It’s only April, but you’ll be happy to know that there’s football on television this weekend. The USFL is back in action for the first time since 1986. And while some of the team names remain the same, there’s plenty to set this summer pigskin spectacular apart from its past life as well as the NFL and other pro football offerings.
The action gets started on Saturday night, with a showdown between the Generals and the Stallions. There are three games on Sunday, starting at Noon, so you can veg out and watch football all day long and into the evening just like it was an NFL Sunday in the fall.
While there are home and away designations, all of the USFL’s regular season games are being played in Birmingham, Alabama. When the playoffs start in late June, all of the postseason games, including the championship, will be held at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
Another thing you’ll immediately notice about the USFL are some major shifts in the rules. Teams that score will have the option of going for one, two or three points after a touchdown, making it possible to have a nine-point score. A team can also opt out of an onside kick and choose to get the ball on fourth-and-12 at the 33-yard line. A first down conversion lets them keep possession, but if they come up short, the other team gets the ball. A sack on one of those plays would result in the opponent getting the ball at the 10-yard line. So there could be a lot of scoring in these games.
Here’s the full schedule for the first week of the USFL season.
USFL TV schedule: Week 1
April 16, 7:30 p.m. ET — New Jersey Generals vs. Birmingham Stallions — FOX, NBC
April 17, 12 p.m. ET — Houston Gamblers vs. Michigan Panthers — NBC
April 17, 4 p.m. ET — Philadelphia Stars vs. New Orleans Breakers — USA
April 17, 8 p.m. ET — Tampa Bay Bandits vs. Pittsburgh Maulers — FS1