According to the city of Memphis, a prolific United States Football League (USFL) team will be returning to action in the Bluff City.
“Officials reached an agreement for the Memphis Showboats to play the USFL 2023 season at historic Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, home of the 1980s team that featured Pro Football Hall of Famer Reggie White,” according to a release from the city. “The USFL announced the inaugural game will kickoff on Sunday, April 16, 2023.”
“We’re home,” said USFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Daryl Johnston. “The Showboats return to Memphis for the 2023 season. The USFL is appreciative of the tremendous support and commitment from the City of Memphis, Mayor Jim Strickland, and countless other community leaders for bringing professional football back to the Bluff City.”
Strickland responded in kind.
“I could not be happier to bring the Showboats back home to Memphis,” said Mayor Jim Strickland. “I have so many fond memories of going to USFL games. The atmosphere was amazing, the spring weather was beautiful, there was quality football, and it was an overall great experience. I know this time will be no different, and I cannot wait to go to the first game on April 16.”
The Showboats played in the USFL’s inaugural season last year.
The professional football league played all of its games in Birmingham, Alabama, but is now expanding to different markets nationwide. Memphis is one of them.
It is the only professional football league of late to make it to a second season.
In 2019, the Alliance of American Football made waves, but ground to a halt when it went bankrupt before the end of its first season.
Johnston and the USFL have plans to push forward.
““Completing a remarkably successful inaugural season and preparing for a second season shows the USFL is a stable and professional league run by people with football experience,” he said.
“In 2022, we accomplished every goal we set – high-quality, exciting, and competitive football, establishing a fan-friendly, affordable and fun stadium experience, being a catalyst for the evolution of football through innovative rules, and achieving ratings success that gave viewers unprecedented access and the best football production on television. We showed our fans, our players and coaches, our communities, and our public and corporate partners that the USFL is here to stay.”
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Memphis Showboats Midfield” by Memphis Showboats.
