What do USFL contracts look like in 2023? How much does the USFL pay per week? Boardroom goes inside all the numbers.
The United States Football League is back! Eight teams, including the debutante Memphis Showboats, will fight it out in 2023 for the USFL Championship in the race to dethrone the Birmingham Stallions, who won top honors in 2022 thanks to the talents of standouts like wide receiver Victor Bolden Jr. and linebacker DeMarquis Gates.
A new team in the mix isn’t the only notable development around the USFL this year, however. In January, 100% of the league’s players voted to adopt a first-ever collective bargaining agreement with the league, securing key advances regarding USFL contracts, housing and quality of life benefits, and more.
So, as the football returns on April 16, what does the league’s pay scale actually look like for these eight teams?
Let’s dive into the details behind all the 2023 USFL salaries on the books this season.
USFL Salaries 2023
How much do USFL players make? According to the bulk of reporting around the league’s CBA with the players, the USFL pay scale works as follows:
USFL salary structure
- Every active roster player receives a minimum of $5,350 per week during the regular season, up from $4,500 in 2022
- Totals $53,500 for the full 10-week regular season
- Inactive and practice squad USFL players get $2,500 per week during the regular season, up from $1,500 in 2022
- Totals $25,000 for the full 10 weeks
- Each player on the winning USFL Championship team receives a one-time $5,000 bonus
- Click here for Boardroom’s overview of last year’s USFL salary structure.
USFL benefits
- Players will earn $150 per week to contribute to a 401(k) retirement account
- The league will provide housing for all USFL players during training camp; for the regular season, players will receive a $400 per week housing stipend
Notably, the $5,450 weekly USFL salary figure for 2023 is higher than the equivalent pay scale in the XFL — click here for Boardroom’s full overview of 2023 XFL salaries.
By comparison, the league-minimum salary in the NFL for the 2022 season was just over $800,000.
USFL Teams 2023
North Division
TEAM | CITY | STADIUM | HEAD COACH |
Michigan Panthers | Detroit, Michigan | Ford Field | Mike Nolan |
New Jersey Generals | East Rutherford, New Jersey | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium | Mike Riley |
Philadelphia Stars | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Ford Field | Bart Andrus |
Pittsburgh Maulers | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium | Ray Horton |
South Division
TEAM | CITY | STADIUM | HEAD COACH |
Birmingham Stallions | Birmingham, Alabama | Protective Stadium | Skip Holtz |
Houston Gamblers | Houston, Texas | Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium | Curtis Johnson |
Memphis Showboats | Memphis, Tennessee | Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium | Todd Haley |
New Orleans Breakers | New Orleans, Louisiana | Protective Stadium | John DeFilippo |