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Philadelphia to welcome a new football franchise?

Philadelphia may be getting a new football franchise.

No, the city isn't going to house two NFL teams a la New York, but rather it may be reintroducing a USFL franchise.

The original United States Football League, a direct NFL competitor, lasted only three seasons despite housing some serious talent and receiving decent fanfare.

A quarter of a century later, the league is looking to make a comeback, but billing itself as a sort of minor league to the NFL's major, rather than a competitor.

Although originally reported to be looking to set up teams in non-NFL cities, a recent tweet from NFL.com senior analyst Gil Brandt reveals that Philadelphia will be one of the new USFL's inaugural teams.

Brandt lists New Jersey, San Antonio, and Oakland as other inaugural cities in the tweet.

While details regarding the developing league are few and far between, a press release from the official USFL site states that the league is looking to kick off its inaugural season in the spring of 2014.

"We're going to play in the spring when fans are dying for football," explained the new USFL's original CEO, Jaime Cuadra.

"Rather than compete for players, we're going to take players who didn't quite make it to the NFL and develop them and give them unfettered access to the NFL," Cuadra continued, detailing why the new league will fare better than the original.

"The NFL can come to practices; if they want one of our players, we aren't going to stop them."

Cuadra feels that the league can thrive as a proving ground for NFL prospects, rather than a separate top tier professional league.

Philadelphia's original USFL team, the Stars, were one of the short-lived league's most successful squads, and their return would be sure to excite some.

Although the return of the Stars is not set in stone, as very little about the league seems to be at this point, come next spring Philadelphia may be home to a new football franchise.