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UFL United Football League

Inside the UFL

by Fran Stuchbury
January 4, 2024 - United Football League (UFL)


The merger between the XFL and the United States Football became official Sunday when the two leagues announced the formation of the new United Football League. The 2024 season for the UFL is set to kick off on Saturday, March 30, 2024.

Instead of competing against each other for players, sponsors and fans as they did last season, the eight remaining teams have been consolidated into one circuit. XFL owners Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Dany Garcia and Gerry Cardinale of RedBird Capital Partners will team with FOX Sports, owner of the USFL, and Disney-owned ESPN as partners in the new league.

Russ Brandon, former President and CEO of the XFL, will lead the UFL as President and CEO. Daryl Johnston, former USFL President of Football Operations, will head up football operations.

The UFL will be divided into two conferences named for the former leagues:

USFL Conference

  • Birmingham Stallions - Head Coach - Skip Holtz
  • Houston Roughnecks - Head Coach - Curtis Johnson
  • Memphis Showboats - Head Coach - John DeFilippo
  • Michigan Panthers - Head Coach - Mike Nolan

XFL Conference

  • Arlington Renegades - Head Coach - Bob Stoops
  • D.C. Defenders - Head Coach - Reggie Barlow
  • San Antonio Brahmas - Head Coach - Wade Phillips
  • St. Louis Battlehawks - Head Coach - Anthony Becht

Houston was the one overlapping market between the XFL and USFL. As a result, the USFL's Houston Gamblers have been rebranded as the Houston Roughnecks, though the squad will retain the Gamblers' coaching staff.

The UFL's 10-game regular season will begin on Saturday, March 30, 2024, with a battle of the 2023 champions as the Birmingham Stallions (USFL) will travel to face the Arlington Renegades (XFL). Players will report to training camp on Saturday, February 24, 2024, in Arlington, Texas.

With the consolidation, half of last season's spring teams won't return, counting the combination of the Houston teams.

From the XFL, the Vegas Vipers were the least surprising cut. Cashman Field proved to be an inadequate facility, and rumors had the Vipers relocating if the XFL had continued on its own.

The XFL's westernmost outpost, the Seattle Sea Dragons were also dropped. It's possible travel costs were a factor, though Seattle saw its attendance fall from 2020 levels. Competition from the NHL's Seattle Kraken may have played a factor last year.

The Orlando Guardians may have been the odd team out. Orlando is a good geographic fit with the other UFL teams, and the early season weather isn't as problematic in Florida as it is in northern cities. UFL part-owner Dany Garcia has ties to the area, so it may be a city the UFL re-visits in the future.

Meanwhile, four USFL teams will not play this season:

  • New Jersey Generals
  • Philadelphia Stars
  • Pittsburgh Maulers
  • New Orleans Breakers

None of the USFL cuts played games in their home markets. The Breakers competed in a hub in Birmingham, the Stars were housed in Detroit, and the Maulers and Generals spent last year in Canton, Ohio.

Technically part of the Cleveland television market, the USFL utilized small-market Canton as a temporary solution in the hope that ownership and stadium agreements would materialize in Pittsburgh and New York/New Jersey. The USFL had no operations in any of the four markets, and locating affordable stadiums in those markets did not transpire quickly enough to save the teams.

In Houston, the Roughnecks branding won out over the Gamblers, likely because the XFL team had local presence in Houston in both the 2020 and the 2023 seasons, hosting games in the city both seasons. Meanwhile, the Houston Gamblers spent the 2023 season playing in Memphis and the year before based in Birmingham.

The Roughnecks will inherit Curtis Johnson's USFL Houston coaching staff, a move which will benefit San Antonio as former Roughnecks head man Wade Phillips takes over after the Brahmas could not come to a contract agreement with 2023 coach Hines Ward.

During the 2023 XFL season the Houston Roughnecks featured an exciting, high powered run-and-shoot offense that resulted in 29 total touchdowns and 245 points, tied for second in the XFL. Meanwhile, the San Antonio Brahmas suffered offensively with injuries at the quarterback position resulting in just 15 total touchdowns and 169 points, seventh in he XFL.

The consolidation from 16 teams down to eight will certainly raise the average talent level on each squad as the number of players needed to stock the remaining spring football rosters will be cut in half. Details on a dispersal draft will be released soon.

The UFL is hoping that a unified, 10-week regular season schedule will help with football fatigue. Last year the XFL season began February 18th and lasted until the championship game May 13th, while the USFL campaign started Saturday, April 15th, meaning the two leagues battled head-to-head for viewership on four weekends. The USFL Championship closed the spring/summer season on July 1st.

Those who followed both leagues saw a staggering 20 straight weeks of football, starting immediately after the NFL season.

The UFL will begin play on March 30th, allowing it to avoid much of March Madness, but also missing out on any boost provided by starting the week after the Super Bowl as the XFL had done. Last year's USFL didn't kick off until mid-April.

The UFL Championship will see the XFL Division champion face off against the USFL Division winner, providing an opportunity for fans of each of last year's leagues to earn bragging rights.

St. Louis may have the inside edge on hosting the title game. The top fanbase in spring football compelled officials at The Dome at America's Center to begin discussions about hosting the XFL title game before the merger. The USFL hosted its championship tilt in Canton both years.

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