United States Football League

The United States Football League existed from 1983 to 1985, with team owners who included Donald Trump (New Jersey Generals). The USFL was the first attempt at starting a new major professional football league in the United States since the American Football League and the Continental Football League of the 1960s, both of which ended in 1969 when the AFL merged into the NFL and the CFL folded. The USFL tried competing with the NFL by playing on a spring to early summer schedule when the NFL was not playing. This opened up TV coverage of USFL games and prevented the USFL from having to directly compete with the NFL for viewers. However, the USFL was unable to draw the interest of football fans during what was traditionally an off-season for football. Plans were made to move to a fall schedule starting in 1986, but the USFL folded after the 1985 season before this could happen. The USFL is also notable for adopting the two-point conversion which was since adopted by the NFL. They are also notable for their antitrust lawsuit filed against the NFL, captioned USFL v. NFL, which resulted in the jury finding in favor of the USFL - and awarding them damages of one dollar. The USFL asked for $1.69 billion in damages, which would have been trebled to more than $5 billion in 1986 dollars.

In August 1984, owner Donald Trump prevailed in a vote by the USFL to move its season from the spring to the fall for the 1986 season, to compete directly against the NFL and in the hope of some USFL owners to force a merger.

The USFL lost an estimated $200 million, and played its last game in July 1985.