Canton, Ohio will host USFL games during the 2023 regular season

CANTON, Ohio — At a press conference here on Wednesday, USFL and Hall of Fame Village leaders announced that Canton will host two teams during the upcoming regular season, as well as the North Division Playoff Game in late June and USFL Championship Game in early July. The announcement comes six months after the Hall of Fame Village hosted USFL postseason games during its inaugural spring professional football league season.

“The USFL is pleased that the Pittsburgh Maulers and New Jersey Generals will practice and play games in Canton during the 2023 regular season,” said Daryl Johnston, USFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations. “The outstanding regional support we received during our first postseason from football fans in Ohio and Pennsylvania, including the great city of Pittsburgh, coupled with our successful partnership with the Hall of Fame Village, has led to this moment.”

The Maulers and Generals will face each other on Sunday, April 23 in Canton’s first regular season game. The North Division Playoff Game and the USFL Championship Game will also return to Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, with dates and times to be announced later. Fans can pre-register for USFL Canton game tickets at Ticket master to make a $25 deposit and secure priority access, or visit theUSFL.com For more information.

[Fans can pre-register for affordable tickets in Canton via Ticketmaster or by visiting theUSFL.com]

“Following the incredible response from football fans during last year’s USFL postseason, we are excited to expand our partnership by hosting regular season games in 2023,” said Michael Crawford, Chief Executive Officer of Hall of Fame Resort and Entertainment Company. “The USFL is a fan-first league, so we are creating a fun and affordable entertainment destination here in Canton where football fans can cheer for the Pittsburgh Maulers, New Jersey Generals and other USFL teams while enjoying a wide variety of programs and activities at the Hall of Fame Village before and after the games.”

New Pittsburgh Maulers head coach Ray Horton, who was hired by the USFL earlier this month, sees this move to Canton in 2023 as an opportunity to build a regional fan base.

[USFL hires Ray Horton as Pittsburgh Maulers head coach]

“Having been a defensive coach for both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns, I know how passionate football fans are in Western Pennsylvania and Northeast Ohio,” Horton said. “As the USFL works to eventually move the Maulers to Pittsburgh, playing the 2023 regular season games in Canton provides an incredible opportunity for fans across the region to check us out and see first-hand the high-quality professional football which is played in the USFL My staff and I work tirelessly to build a championship level team so we are excited for fans to visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame stadium to have a good time and hopefully lifelong become Maulers fans.”

While USFL officials said they remain committed to placing all teams in their namesake markets incrementally, the game in Canton continues to expand with two iconic franchises, build a regional fanbase, keep the brand in the national consciousness, and the league’s partnership. Village in preparation to bring postseason games back to Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

The USFL is the first major professional spring football league in nearly 40 years to complete a successful inaugural season and return for Season 2. During the 2022 USFL’s 10-week regular season, all eight teams were hosted by the city of Birmingham, Alabama. Last June, during the Canton playoffs, the league announced it would expand to more markets for the 2023 season. In addition to Canton hosting the Maulers and Generals, the USFL has previously announced that the Birmingham Stallions and New Orleans Breakers will be in Birmingham, and the Memphis Showboats and Houston Gamblers will be in Memphis, Tennessee.

“In 2023, the USFL is proud to bring high-quality and competitive professional football to Canton, Birmingham and Memphis,” said Johnston. “We couldn’t be more excited about USFL Season 2 kicking off in April.”

Top stories from FOX Sports:

FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience

American football league

New Jersey generals

Pittsburgh Maulers