Update: The Panthers-Gamblers matchup got underway at around 1 p.m. ET.
Day two of opening weekend in the USFL has hit a bit of a snag due to Mother Nature.
The scheduled noon kickoff between the Michigan Panthers and the Houston Gamblers has been delayed due to weather and it’s currently unclear when they’ll be able to begin play. Thunderstorms have rolled through the league’s host city of Birmingham, AL, throughout the morning and may continue throughout the early portions of the afternoon.
This is an inconvenience that the upstart spring league certainly didn’t want to have happen as it unveils its product to the football world. Many people tuned into the league’s inaugural game last night to see the Birmingham Stallions defeat the New Jersey Generals in a 28-24 game that was simulcast on both NBC and Fox. The league was hoping to carry that momentum with a full slate of games for Easter Sunday.
This delay will also affect to two games immediately following the opener at Progressive Field. The Philadelphia Stars were scheduled to face the New Orleans Breakers at 4 p.m. ET on USA Network and the Tampa Bay Bandits were slotted to face the Pittsburgh Maulers at 8 p.m. ET on FS1. We’ll see how this delay alters those matchups.