The USFL playoff road to Canton takes a big turn in upcoming Week 9, as the Tampa Bay Bandits and New Orleans Breakers collide in one of the most important games of the inaugural season. With two weeks left in the regular-season, both teams control their own playoff destinies.

Yesterday, a Tampa Bay (4-4) victory meant the Bandits can claim the fourth and final USFL playoff spot if they win their final two games. But to get to Canton, they must first go through South Division rival New Orleans on Sunday at 4:00 PM ET on FOX.

New Orleans (5-3) can clinch a postseason berth with a win over Tampa Bay. The Breakers dominated the Bandits 34-3 back in Week 2, but Tampa Bay Head Coach Todd Haley expects a more competitive game this time around.

“I’m grateful that we get the opportunity to play a meaningful game against a team that really kicked our pants the first time around,” Haley said. “But it is a meaningful game, and we’ve got a lot more (video) to be able to study and prepare for.”

Also yesterday, the Philadelphia Stars (5-3) earned a victory to claim the third postseason spot and set up a playoff battle against North Division rival New Jersey Generals (7-1). The South Division regular-season champion Birmingham Stallions (8-0) have also clinched a playoff berth and will play either the Breakers or Bandits on June 25.

The USFL playoff road to Canton continues this weekend at Birmingham’s Protective Stadium:

New Jersey Generals[x] at Michigan Panthers[e] (Saturday, June 11 at 1:00 PM ET on NBC)

Houston Gamblers[e] at Birmingham Stallions[x] (Saturday, June 11 at 6:00 PM ET on USA)

Tampa Bay Bandits at New Orleans Breakers (Sunday, June 12 at 4:00 PM ET on FOX)

Philadelphia Stars[x] at Pittsburgh Maulers[e]  (Sunday, June 12 at 7:30 PM ET on FS1)

[x] New Jersey & Birmingham & Philadelphia clinched playoff berths      [e] Houston & Pittsburgh & Michigan eliminated from playoff contention

The top two teams in each division will meet in the inaugural USFL playoffs on Saturday, June 25, with two games played that day at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton. The New Jersey Generals will clash against the Philadelphia Stars to determine the North Division Champion. The Birmingham Stallions will face either the New Orleans Breakers or the Tampa Bay Bandits to decide the South Division Champion. The winners will play in the USFL Championship Game on Sunday, July 3. Tickets for the USFL Playoffs and Championship games are on sale at United States Football League (USFL) (hofvillage.com).

About the USFL

The United States Football League (USFL) is a new, independent football league that is not affiliated with the defunct 1980s league or its owners. The inaugural USFL season kicked off April 16 with eight teams split into two divisions: the Birmingham Stallions, Houston Gamblers, New Orleans Breakers, and Tampa Bay Bandits in the South Division; and the Michigan Panthers, New Jersey Generals, Philadelphia Stars, and Pittsburgh Maulers in the North Division. Each team will play a 10-game regular-season in Birmingham. The USFL Playoffs begin in Canton on June 25 between the top two teams in each division and the USFL Championship Game will be played on July 3 between division winners. Each USFL team carries a 40-man active roster plus a 10-man practice squad. Players receive base compensation and are eligible for victory bonuses. NBC Sports and FOX Sports are the League’s official media partners and will present all 43 regular- and postseason games on FOX, FS1, NBC, USA, or Peacock networks. Brian Woods is President of Football Operations, and former Dallas Cowboys standout and long-time NFL on FOX game analyst Daryl Johnston is Executive Vice President of Football Operations. Former NFL Vice President of Officiating and FOX Sports’ NFL and college football rules analyst Mike Pereira is Head of Officiating. For more information, visit theUSFL.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

SOURCE: Darryn James // Darryn.James@theUSFL.com

Related Posts

• 
  UFL GAMES TO AIR NATIONWIDE ON SIRIUSXM
• 
  UFL Continues to Innovate with Feature-Packed App
• 
  Yanks Sign RHP McKinley Moore