Tradition-Rich Birmingham Stallions One of Four USFL Clubs Part of Inaugural UFL Season
The Birmingham Stallions were a clear choice to be one of the four USFL teams to be included in the league’s merger with the XFL and into the new UFL, which kicks off this spring.
Not only were the Stallions one of the best teams in the USFL reboot, but the city served as the hub for the entire league in 2022.
The Stallions join the Houston Roughnecks, Memphis Showboats and Michigan Panthers as the four USFL teams in the new league. They will play in the USFL Conference.
The four XFL teams will play in the XFL Conference are the Arlington Renegades, D.C. Defenders, San Antonio Brahmas and St. Louis Battlehawks. The UFL announced that Birmingham will face defending XFL champion Arlington in the season opener.
Below is a recap of how the Stallions did last season and their history in the USFL.
Birmingham in 2023
By record, the Stallions were the best team in the USFL in 2023. Birmingham went 8-2 and won the South Division title.
In the playoffs, the Stallions defeated the New Orleans Breakers 47-22 in the South Division Championship game. The following weekend, the Stallions defeated the Michigan Panthers 28-12 to win the title.
Quarterback Alex McGough was named the league’s MVP after he threw for 2,507 yards and 25 touchdowns, the latter a USFL modern-era record. He was later named the USFL Championship Game MVP and signed a contract to join the NFL’s Green Bay Packers.
Modern USFL History
No team was more successful in the two-year history of the reboot of the USFL than the Stallions, who won each of the league’s two titles. McGough quarterbacked them to both titles, though he led them to the 2022 title after missing most of the season due to injury and regained the job in the playoffs.
Former Louisiana Tech coach Skip Holtz led the Stallions to both titles and a 17-3 record in two regular seasons. In addition to McGough, the Stallions have sent five other players to the NFL, including Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey.
Holtz returns as coach in 2024.
With McGough’s selection as MVP, the Stallions became the fourth USFL team to produce an MVP. He joined a group that included Philadelphia’s Kelvin Bryant (1983), Houston’s Jim Kelly (1984), New Jersey’s Herschel Walker (1985) and New Jersey’s KaVontae Turpin (2022).
Legacy USFL History
The Stallions were one of the original 12 USFL teams in 1983 and, like their successors, produced quality teams.
The Stallions went 38-18 and won two division titles in 1984 and 1985 in three seasons under coach Rollie Dotsch. They went 14-4 in 1984 and won their first playoff game against Tampa Bay before losing to Philadelphia in the conference championship game.
In 1985, the Stallions went 13-5 and again reached the playoffs, beating Houston in the quarterfinals before losing to Baltimore in the semifinals.
The Stallions had one of the best rosters in the USFL, with former NFL players like Cliff Stoudt and Joe Cribbs on the team, along with future Buffalo Bills kicker Scott Norwood.
UFL Provides Last Hope For Long-Term Viability
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Matthew Postins writes about baseball for Fan Nation/SI and covers Big 12 basketball for Heartland College Sports. He formerly covered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and USports football for the College Football America Yearbook.