The Michigan Panthers are back! Get to know the players, coaches, rules and more

Detroit — The Panthers are back on the prowl.

The Michigan Panthers, Detroit's pro spring football team, open the United Football League season at 4 p.m. Saturday at Ford Field against the St. Louis Battlehawks, in a battle of two teams from the leagues that merged into one this offseason. Michigan is from the United States Football League, St. Louis is from the XFL.

Eight teams are each set to play a 10-game regular-season schedule, with Michigan playing five at Ford Field.

Here's what you need to know about the 2024 Panthers:

Five Panthers to watch

FRANK GINDA, LB, SAN JOSE STATE

One of the Panthers' best players from 2023 is returning for another season. He was the USFL's defensive player of the year, after recording 104 tackles and three interceptions for a Panthers team that made the playoffs. That earned Ginda, 26, a look with the Atlanta Falcons last preseason, and he spent time on the practice squad. Ginda also played for the Panthers in 2022, making 90 tackles. He was All-Mountain West in 2017 at San Jose State.

E.J. PERRY, QB, BROWN

Yes, there still is technically a quarterback battle for the Panthers, with coach Mike Nolan declining to name his starter between Perry and Danny Etling out of LSU. But Perry, 25, is the incumbent seemingly with the leg up, after going 23-for-38 for 370 yards and two touchdowns in the Panthers' overtime playoff loss to Pittsburgh a year ago. He played at Boston College and Brown, and was offensive MVP of the 2022 East-West Shrine Bowl.

BREELAND SPEAKS, DE, MISSISSIPPI

Another standout on the Panthers' defense, Speaks recorded 53 tackles and nine sacks in 10 games for the Panthers in 2023, and was named to the All-USFL team. That earned him a preseason look in 2023 with the San Francisco 49ers. This also is Speaks' third year with the Panthers, as he continues his bid to get back to the NFL, where he appeared in 16 games for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2018. Speaks, 28, also was with the Chiefs in 2019.

DEVIN GRAY, WR, CINCINNIATI

With the merger between the USFL and XFL, eight teams were eliminated, including the Philadelphia Stars, who shared the Detroit hub with the Panthers during the 2023 USFL season. That led Gray, 28, to the Panthers, after he had 50 catches for 502 yards and a touchdown in 10 games with the Stars. Gray also played for the Stars in 2022, and has previous NFL experience with the Falcons, Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens.

WES HILLS, RB, SLIPPERY ROCK

Lions fans will remember Hills, who was on their practice squad in 2019 and was promoted to the active roster for a December game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Hills, 28, went on to score a pair of touchdowns in that game. Hills played last year for the New Orleans Breakers in the USFL, and had 679 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns, to go with 278 receiving yards. He was all-USFL, and also has played in the CFL.

More: Michigan Panthers promise better product, but can they still connect with Detroit?

The schedule

Note: No local radio this year.

▶ Saturday: vs. St. Louis Battlehawks, 4 p.m., Fox

▶ Sunday, April 7: vs. Birmingham Stallions, noon, ESPN

▶ Sunday, April 14: vs. Houston Roughnecks, noon, ABC

▶ Saturday, April 20: at San Antonio Brahmas, 7 p.m., Fox

▶ Sunday, April 28: at Memphis Showboats, 3 p.m., Fox

▶ Sunday, May 5: vs. Arlington Renegades, 1 p.m., Fox

▶ Sunday, May 12: at D.C. Defenders, noon, ESPN

▶ Saturday, May 18: vs. Memphis Showboats, 4 p.m., Fox

▶ Sunday, May 26: at Houston Roughnecks, 2:30 p.m., Fox

▶ Saturday, June 1: at Birmingham Stallions, noon, ESPN

Note: Michigan, Birmingham, Memphis and Houston are in the USFL conference; Arlington, D.C., St. Louis and San Antonio are in the XFL conference. The top two teams from each conference make the playoffs.

How to get tickets

Ticket prices were increased a bit from 2023, the Panthers' first year playing in Michigan, as the merged leagues look to find some additional revenue. Single-game tickets are available for as little as $22, and season tickets are on sale for as little as $100. All seats have good vantage points, of course, as the league is expected again to only use prime areas in the lower bowl of Ford Field. There were some price breaks for fans on some concession prices in 2023, though not for parking. Tickets can be purchased at TheUFL.com/tickets.

The coaching staff

Mike Nolan, formerly the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, is back for a second season leading the Panthers, after taking them to the playoffs in 2023. Nolan has made some changes on his staff. The new offensive coordinator is Marcel Bellefeuille, who comes highly regarded and was previously the OC of the now-defunct Philadelphia Stars. The team's new defensive coordinator is Collin Bauer, who was promoted from defensive line coach. Michigan's general manager remains Steve Kazor, former head coach at Wayne State and a one-time Lions assistant.

The local connections

There are several players on the Panthers' opening 50-man roster who have ties to Michigan, including quarterback Brian Lewerke (Michigan State), running back Nate McCrary (Muskegon, Saginaw Valley State), defensive end Kenny Willekes (Rockford, Michigan State), offensive lineman Jarrett Horst (Michigan State) and tight end Gunnar Oakes (Eastern Michigan). Lewerke is looking to play in his first actual game since the 2021 NFL preseason with the New York Giants. He was signed in the middle of 2023, and is currently the team's No. 3 quarterback.

What is this league?

The new United Football League is a merger of the two most-recent attempts at pro spring football, the United States Football League, which played for two seasons, and the XFL, which played for one and was owned in large part by wrestler and actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Each of the old leagues had eight teams for 16 total, and this one has eight. Coaches and players in the UFL say the combined league will make for a better product on the field, and the old product wasn't all that bad to begin with. The USFL and XFL combined to see more than 120 players sign with NFL teams, mostly for training camps and practice squads.

The new rules

A touchdown is worth the traditional six points; then, coaches can try a 1-point play from the 2-yard line, a 2-point play from the 5-yard line or a 3-point play from the 10-yard line. Kickoffs will look traditional, from the kicking team's 20-yard line. Instead of an onside kick in the fourth quarter, a trailing team may try to keep possession with a fourth-and-12 play from its own 28. Teams are allowed two forward passes on each play, though the ball can't cross the line of scrimmage before the second forward pass. Officials may stop play to review any call on the field, and each coach gets one challenge to call for a review of any foul or potential foul.

History lesson

The Panthers were a member of the old United States Football League, which launched in 1983, with Michigan playing at the old Pontiac Silverdome. The Panthers won the league's inaugural championship, and competed again in 1984, before the team eventually relocated and the league eventually disbanded. The new USFL, launched two years ago, wasn't affiliated with the old league, though it secured the old team names and added Michigan to its roster because of the team's popularity with the fans four decades ago. The Panthers then survived the USFL-XFL merger, in large part, because of the size and passion of their fan base.

tpaul@detroitnews.com

@tonypaul1984