The USFL is about to do what the XFL and AAF couldn’t: play their championship game and complete an entire season. While bankruptcy reared its ugly head in the AAF’s 2019 midseason debacle, COVID-19 forced the XFL to cut its 2020 season short (although a comeback is planned in 2023). After a 10-week season and two conference title games, the Birmingham Stallions and Philadelphia Stars have made it to the 2022 USFL Championship Game. With kickoff quickly approaching, here’s how to watch the USFL’s inaugural title match.
How to watch the USFL Championship Game in 2022
Birmingham rode an eight-game winning streak and represented their hometown, the USFL’s hub city, proudly. Outside Weeks 1 and 2, the Stallions’ defense allowed just 14.8 points per game for the remainder of this season. The performance from the offense has ebbed and flowed, but in the end, it got the job done to retain the USFL’s top seed all season long and make it to the 2022 USFL Championship.
Their opponent surprised a few people down the stretch. While the New Jersey Generals showed consistency in the North Division throughout the season, the Stars peaked at the right time and fulfilled their dark horse championship contender status.
When an injury to starting QB Bryan Scott cast a cloud over the season, Case Cookus stepped up to be the light many didn’t see. Some changes to roster rules helped keep Scott along for the ride, but Cookus grasped his opportunity and ran with it. With the season’s final game quickly approaching, let’s look at how to watch the USFL’s 2022 Championship Game.
Birmingham Stallions (9-1) vs. Philadelphia Stars (6-4)
- Start time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Channel: FOX
- Location: Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Canton, OH
- USFL odds: (Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook)
- Moneyline: Stallions -205, Stars +175
The 2022 USFL Championship between Stallions and Stars kicks off at the Professional Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH. The Stars got the weight off their back after finally taking down the New Jersey Generals in the North Division playoff game. The Generals had already beaten Philadelphia twice in the regular season. However, after their late-season surge, the Stars finally found the answers to make the 2022 USFL Championship.
While the Stallions’ vaunted defense was mentioned earlier, Cookus and RB Matt Colburn fueled the Stars’ late-season surge. Between Weeks 6-10, the Stars scored 31.2 points per game. In comparison, the Stallions’ offense started well, scoring 27 points per game through Week 6. However, various injuries cut the scoring by over 30% to just 18 points between Weeks 7-10.
The Stallions looked like themselves again after completing their three-game sweep of the Breakers in the South Division conference game. While Birmingham represents the South in the 2022 USFL Championship, the offense only scored 14 of their 31 points.
This should be a fantastic game featuring one of the best defenses, Birmingham, clashing against the most potent offense, Philadelphia. Picking the outright winner this week is difficult. However, I’ll stand by my preseason hunch and choose my dark horse candidate, the Stars, to be the winner of the 2022 USFL Championship.
Prediction: Stars 27, Stallions 24