Earlier today we reported that The Spring League would be returning May 6th with two additional teams and some new faces and rules. As expected, TSL has since come out and made the news official via a press release on their website. With the confirmation, we have some extra noteworthy items that you may be interested in.
Former Team 9 head coach Bart Andrus will be retuning to coach the returning champions, The Generals. Mike Riley, former San Antonio Commanders head coach and Seattle Dragons offensive coordinator will be leading the charge for the Sea Lions. Former New York Guardians head coach is also jumping on The Spring League train, where he’ll be taking control of The Jousters. Jerry Glanville will also be retuning this season as head coach of the Conquerors.
The 2021 season will be hosted out of two hub cities, Indianapolis and Houston. TSL’s North Division will be comprised of the Conquerors, Aviators, Alphas and Linemen. The Generals, Sea Lions, Blues and Jousters will compete for the South Division.
With the XFL out of the picture this year (and possibly next), there’s the potential for The Spring League to draw a lot of new eyes on their product. We look forward to covering the upcoming 2021 season. You can read TSL’s full press release below:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 6, 2021
THE SPRING LEAGUE FOOTBALL RETURNS IN 30 DAYS
TSL Adds Two New Teams to Compete in Six-Week Regular Season
Beginning Thursday, May 6
FINAL TSL Returning in 30 Days on FOX
League to Partner with FOX Sports for 2021 Season
New York – In just 30 days, The Spring League (TSL) returns for the 2021 season with two new teams – the Linemen and Sea Lions – a longer season and two new hub markets. TSL will again partner with FOX Sports to showcase an expanded slate of games throughout the season, with full television schedule details to be released next week.
TSL’s 2021 season features eight teams, competing in a six-week regular season from two hub markets. Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana will play host to TSL’s North Division and consist of the Conquerors, led by Head Coach Jerry Glanville, Aviators, Alphas, and Linemen. The South Division will be headquartered in Houston, Texas and be comprised in part of the returning league champion Generals, coached by Bart Andrus, and Blues. Two former NFL head coaches, round out the remaining two teams in the South Division. Mike Riley, who served as the San Diego Chargers head coach for three seasons will lead the Sea Lions, one of two expansion teams for the 2021 season. Riley also served as head coach at Oregon State (1997-1998, 2003-2014) and Nebraska (2015-2017). The Jousters will have Kevin Gilbride at the helm. Gilbride spent 20 years in the NFL including seven years as offensive coordinator of the New York Giants, winning two Super Bowl rings along the way. From 1997-1998, Gilbride served as head coach of the San Diego Chargers.
The 2021 season will kickoff on Thursday, May 6 with a doubleheader from Lucas Oil Stadium. The first game in the doubleheader will feature the Alphas versus Aviators at 7:00pm ET, followed by the Conquerors and Linemen at 10:00pm ET. Week 1 action continues on Saturday, May 8 when the reigning TSL Champion Generals take on the Jousters with kickoff at 3:00 PM ET from Rice Stadium in Houston. The Division champions will advance to the 2021 TSL Championship that takes place Saturday, June 19.
The 2021 season features a couple of new rules that aim to improve the game, specifically introducing a new overtime format as well as enhanced protection for the quarterback. In the new “spot and choose” overtime, the team that wins the overtime coin toss will pick the spot of the ball, while the other team will choose whether to play offense or defense.
We have been innovators since we launched in 2017 and will continue to experiment with new technology and rule modifications to enhance the viewing experience for our fans and make the game safer at all levels,” said Brian Woods, CEO of TSL.
For more information, visit The Spring League.
About The Spring League
The Spring League enters its fifth season in 2021 as the premier professional football development league in the United States and abroad. Founded by Brian Woods in 2017, the League consists of eight teams and serves as a platform for player development, a training ground for future NFL coaches and game officials, and an incubator for new technology. Since its launch in 2017, The Spring League has seen over 100 players signed by NFL clubs. For more information, please visit: https://www.thespringleague.com/.
Contact: Michael Paffmann
media@thespringleague.com
