The USFL just dropped a bombshell. After rumors swirled for weeks, the league has officially announced the Memphis Showboats are returning to the league. Memphis was one of the original teams in the first edition of the USFL.
The Showboats will begin play in April 2023 at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis.
This comes at the Tampa Bay Bandits expense, though. Memphis will replace the Bandits in the South, joining a division that features the reigning champs in the Birmingham Stallions.
Now, it’s quite interesting that the USFL decided to make this announcement today. This is no accident, by any means. The XFL is about to make some major moves by designating QB’s to their franchises. The spring football war is in full swing, with no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
With the Memphis Showboats joining the USFL, the league puts themselves in a position to develop a hub setting in the city. Last week, John Defilippo (New Orleans Breakers newly hired HC) reported that the league will have three hubs for 2023, with Memphis being one of them.
Considering that the USFL plans on putting a hub in Memphis, it goes to show that they believe in the market for the long term. The AAF was the last spring league to feature a team in the city, with the Memphis Express.
