HOUSTON — Spring football is returning to Houston and it’s coming with a team name and league that’s familiar to longtime Houstonians.
The USFL is back, and the league announced their eight teams on Monday. Included in them – the Houston Gamblers, complete with the black helmet with a team logo in the shape of Texas and the letter "G" with a star where Houston would be.
The league will begin play in 2022 with four teams in the North division and four in the South.
The league is set to start play in next April and will play at a single location, which hasn't been disclosed yet. The league says the teams will eventually play in their own cities.
USFL teams and divisions
NORTHERN DIVISION
Michigan Panthers
New Jersey Generals
Philadelphia Stars
Pittsburgh Maulers
SOUTHERN DIVISION
Birmingham Stallions
Houston Gamblers
New Orleans Breakers
Tampa Bay Bandits
If you were around Houston in the 1980s to watch the Gamblers play, you may remember names like Jim Kelly, who played for Houston before going off to Buffalo to play in four Super Bowls.
The original USFL shut down in 1986 after moving to a fall schedule, competing with the NFL and trying to merge. According to CBS Sports, the USFL won an antitrust lawsuit against the NFL, but the USFL won just $1 before shutting down.