| Sport | American football |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2008 |
| Ceased | 2015 |
| No. of teams | 8–12 (planned) |
| Country | USA |
| TV partner(s) | ABC, ESPN |
| Related competitions | United Football League |
| Official website | ASFL.biz |
The United States Football League was a proposed American professional football minor league founded in 2008 and aimed to begin play on February 20, 2010. The league was also known as the New United States Football League to distinguish it from the 1983–85 league of the same name. During its lifetime, the league had three different owner groups, with the last one aimed to start a season in 2015, but the plans never materialized; it was not until 2022 that a new version of the USFL would come to fruition; none of these versions of the USFL are directly related to each other.[1][2]
The new USFL did not intend to become one of the "major league" sports organizations, but rather "committed to serving as a developmental league more akin to minor league baseball. As a developmental league, the USFL intended to offer players the opportunity to develop and refine their football skills and to showcase their abilities at a professional level." The league has publicly expressed an interest to also provide mentorship and training programs to help players prepare for their lives after football.[3]
The initial ownership plan was that teams will be located in cities "large enough" to support a pro team, who are not served by NFL or MLB teams.[4]
The league had an broadcasting agreement with the ESPN family of networks (including ABC).[5]
The United States Football League (USFL) is a new, independent football league that is not affiliated with the defunct 1980s league or its owners.
Instead of existing as a direct competitor to the National Football League as the original USFL did, this incarnation, which is unrelated to the original USFL, would play a developmental role.