USFL and XFL Merge To Create United Football League

The United States Football League (USFL) and the XFL merged to create the United Football League (UFL).

FOX NFL Sunday (a division of Fox, OutKick’s parent company) announced the news on Sunday. The UFL will become an eight-team league, with a handful of franchises from the USFL and XFL joining to make up the new league.

“From day one, our mission has been to expand the game of football and be a league of opportunity, culture and innovation,” Dwayne Johnson, the owner of the XFL, said. “As we come together to create the UFL, we can build something powerful, exciting and very cool for football fans - a spring league with lasting impact for all the players with a dream to play pro football and the ‘hardest workers in the room’ mentality to make their dreams come true.” 

The UFL Will Use Teams From Both Merging Leagues For Future Seasons

These are the franchises remaining from the USFL:

From the XFL: 

The other eight teams between the former leagues will dissolve. Fortunately, most of the remaining players on those teams will get redrafted into the UFL.

The Arlington Renegaedes (featured above) will be one of the teams in the UFL's inaugural game. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)

Gerry Cardinale, the founder and managing partner of RedBird Capital Partners (the XFL’s parent company), is excited for the possibilities that the new partnership will bring. All UFL games will be broadcast on Fox or ESPN.

“When you combine the entertainment and marketing expertise of Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia, the broadcast and network reach of FOX and ESPN, and the strategic capital and company building mentality of RedBird, there is a tremendous opportunity to achieve something unique,” Cardinale said. “A valuable and scalable live event entertainment platform that will continue to work closely with the NFL on innovation and player development and have a legitimate shot at becoming one of the top professional leagues in the country after the big four.”

The first game in UFL history will feature the Stallions and the Renegades on March 30, 2024.