The United States Football League (USFL) began play 30 years ago in the spring of 1983. The idea, officially concocted in May 1982, called for an 18-game schedule to be played in the spring, with nine of the 12 teams located in NFL markets. The league only lasted three seasons.
The league filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NFL in 1984, claiming it had established a monopoly in regards to television broadcasting rights. The lawsuit became a running joke, with the NFL eventually forced to pay $3 for having violated anti-monopoly laws.