Memphis Showboats return to USFL, will play at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in 2023

The multi-purpose room at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium is usually filled with recruits on Memphis football game day. On Tuesday, recruits of a different kind packed the room.

Mayor Jim Strickland, FedEx founder Fred Smith, representatives from several Memphis sports organizations and more civic leaders and guests crowded into a press conference surrounded by logos from the United States Football League. All it took was three words from USFL executive vice-president Daryl Johnston to make it official.

“Well, we’re home,” Johnston said.

After 38 years, the Memphis Showboats are back and will play in the USFL’s second season beginning April 16. The Showboats, which played in the original USFL from 1984-85, are a rebranded version of the Tampa Bay Bandits that played in the league’s inaugural season.

The logo is different, a blue steamboat with yellow around it compared the old logo with gray and red lettering. But just like its prior iteration, the Showboats will play at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in 2023 as will as the league’s Houston Gamblers. Both teams will hold training camp in March.

“The USFL has come home to Memphis because fans here share a passion to celebrate football as much as we do,” Johnston said. “Memphis has a deep history as a terrific sports region that include the 1980’s Showboats that started the legendary career of Pro Football Hall of Famer Reggie White.”

White’s presence was noted often during the conference. Former Showboats teammate John Fourcade was in attendance and current Showboats coach Todd Haley said he had White’s football card from his two years with the team.

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A different White will be a face of the team in 2023. Former Memphis quarterback Brady White played last season with the Bandits. He is a graduate assistant with the Tigers after setting team records during his tenure (2018-20).

“For me, being here playing here, living here, I was pumped.” said White, Memphis’ all-time leader in passing yards, wins and touchdowns. “At first, I was like, don’t get me excited now and then yank my chain and it’s not real. But obviously it’s very real and super exciting.”

The original Showboats were a success, increasing their attendance in their second season where they reached the playoffs. Besides Reggie White, the Showboats were coached by Pepper Rodgers and had future wrestler Lex Luger on their roster.

Former Showboats president and general manager Steve Ehrhart lent his support to the new version of the team and noted Tuesday’s announcement coincided with the 40th anniversary of meetings in New York that created the original USFL.

“I hope they do well. We want to make sure they honor the legacy,” Ehrhart said. “We have a lot of pride (and) we want them to succeed. They have the resources.”

The new USFL, with an eight-team league and television agreements with NBC Sports and Fox Sports, played all of its inaugural games in Birmingham, Alabama. In June, the league announced it’d expand to play in additional markets in 2023 with plans for teams to eventually play in their local markets.

According to Brian Woods, USFL president of football operations, it was Fred Smith who helped spearhead the return of the Showboats.  Woods was watching a USFL game when got a call from Smith about six months ago.

“He said, you’ve got a great product and he said, how can I get the USFL to the great city of Memphis,” Woods recalled. “I hung up and within 30 seconds, I called Eric Shanks, the CEO of Fox Sports and I said, ‘We need to get to Memphis as quickly as possible.' ”

Strickland said the Showboats have a one-year contract with the city, with a letter of agreement for two more years that still must be approved by the City Council. It’s unclear what accommodations would need to be made when potential stadium renovations are scheduled to begin after the 2023 Memphis football season.

It’s also uncertain if the new Showboats will find a foothold where past professional spring football teams did not. The Memphis Mad Dogs, Memphis Maniax and Memphis Express are just some of the teams that tried to capture that interest but they didn’t last beyond one season.

However, that didn’t deter Johnston or the USFL from returning to where the Showboats still hold fond memories. Johnston noted the USFL was the first spring football league to reach a second season since the original USFL four decades prior.

The presentation was enough potential new chapter of pro football in the city.

“America is a football country and we want it year-round,” White said. “This team is going to bring that to the city.”

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Showboats return to USFL for 2023 football season