The United States Football League, which made a sizable dent in the sport’s landscape in its three-year run in the 1980s, is making a comeback.

The USFL announced its return Thursday. The league will kick off in spring 2022. It is aiming to have eight teams and to "deliver high-quality, innovative professional football to fans."

The team cities and nicknames have not yet been announced, but the USFL said it has retained the rights to “key original team names.” The first iteration of the league debuted with 12 teams.

Fox Sports, which owns a minority stake in the league, will be the USFL’s broadcast partner.

"I'm extremely passionate about football and the opportunity to work with FOX Sports and to bring back the USFL in 2022 was an endeavor worth pursuing," USFL co-founder Brian Woods said in a news release. “We look forward to providing players a new opportunity to compete in a professional football league and giving fans everywhere the best football viewing product possible during what is typically a period devoid of professional football."

Woods also founded The Spring League, a developmental and scouting football league, which will continue.

The USFL debuted in 1983 and was able to offer enough money to steer some elite players, including Herschel Walker, Doug Flutie, Steve Young, Reggie White and Jim Kelly, away from the NFL. 

After that first season, Donald Trump purchased the New Jersey Generals and later helped spearhead an effort to move the USFL to the fall to challenge the NFL with hopes of forcing a merger between the two leagues. The plan never materialized, however, and the league folded in 1986.

The new USFL is likely to compete with another spring league that also descended from yesteryear, as the XFL is planning to resume play in 2022. 

The XFL, started by World Wrestling Foundation executive Vince McMahon, collapsed in 2001 after just one season before it returned in 2020, only to be derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic just five weeks into its season. An investor group that includes actor and former wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson then purchased the XFL for $15 million in August. 

The USFL’s original 12 teams were the Arizona Wranglers, Birmingham Stallions, Boston Breakers, Chicago Blitz, Denver Gold, Los Angeles Express, Michigan Panthers, New Jersey Generals, Oakland Invaders, Philadelphia Stars, Tampa Bay Bandits and Washington Federals.