The road to Arizona was long and winding for the USFL. It began when Alex Spanos who had planned to own the Los Angeles franchise pulled out to purchase the NFL's San Diego Chargers.

Jim Joseph and Tad Taube who jointly owned the Oakland Invaders had a chance to take over the Los Angeles Express with a coin flip. Johnson won and took over the USFL's Los Angeles entry.

Meanwhile cable television pioneers Bill Daniels and Alan Harmon, could not secure access to Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego. Feeling that they would be better suited to own the Express, Daniels and Harmon displaced Jim Joseph who was given a chance to own another team and chose Phoenix market.

Jim Joseph wanted to keep cost under control and did not spend as much as the other USFL teams. Coached by Doug Shively the Arizona Wranglers played well in the early part of the season as they split their first eight games.

However, the gap of talent would show itself the rest of the season as they dropped their last ten games and finished at 4-14 which matched the Washington Federals for the worst record in the USFL's first season. Part of the Wranglers struggles was most of their late season games were on the road to avoid the grueling summer heat in Arizona.

Despite the Wranglers struggles, Alan Risher was the league's sixth leading passer with 2,672 passing yards and 20 touchdowns with 16 interceptions.