1983 USFL Season

Originally written by Jeff Haggar

I am starting a series to cover the 3-year history of the USFL by documenting the national TV schedule and announcers. This post covers the inaugural year of 1983 for this springtime football league. I'll cover 1984 and 1985 in subsequent posts. Note: Another thread on this board claims to contain USFL TV schedules, but it only has 1983 and that listing contains numerous errors.  

The USFL played an 18-week regular season with no "bye" weeks. The 1983 lineup featured these 12 teams (with 4 making the playoffs):

Philadelphia Stars

Boston Breakers  

New Jersey Generals  

Washington Federals  

Michigan Panthers  

Chicago Blitz  

Tampa Bay Bandits  

Birmingham Stallions  

Oakland Invaders  

Los Angeles Express  

Denver Gold  

Arizona Wranglers

ABC televised Sunday afternoon games usually with regional coverage. ESPN carried Saturday night and Monday night games.

Week 1

Sun 3/6, Generals @ Express, ABC, 3 pm (regional), Keith Jackson, Lynn Swann, Tim Brant

Sun 3/6, Blitz @ Federals, ABC, 3 pm (regional), Jim Lampley, Lee Corso, Al Lerner

Sun 3/6, Stars @ Gold, ABC, 3 pm (regional), Bill Flemming, Ron Mix, Don Tollefson

Mon 3/7, Panthers @ Stallions, ESPN, 9 pm, Jim Simpson, Paul Maguire

Week 2

Sat 3/12, Blitz @ Wranglers, ESPN, 9 pm, Tom Kelly, Don Heinrich

Sun 3/13, Generals @ Stars, ABC, 1:30 pm, Keith Jackson, Lynn Swann, Tim Brant

Mon 3/14, Federals @ Express, ESPN, 9 pm, Jim Simpson, Paul Maguire

Week 3

Sat 3/19, Invaders @ Panthers, ESPN, 8 pm, Jim Simpson, Don Heinrich

Sun 3/20, Gold @ Blitz, ABC, 1:30 pm (regional), Keith Jackson, Lynn Swann, Tim Brant

Sun 3/20, Bandits @ Generals, ABC, 1:30 pm (regional), Jim Lampley, Lee Corso, Don Tollefson

Mon 3/21, Stars @ Stallions, ESPN, 9 pm, Jim Simpson, Paul Maguire

Week 4

Sat 3/26, Wranglers @ Stallions, ESPN, 8 pm, Tom Kelly, Don Heinrich

Sun 3/27, Bandits @ Stars, ABC, 1:30 pm (regional), Keith Jackson, Lynn Swann, Tim Brant

Sun 3/27, Express @ Blitz, ABC, 1:30 pm (regional), Bill Flemming, Lee Corso, Ted Dawson

* Mon 3/28, Invaders @ Gold, ESPN, 9 pm, ??, ??

Week 5

Sat 4/2, Blitz @ Bandits, ESPN, 8 pm, Tom Kelly, Don Heinrich

Sun 4/3, Federals @ Stars, ABC, 1:30 pm (regional), Keith Jackson, Lynn Swann, Tim Brant

Sun 4/3, Invaders @ Express, ABC, 4 pm (west coast), Jim Lampley, Lee Corso, Ted Dawson

Week 6

Sat 4/9, Bandits @ Gold, ESPN, 8 pm, Tom Kelly, Paul Maguire

Sun 4/10, Invaders @ Breakers, ABC, 1:30 pm (regional), Keith Jackson, Lynn Swann, Tim Brant

Sun 4/10, Stallions @ Blitz, ABC, 1:30 pm (regional), Jim Lampley, Lee Corso, Herb Winches

Mon 4/11, Wranglers @ Federals, ESPN, 9 pm, Jim Simpson, Paul Maguire

Week 7

Sat 4/16, Stars @ Invaders, ESPN, 5 pm, Tom Kelly, Don Heinrich

Sun 4/17, Federals @ Generals, ABC, 1:30 pm (regional), Keith Jackson, Lynn Swann, Tim Brant

Sun 4/17, Blitz @ Panthers, ABC, 1:30 pm (regional), Jim Lampley, Lee Corso

Mon 4/18, Express @ Bandits, ESPN, 9 pm, Jim Simpson, Paul Maguire

Week 8

Sat 4/23, Express @ Panthers, ESPN, 8 pm, Jim Thacker, Don Heinrich

Sun 4/24, Breakers @ Stars, ABC, 1:30 pm, Keith Jackson, Lynn Swann, Tim Brant

Mon 4/25, Generals @ Blitz, ESPN, 9 pm, Jim Simpson, Paul Maguire

Week 9

Sat 4/30, Stars @ Bandits, ESPN, 8 pm, Tom Kelly, Don Heinrich

Sun 5/1, Panthers @ Breakers, ABC, 1:30 pm (regional), Curt Gowdy, Lee Corso, Mike Barry

Sun 5/1, Generals @ Gold, ABC, 3 pm (regional), Keith Jackson, Lynn Swann, Tim Brant

Mon 5/2, Wranglers @ Invaders, ESPN, 9 pm, Jim Simpson, Paul Maguire

Week 10

Sat 5/7, Breakers @ Express, ESPN, 7 pm, Jim Thacker, Don Heinrich

Sat 5/7, Panthers @ Wranglers, ESPN, 10 pm, Jim Simpson, Paul Maguire

Sun 5/8, Bandits @ Invaders, ABC, 2:30 pm (regional), Keith Jackson, Lynn Swann, Tim Brant

Sun 5/8, Gold @ Stars, ABC, 2:30 pm (regional), Bill Flemming, Lee Corso, Mike Barry

Mon 5/9, Stallions @ Generals, ESPN, 9 pm, Jim Simpson, Paul Maguire

Week 11

Sat 5/14, Express @ Stallions, ESPN, 8 pm, Jim Thacker, Don Heinrich

Sun 5/15, Blitz @ Stars, ABC, 1:30 pm, Keith Jackson, Lynn Swann, Tim Brant

Mon 5/16, Generals @ Panthers, ESPN, 8 pm, Jim Simpson, Paul Maguire

Week 12

* Sat 5/21, Invaders @ Bandits, ESPN, 8 pm, ??, ??

Sun 5/22, Blitz @ Generals, ABC, 1:30 pm (regional), Keith Jackson, Lynn Swann, Tim Brant

* Sun 5/22, Express @ Gold, ABC, 3 pm (regional), ??, ??

Mon 5/23, Stallions @ Panthers, ESPN, 8 pm, Jim Simpson, Paul Maguire

Week 13

Fri 5/27, Stallions @ Gold, ESPN, 9 pm, Tom Kelly, Don Heinrich

Sun 5/29, Stars @ Breakers, ABC, 1:30 pm, Keith Jackson, Lynn Swann, Tim Brant

Mon 5/30, Bandits @ Panthers, ESPN, 6 pm, Jim Simpson, Paul Maguire

Mon 5/30, Wranglers @ Blitz, ESPN, 9 pm, Tom Kelly, Don Heinrich

Week 14

Sat 6/4, Generals @ Invaders, ESPN, 8 pm, Tom Kelly, Don Heinrich

Sun 6/5, Stallions @ Bandits, ABC, 1:30 pm (regional), Keith Jackson, Lynn Swann, Tim Brant

Sun 6/5, Panthers @ Stars, ABC, 1:30 pm (regional), Curt Gowdy, Lee Corso, Herb Winches

Mon 6/6, Blitz @ Breakers, ESPN, 8 pm, Jim Simpson, Paul Maguire

Week 15

Sun 6/12, Bandits @ Blitz, ABC, 1:30 pm, Keith Jackson, Lynn Swann, Tim Brant

Mon 6/13, Gold @ Invaders, ESPN, 8 pm, Jim Simpson, Paul Maguire

Week 16

Fri 6/17, Blitz @ Stallions, ABC, 9 pm (regional), Keith Jackson, Lynn Swann, Tim Brant

Fri 6/17, Express @ Generals, ABC, 9 pm (regional), Bill Flemming, Lee Grosscup, Mike Barry

Mon 6/20, Invaders @ Stars, ESPN, 8 pm, Jim Simpson, Paul Maguire

Week 17

Sat 6/25, Breakers @ Invaders, ESPN, 5 pm, Tom Kelly, Don Heinrich

* Sat 6/25, Wranglers @ Generals, ESPN, 9 pm, ??, ??

Sun 6/26, Panthers @ Blitz, ABC, 1:30 pm (regional), Keith Jackson, Lynn Swann, Tim Brant

* Sun 6/26, Express @ Federals, ABC, 1:30 pm (regional), Bill Flemming, ??

Mon 6/27, Gold @ Bandits, ESPN, 8 pm, Jim Simpson, Paul Maguire

Week 18

* Sat 7/2, Bandits @ Stallions, ESPN, 8 pm, ??, ??

Sun 7/3, Invaders @ Blitz, ABC, 1:30 pm (regional), Keith Jackson, Lynn Swann, Tim Brant

Sun 7/3, Wranglers @ Panthers, ABC, 1:30 pm (regional), Bill Flemming, Lee Corso, Steve Garagiola

Divisional Playoffs

Sat 7/9, Blitz @ Stars, ABC, 1:30 pm, Keith Jackson, Lynn Swann, Tim Brant

Sun 7/10, Invaders @ Panthers, ABC, 1:30 pm, Keith Jackson, Lynn Swann, Tim Brant

USFL Championship

Sun 7/17, Panthers vs Stars (at Denver), ABC, 8 pm, Keith Jackson, Lynn Swann, Tim Brant

* any corrections or missing info appreciated

- ESPN did not televise a game on Mon 4/4 which was the night of the NCAA title game.

- ABC covered the US Open on Sun 6/19, so the network carried a prime time game on Fri 6/17.

- Simpson and Maguire probably called most/all of the remaining Monday games, but I welcome any confirmations on specific games.