United States Football League

The United States Football League was a professional American football league that played three seasons between 1983 and 1985, in the process presenting the rival National Football League with its greatest competitor since the 1960s version of the American Football League.

Competition vs. NFL

Competing by not competing

At first the USFL competed with the older, more established National Football League by trying "not" to compete directly with it, primarily by playing its games on a March-June schedule but also having different playing rules, most notably:

Related Topics:
National Football League - March - June

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• The two-point conversion (since adopted by the NFL, in 1994).
• A method of challenging officials' rulings on the field via instant replay (using a system that is almost identical to that used by the NFL today).

Initially the league was viewed as innovative and a serious challenger to the establishment NFL thanks to its willingness to sign marquee talent such as Brian Sipe, Herschel Walker, Doug Flutie, Mike Rozier, Reggie White, Jim Kelly, Steve Young and other young stars of the day.

Related Topics:
Brian Sipe - Herschel Walker - Doug Flutie - Mike Rozier - Reggie White - Jim Kelly - Steve Young

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Spring vs. fall

In 1984 the league began discussing the possibility of competing head-to-head with the NFL by playing its games in the fall beginning in 1986. Despite the protests of many "old guard" owners within the league, the voices of New Jersey Generals owner Donald Trump and others would eventually prevail. On October 18, 1984, the league's owners voted to begin playing a fall season in 1986. It would prove to be the league's death knell, and the USFL would never play a fall game.

Related Topics:
1984 - 1986 - New Jersey Generals - Donald Trump - October 18

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USFL v. NFL

In another effort to keep themselves afloat while at the same time attacking the more established National Football League, the USFL filed an anti-trust lawsuit against the older league, claiming it had established a monopoly with respect to television broadcasting rights, and in some cases to access of stadium venues.

Related Topics:
National Football League - Monopoly

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Each NFL franchise was named as a co-defendant, with the exception of the then-Los Angeles Raiders; Raiders owner Al Davis was a major witness for the USFL. Howard Cosell was also a key witness for the USFL.

Related Topics:
Los Angeles Raiders - Al Davis - Howard Cosell

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The case went to trial in the fall of 1986, and while the USFL won the battle—the court held that the NFL was a "duly adjudicated illegal monopoly"—it lost the war. The jury, unsure of how to proceed awarding damages and thinking the judge was empowered to award a greater amount, awarded the USFL nominal damages of $1.00, trebled under anti-trust law to $3.00.

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Despite the post-trial statements of several jurors indicating that they wished to award much greater sums to the USFL (one juror alone stated a $100 million award, trebled to $300 million, was what he thought appropriate), the USFL's appeal was rejected by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in 1988. However, due to a provision of antitrust law which allows the "prevailing party" in an antitrust action to recover its attorney fees and costs of litigation, the USFL was awarded over $5.5 million in attorney fees and $62,220.92 in court costs. That award was appealed by the NFL: it was affirmed on appeal and ultimately allowed to stand by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1990, long after the USFL had ceased operations.

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