Who owns the USFL and its brand?

The USFL is back in 2022, which may make some fans confused. Why? Because a league with the same name made waves in the professional football world during the 1980s.

Yet this is a new operation and not a revival of the old league, even though the same name and specific team names are being used. That leads to the question of who runs this new operation.

That would be FOX Sports, which set up a subsidiary company to run the USFL. Brian Woods is the league's president. FOX Sports running the league adds a nice backer in terms of finances, as the goal remains to complete one season and become a regular spring league for years to come.

Unfortunately, that could not happen with the first iteration of the league.

Why did the USFL cease to exist?

The original USFL lasted for three seasons, from 1983 to 1985. In terms of startup leagues, that is not too bad. However, the initial star power generated from the league could not carry it to become a true competitor to the NFL.

The problem was money. In 1986 the league tried to switch to the fall to compete with the NFL directly. Yet losses totaled well over $100 million, too much to continue operating. Taking on the mighty NFL was a noble task, but there was not enough financial backing to make it work.

The final stand for the USFL was taking on the NFL in an antitrust lawsuit. They won yet only received several dollars in damages. That was a far cry from the hundreds of millions needed to continue operation. Thus, the plug was pulled, and the league folded as the NFL only continued to thrive.

That was a shame as the league included future NFL stars in Jim Kelly and Herschel Walker, among many others. They wanted to compete with the NFL and give the mighty league some real competition, as it was seen as a monopoly. As has been the case with other new leagues, finding the money to stay afloat from the start has been the problem.

FOX Sports has taken a gamble but is a large company that can sustain certain losses if they make money back on broadcasts and advertising. And if the new USFL fails, there is always a new league ready to pop up and seek a television partner.

The first goal is to finish an entire season and hold a championship game. That comes before any thoughts of competing with the NFL or even the new XFL, set to return in 2023. Ideas of grandeur led to the league's downfall in the first place.