Editing United States Football League (section)

===1986 proposal===
Prior to the jury award in ''USFL v. NFL'', the league had planned to go forward with a 1986 season with eight teams, divided into an "Independence Division" and a "Liberty Division":
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* '''Independence Division'''
** [[Arizona Outlaws]]
** [[Jacksonville Bulls]]<sup>1</sup>
** [[Orlando Renegades]]
** [[Tampa Bay Bandits]]
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* '''Liberty Division'''
** [[Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars|Baltimore Stars]]
** [[Birmingham Stallions]]
** [[Memphis Showboats]]
** [[New Jersey Generals]]<sup>2</sup>
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<sup>1</sup> merged with [[Denver Gold]]<br />
<sup>2</sup> merged with [[Houston Gamblers]]

Due to the legal aftermath of the failed lawsuit against the NFL, the USFL folded and this divisional format never came to fruition.

Out of the 23 USFL teams, only five played for the league's entire three-season duration without relocating or changing team names: Denver Gold, Los Angeles Express, Birmingham Stallions, New Jersey Generals, and Tampa Bay Bandits. Only the latter three teams would have remained on this list if the league had continued in 1986.