The news surrounding the USFL to Birmingham keeps getting better. According to Roy S Johnson of AL.com the city of Birmingham plans to allocate $500,000 towards the new United States Football League in Birmingham plan. The funds will also be matched by the Jefferson County Commission, bringing the total to $1 million.
“After talking with the administration and a majority of the city council, we plan to recommend and approve the city of Birmingham to allocate up to $500,000 to help make this exciting opportunity a reality,” Councilman Hunter Williams told AL.com on Tuesday, hours after the new city council, with three new members, was sworn in. “This funding will be made possible through Birmingham’s [$3 per night] hotel surcharge that is earmarked for sports and tourism and will be matched from our partners at the Jefferson County Commission.”
The BJCC was short $1.6 million short of its goal. The Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau board voted to make a $2 million commitment a week ago. That leaves now just $600,000.
“In recent weeks we have been presented with the opportunity to work with Fox Sports to bring Spring football to Birmingham,” Councilman Hunter Williams continued. “This proposal is far different from the previous efforts to create a viable new football league. For the first time, this effort has the support of the NFL, Fox Sports, and NBC, with all games and operations for the first season to occur in Birmingham. Our city and our region will benefit from the tremendous economic impact, as well as exposure around the world from this effort.”
The support of the NFL? That is the first time we have heard their name in the USFL to Birmingham discussion. In early October, there was a Dany Garcia Instagram story that contained two booklets. Garcia was on her way to New York at the time for XFL meetings. One was about the XFL, and the other booklet was covered with a partial logo being revealed. Some XFL fans thought it was the NFL’s logo.
It would be interesting if the NFL, in some ways, did support both the USFL and XFL. The success of XFL players making NFL rosters is an indication that a viable Spring Football league could be beneficial to the NFL.
As for the USFL, if Birmingham can come up with the remaining $600,000 needed. Then the USFL season in 2022 is good to go, and we will be covering it all the USFL News on XFL News Hub.
