'Crown jewel' of USFL: Pittsburgh Maulers and New Jersey Generals to play games in Canton

CANTON − The USFL will have a bigger presence in Canton during its second season.

Both the Pittsburgh Maulers and New Jersey Generals will play home games at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. The two teams will face off on April 23 at Tom Benson.

USFL and Hall of Fame Village officials made the announcement Wednesday morning at the Constellation Center for Excellence on the Village campus. The Hall of Fame Village, which is being developed by the Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Co., surrounds the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

"I think Canton, Stark County, this region, Western Pennsylvania, Northeast Ohio is going to be blown away by the show that you guys are going to put on," Michael Crawford, president and CEO of Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment, said of the USFL games.

Also attending the event were Daryl Johnston, the USFL's vice president of operations; Ray Horton, head coach of the Maulers; Curt Menefee, USFL lead commentator; and Eric Shanks, Fox Sports CEO. Representatives of Canton and Stark County government also were on hand.

Johnston echoed Crawford's enthusiasm for the spring football league playing more games in Canton.

“The USFL is excited that the Pittsburgh Maulers and the New Jersey Generals will practice and play games in Canton during the 2023 regular season,” he said. “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, led to this moment.”

A stronger partnership with the USFL is among a slew of projects and new developments at the Hall of Fame Village.

Construction started late last year on a 147,000-square-foot indoor water park that will feature high-thrill rides, swim-up bars and giant television screens. The football-themed water park project totals around $117 million, according to Village officials.

The water park will be next to a 180-room football-themed Hilton Tapestry hotel that will be separate but connected. Other facets of the Village campus include a Don Shula restaurant and The Brew Kettle, a Northeast Ohio craft brewery. Both establishments, as well as a TopGolf suite, are expected to be open early this year, Crawford said.

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USFL games will be played at Canton, three other sites

During its inaugural season last year, every USFL team played its games at a 45,000-seat stadium in Birmingham, Alabama. This season, in addition to Canton, games will be played at stadiums in Memphis and again in Alabama. A fourth site was announced Thursday in Detroit at Ford Field, now home of the Michigan Panthers.

Johnston said the intention is to eventually locate teams in their market areas.

"I think the big thing for us is we want to do it incrementally," he said. "We want to move out incrementally and be smart and fiscally responsible. That was one of the big reasons we were in Birmingham with all eight teams in one hub last year. We knew there were going to be challenges."

"We fully plan to move our teams into their market places at some time, but we have to do it in a way that is successful for us."

Referencing the Maulers, Johnston said: "The proximity to Pittsburgh and here and the (Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton) we felt was a great fit."

A total of eight teams are in the USFL. In addition to Pittsburgh, New Jersey and Michigan, they are the New Orleans Breakers, Philadelphia Stars, Houston Gamblers, Memphis Showboats and Birmingham Stallions.

The Panthers are among the links to the original USFL, which made a big splash in 1983 before disbanding in 1985. Unlike the current league, the first incarnation of the USFL attempted to challenge the NFL by signing top rookies and established NFL stars to lucrative contracts.

Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees Jim Kelly, Steve Young, Sam Mills and Reggie White played in the USFL. The Panthers won the first league championship in 1983.

Like the first USFL, the new league's games are also broadcast on network television outlets − NBC and Fox Sports and their affiliates.

Canton will receive some of that television exposure when the USFL North Division playoff game and league championship are played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium this summer. The South Division playoff game will be played at another location.

Fans can pre-register for USFL Canton game tickets via Ticketmaster to make a deposit for $25 and lock in priority access or visit theUSFL.com for more information. Ticket information is also available at https://www.hofvillage.com/.

Last season, all of the USFL playoff games took place in Canton, as well as the title game.

Several USFL players made NFL rosters this season, including USFL MVP KaVontae Turpin, who appeared in the NFL playoffs with the Dallas Cowboys. He also earned a spot in the Pro Bowl as a kick and punt returner.

"Their giving these young men an opportunity to further their dream, to be a professional player, to be a professional football coach," Crawford said. "That is something I have a lot of passion for."

USFL officials said the Hall of Fame Village did so well last season hosting the playoff games and championship that the league wanted to return and expand its Canton ties.

"It's not by coincidence," Crawford said of the Village staff and their efforts. "That's blood, sweat and tears − people really genuinely pour their hearts into everything we do here."

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The USFL games also mesh well with the entertainment components of the Hall of Fame Village campus.

Still under construction is the Fan Engagement Zone, which includes a retail promenade. The area also will include BetRivers, a retail sports betting site featuring food and beverages.

BetRivers is expected to be open this summer, according to Hall of Fame Village officials.

"This is turn-key, it's purpose built to host great events, great entertainment, great sports," Crawford said. "I am so honored, we are so honored to have (the USFL) choose us as one of the four destinations to play.

"I have to say, I've been a Cleveland fan my whole life, so coach (Horton), I honor what you've done there, and that's the part I'm holding onto," Crawford said with a smile, triggering laughter from those in the room. "I'm not sure I can root for the Pittsburgh Maulers, but gosh darn it, I'm looking forward to some great football."

Canton called the 'crown jewel of the USFL'

Horton said the Maulers will be involved in the Canton community.

"We want to help, (and) for me it's kids, young kids, boys and girls, because we now have women coaching," said Horton, who plans to visit local schools in the future.

Shanks of Fox Sports also emphasized the league's commitment to community involvement.

"We truly believe football is more important to this country than just what happens between the white lines," the television executive said. "It's a social good, and as we continue to expand the footprint of the USFL, we think we're going to do a lot of good in these communities, not just for the men who played the game and the coaches who coached, but for the communities themselves."

Horton spoke reverently about Canton's place in professional football history, referencing both the Canton Bulldogs and local high school teams.

That heritage and the Pro Football Hall of Fame will make playing games in Canton special for the team, Horton said.

"For us, I think we have really the crown jewel of the USFL, being able to be here in Canton, Ohio," he said following the press conference. "So for us, it's an easy sell to say, 'If you work hard, one day, maybe you can be (inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame).'"

"I've sat in that stadium watching football games," Horton said of Tom Benson. "To me, I use the word intimate ... and that's what it is — it's an intimate, up close, where you get to be personal with the players, so I like that."

Horton played college football at Washington and was drafted in the second round of the 1983 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. He also was defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns for the 2016-2017 season; other NFL stints included serving as a defensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals.

He also was a defensive backs coach multiple years for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Asked if he's been razzed about a Pittsburgh franchise playing games in Canton, Horton smiled and said, "Here is what I'll say. I loved my time in Pittsburgh because we were winning, I loved my time in Cincinnati because that's where I started, and I loved my time in Cleveland because the fans were fantastic."

Reach Ed Balint at 330-580-8315 and ebalint@gannett.com.

On Twitter@ebalintREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: USFL's Pittsburgh Maulers, New Jersey Generals to play games in Canton