Just when we thought we’d be putting away the pigskins for the season, football lives on in Tennessee.
The United States Football League makes its inaugural debut in mid-April. And not only will football once again be accessible on big screens, but the sport will be available in our betting apps as well.
USFL makes inaugural debut
If you’ve been feeling any post-Super Bowl withdrawals, you’re not alone. Luckily, a new football season is right around the corner.
Football’s newest league announced its format in Nov. 2021, revealing eight teams and two divisions of play. The USFL draft took place in late February, and games will begin this spring.
The New Jersey Generals face off against the Birmingham Stallions on Saturday, April 16 for the USFL’s debut event. The game will be broadcast live on both NBC and FOX starting with kickoff at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Surprisingly enough, this will be the first time since Super Bowl I in 1967 where a game has aired on two competing networks simultaneously.
New football season could boost betting offseason
Football is the single-most popular sport in the US. And when it comes to sports betting, the annual Super Bowl is the most wagered-on event per year. It’s also responsible for the majority of new bettor acquisitions.
But once the Big Game clock runs down, betting traditionally simmers down to a saunter.
Basketball eventually winds to a close, and baseball becomes the only major sport remaining. But with the start of MLB season already postponed, even that’s now in question.
Some bettors might experiment with fringe sports like the NHL or table tennis. But most end up trading in their betting apps for sandy shores and sunshine.
A new spring football league, however, could be just the thing to hold their attention.
The 40 USFL games taking place from April to June offer football bettors a new way to engage while waiting for NFL season to return. In turn, sportsbooks benefit from increased player retention, and states profit from a bigger tax take.
It’s a win-win for everyone.
Tennessee approves USFL betting
Sports betting is currently legal in 33 U.S. states, and more than 15 of them have already added USFL betting as an approved market. These include:
- Iowa
- New Jersey
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- West Virginia
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- Wisconsin
Most recently, Tennessee now joins that list.
Since the USFL’s broadcast partners, Fox and NBC, already have sportsbook partnerships with Fox Bet and PointsBet, these two books will have the first opportunity to purchase USFL betting rights. Only a select number of these spots will be granted, available first to any sportsbooks already associated with the league, then expanding to other interested books.
As part of this arrangement, any sportsbook offering odds on the USFL will use Sportradar, the league’s Sports Data and Integrity Partner, for all official data.
Neither Fox Bet nor PointsBet are currently live in Tennessee, so we can’t say for certain which Tennessee betting apps will ultimately offer USFL wagers this season.
Check back here for updates as the start of the season approaches.
