USFL returning for 2nd season in 2023

The USFL will be back for its second season in 2023, Fox Sports CEO and Executive Producer Eric Shanks confirmed to John Ourand of Sports Business Journal.

All eight teams in the league played their games in Birmingham, Alabama, this season but will play out of two-to-four markets next year, according to Shanks.

The goal is for each team to eventually play out of its home city, Shanks adds.

The number of teams will remain at eight for 2023, though there is a possibility of expansion in the following years.

"We've always had an expansion plan that could potentially come into play in Year 3 and beyond," Shanks said.

Previous spring football leagues, including the Alliance of American Football and two incarnations of the XFL, failed to make it to a second season.

The USFL announced its intention to relaunch in 2021. The league is nearing the finish of its 2022 campaign, its first season since 1986. The Philadelphia Stars are set to take on the Birmingham Stallions in the championship game Sunday, July 3.