The 2022 USFL has wrapped up and from a bird’s eye view I will say it was a little bumpy, but nevertheless quite enjoyable. Making the playoffs is always a great plus too. The reincarnated New Orleans Breakers surprised everyone with the amount of success they had this year with a finishing record of 6-4.
But the question that is on everyone’s mind is in 2023 where in the New Orleans area will the Breakers play? You of course have the Caesar’s Superdome where the original team played in 1984, but it is much too big to play in.
You have two valuable options to choose from. You have Yulman Stadium on Tulane’s campus or you have the Shrine on Airline (old Zephyr Field) that currently hosts the NOLA GOLD rugby team.
Let’s take an in depth look at both stadium options for Breakers. First up is the easy choice for most people, Yulman Stadium.
Yulman Stadium
Yulman Stadium is the home of the Tulane Green Wave football team. It is a relatively new stadium opening its doors in 2014. The stadium has a capacity of 30,000. A stadium on the younger side of things and having a beautiful Tulane campus not too far away isn’t too shabby.
What Yulman has going for it is of course it is located in New Orleans not too far from the Superdome. It has a turf playing surface which is what most teams prefer to play on in this day and age.
The stadium in itself is a beauty and the turf is outstanding. The field is also named after the late great Saints owner Tom Benson so it is Benson approved which is not a bad thing to say at all.
What I feel it has going against it is for starters I do not think the Breakers can sell out a 30,000 seat stadium in their first move back to the city. Another thing that some people won’t think about is the parking situation. From what I have been told it is very difficult to park by or near the stadium.
So overall yes it would of course be ideal, but I feel it is much too big to play in. But it is the more likely choice.
Shrine On Airline
The Shrine On Airline, originally Zephyr Field, located in Metairie is the host stadium for the NOLA GOLD rugby team. The Shrine opened its doors in 1997 and was the home stadium to New Orleans’s minor league baseball team the Zephyrs/Baby Cakes from 1997-2019.
Since the Baby Cakes left for Wichita in 2019 it has been primarily a rugby stadium since 2020. The Shrine as it sits currently holds 10,000 in stadium capacity which in my opinion is just the right size for a USFL team that wants to fill seats easily.
It has been said in a recent nola.com article that the Shrine has been approved for a facelift in a manner of speaking. The Jefferson Parish Council approved a $15M reconfiguration plan for the Shrine just a few days ago.
The work at the stadium is expected to cost more than $15 million, but Jefferson Parish officials recently said they hope to get additional money from the state for the project.
Jefferson Parish Councilman At-Large Scott Walker added also that “converting the Shrine on Airline from a stadium built for minor league baseball to one that can also host concerts, football and soccer games, and New Orleans Saints scrimmages will have a major impact on the area around it. A redesigned Shrine could help the area attract a minor league soccer team as well”.
Conclusion
So who’s to say if and when this project will get started or if the USFL and Breakers will even consider the idea of playing at the Shrine.
Everything as it stands is a complete toss up. The USFL may just shake their heads at both and just use the Superdome we just don’t know.
If I had a hand in picking where the Breakers play I would select the Shine over Yulman simply because it is easier to fill a 10,000 seat stadium than a 30,000 seat stadium.
Where would you like to see the Breakers land when they come to New Orleans? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments below or join the conversation on Discord.
