In 1985, the USFL was looking ahead to the fall of 1986, when it was set to begin competing with the NFL directly. This led to more than a few changes in the ’85 season, as some teams just wouldn’t be able to draw crowds in the same markets as NFL teams. The league was reduced to two division-less conferences of seven teams each.
The Pittsburgh Maulers folded, rather than continue on in the hopes of competing with the Steelers. The Chicago Blitz suspended operations for 1985 but had plans to play again in the future.
Three other teams relocated. The Philadelphia Stars had plans to move to Baltimore, but conflicts in scheduling led them to College Park, Maryland, closer to Washington DC. That city’s former team, the Federals, would move to Orlando and rebrand as the Renegades. Further west, the New Orleans Breakers moved to Portland, their third city in as many seasons in the league.
Lastly, two other pairs of teams merged. 1983 champion Michigan merged with the Oakland Invaders, taking on the identity of the latter. The Oklahoma Outlaws and Arizona Wranglers also merged, keeping the name and colors of the Outlaws while moving to Tempe.
Despite the league contraction, the schedule kept the 1984 setup: 18 games in 18 weeks, with an eight-team playoff.
Not a whole lot changed between the 1984 and ’85 seasons, in terms of who did well. Taking mergers into account, six teams made the playoffs in both years. The Denver Gold and Memphis Showboats appeared in 1985 to replace the Wranglers and Express. The Los Angeles Express just fell off a cliff, going from 10 regular season wins to just 3 while averaging under 10,000 fans per game.
Despite a fourth-place finish in the Eastern Conference, the Baltimore Stars won in New Jersey and Birmingham to meet the Invaders in the championship, also in New Jersey. A 28-24 win secured the Stars as the all-time best USFL franchise. Ironically, the two teams met in the second week of the regular season—and tied.
And despite having 15 wins in 21 games, the Invaders place just fourth in my ratings, while the Stars claim the top spot. Based on the standings, it should be no surprise that six of the top eight teams came from the Eastern Conference. Only the Renegades—carrying on the losing tradition of the Federals—didn’t make it.
I think most football fans know what happened next. The United States Football League tried to stay alive by taking the NFL to court over the claim that the older league had a monopoly over TV and stadium rights.
While the court ruled in favor of the USFL, some of its key claims were found to be untrue, and their efforts earned them just a $3 check—which has never been cashed.
The USFL had staked its life on getting millions of dollars out of the lawsuit, not just three. It wasn’t long after the verdict came out that the league shut down for good.
The Pittsburgh Maulers folded, rather than continue on in the hopes of competing with the Steelers. The Chicago Blitz suspended operations for 1985 but had plans to play again in the future.
Three other teams relocated. The Philadelphia Stars had plans to move to Baltimore, but conflicts in scheduling led them to College Park, Maryland, closer to Washington DC. That city’s former team, the Federals, would move to Orlando and rebrand as the Renegades. Further west, the New Orleans Breakers moved to Portland, their third city in as many seasons in the league.
Lastly, two other pairs of teams merged. 1983 champion Michigan merged with the Oakland Invaders, taking on the identity of the latter. The Oklahoma Outlaws and Arizona Wranglers also merged, keeping the name and colors of the Outlaws while moving to Tempe.
Despite the league contraction, the schedule kept the 1984 setup: 18 games in 18 weeks, with an eight-team playoff.
Not a whole lot changed between the 1984 and ’85 seasons, in terms of who did well. Taking mergers into account, six teams made the playoffs in both years. The Denver Gold and Memphis Showboats appeared in 1985 to replace the Wranglers and Express. The Los Angeles Express just fell off a cliff, going from 10 regular season wins to just 3 while averaging under 10,000 fans per game.
Despite a fourth-place finish in the Eastern Conference, the Baltimore Stars won in New Jersey and Birmingham to meet the Invaders in the championship, also in New Jersey. A 28-24 win secured the Stars as the all-time best USFL franchise. Ironically, the two teams met in the second week of the regular season—and tied.
And despite having 15 wins in 21 games, the Invaders place just fourth in my ratings, while the Stars claim the top spot. Based on the standings, it should be no surprise that six of the top eight teams came from the Eastern Conference. Only the Renegades—carrying on the losing tradition of the Federals—didn’t make it.
I think most football fans know what happened next. The United States Football League tried to stay alive by taking the NFL to court over the claim that the older league had a monopoly over TV and stadium rights.
While the court ruled in favor of the USFL, some of its key claims were found to be untrue, and their efforts earned them just a $3 check—which has never been cashed.
The USFL had staked its life on getting millions of dollars out of the lawsuit, not just three. It wasn’t long after the verdict came out that the league shut down for good.
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