent on finalizing funding. We can expect more news, including a formal announcement in the next few weeks.
“I think when you look at the totality of the USFL deal and see all the return on investment that the city will be receiving, it’s a no brainier. The breadth of exposure alone is worth our participation.”
—Darrell O’Quinn, Birmingham City Councilor, District 5
USFL Funding
Bringing USFL to Birmingham won’t be cheap. When the proposal was announced about two weeks ago, the BJCC shared that it needed approximately $3.6 million to cover the cost.
We can thank Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau, City of Birmingham and Jefferson County Commission for pledges totaling $3 million. According to al.com, The BJCC will cover the remaining amount to hit the goal.
Would you attend a USFL game? Let us know @BhamNow.
