There may be more changes ahead of the USFL’s second season, which kicks off in April.
Rebooted as a spring professional football league in April 2022 after a three-season run from 1983-85, the USFL has reached a deal on a new three-year collective bargaining agreement with the league’s player reps and parent company FOX Sports.
- The agreement increases the minimum salaries for players to $5,350 per week.
- Previously, the USFL paid players a minimum of $4,500 per week.
- The rival XFL has a minimum player salary of $5,000 per week.
- The USFL’s new CBA includes performance bonuses and 401K contributions.
In June, USFL players voted to unionize, electing the United Steelworkers as their exclusive bargaining representative to advocate for adequate pay, accommodations, and healthcare benefits.
Last season, players were required to pay for their own housing accommodations and hotel expenses following the conclusion of team training camps. The USFL’s new proposed CBA would provide players with $400 per week to help offset those housing costs.
Seeking Expansion
It’s currently an eight-team league that played all of last season’s games in Birmingham, Alabama, but the USFL has hired investment bank Allen & Co. to assist in expansion.
The league aims to raise between $150 million and $200 million and wants to play in two-to-four markets outside of Birmingham, each hosting multiple teams.
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