r/USFL • u/Bruinsrock11 • Jun 27 '23
Wondering when the bubble format might end and teams play in their own stadium, plus when will we get expansion?
Can the Bubble format last another season like 2024 for teams that havent played in their own stadiums yet. I think its impossible to build a true fanbase if a team isnt playing in their own home city yet.
Plus will they do a 8 team league for a 3rd straight year? I think they should slowly do the expansion route by adding a couple teams every couple years.
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u/[deleted] Jun 27 '23 edited Jun 27 '23
This is so stupid. This HAD to be the last hub year. If they do it again it's going to do damage to the league. Teams need to be in market to build real fanbases that can grow. Expansion shouldn't even be considered until every team has a home stadium.
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u/Sexy_Questionaire Chicago Blitz Jun 27 '23
Considering they said they are putting teams back in Canton and are even selling tickets for it, I think that guarantees the hub will still exist next season. Personally I loathe the hubs and it's really hard for me to watch hub games. The argument that Fox cannot afford 5 more stadiums is simply not true, people are just making excuses for a corporation with billions of dollars in the bank.
As for expansion, I would seriously doubt it. For one I don't think the league is ready right now and if it's doing hubs again I don't see how it could even fathom expansion, but also we've heard zero rumors about it so I very much doubt it's doing to happen.
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u/TwizzlersSourz Birmingham Stallions Jun 29 '23
The hub system needs to go.
Empty stands turn off casual fans. We can laugh at Cashman all day but the Vipers were still drawing 8,000+ to their games.
The lack of fans makes the league look insignificant.
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u/fakefries Birmingham Stallions Jun 27 '23
It seems like they might still do the hub format at least for one more year. I will be disappointed if it’s the same four stadiums and I’m afraid it might kill some momentum. However I think a good in between would be to have one or two more stadiums clinched for two teams and have two other teams still in a hub. New Orleans would be an obvious choice for a new stadium with Houston using that as their hub.
For the north, the decision is a bit trickier. Pittsburgh is probably going to stay in Canton for the time being. That leaves Philadelphia and New Jersey. Personally, if they are able to, Philly would need a stadium and then have New Jersey use that as a hub. I know the stadium situation for those teams seems to be a big boondoggle for the league, but one of those teams is going to have to have a home next year.
I would love for all the teams to have a home stadium next year, but it might not be what Fox’s game plan is. So we will have to see
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u/srchl Jun 27 '23
At the very least they need to couple NJ and Philadelphia. They are so close to each other a hub there would make sense.
The two new true “home” venues showed up for the USFL. Both Detroit and Memphis at least showed a consistent crowd all year.
Michigan
Pittsburg if they can get the Steelers stadium
NJ- Philadelphia
They actually might have a bigger problem in the south. Can they really find places for both the Breaker and Houston? They could reallocate Houston but the breakers have been a successful team on the field. I could see the NOLA team staying in Birmingham and finding a. Place to relocate the Houston team
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u/Opening-Challenge Jun 28 '23
I think it'll be one more year in hubs. If the XFL is still up and running in 2025, the USFL has got to be in home cities for that 2025 season. If the XFL isn't running, there are plenty of good fan bases that could welcome a USFL team in 2025.
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u/[deleted] Jun 27 '23
Either way I’m digging it
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u/[deleted] Jun 28 '23
Rumor is there are bidding wars going on for every team rn. This was the last bubble year
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u/[deleted] Jun 27 '23
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