The United States Football League (USFL) and the XFL officially announced the merger is completed and the two leagues combined will be known as the United Football League (UFL). The announcement was made during the FOX NFL Pregame Show with Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia.
In the announcement, Garcia announced that the first UFL game will be played on Saturday, March 30, 2024, featuring the XFL champion Arlington Renegades against the two-time USFL champion Birmingham Stallions. The two will make more announcements on ESPN College Gameday on Monday which should reveal the teams that will play in the UFL.
“FOX is football, and the success of the USFL has proven that there’s a bright future for spring football,” said Eric Shanks, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Producer of FOX Sports. “The opportunity to bring together our two leagues — each with a commitment to advancing broadcast practices, rule innovations and the community — only furthers the potential of the United Football League and solidifies its spot on the sports calendar.”
In a press release by the UFL, Russ Brandon, who was the CEO of the XFL, will be the President and CEO of the UFL, and Daryl Johnston, who was the President of the USFL, will be the head of football operations.
“From day one, our mission has been to expand the game of football and be a league of opportunity, culture and innovation,” said Dwayne Johnson, Founder and CEO of Seven Bucks Companies. “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 last time the United Football League took the field was in 2009 through 2012. During those years, the league’s teams were the California Redwoods/Sacramento Mountain Lions, New York Sentinels/Hartford Colonials, Las Vegas Locomotives, Omaha Nighthawks, and the Florida Tuskers/Virginia Destroyers. The Locomotives won three of four championships. The other team that won the UFL championship was the Virginia Destroyers, who were coached by the late Marty Schottenheimer.
The other names that played and coached in the UFL were Dennis Green, Jeff Garcia, Daunte Culpepper, Brian Johnson, J. P. Losman, Jay Gruden, Josh McCown, Bart Andrus, Jerry Glanville, and Brooks Bollinger.
“This new venture is possible because of a shared visionary mindset, a profound passion for the game, and first-hand experience living and creating the opportunities that football makes possible,” said Dany Garcia, Founder, CEO and Chairwoman of The Garcia Companies. “As a unified spring league, we are able to deepen our commitment to unlocking and surpassing the dreams of our players, coaches, staff and fans. This league represents continued legacy and evolution, and we look forward to building the universe of spring football.”
The original United Football League ran from 1961 through 1964 and had teams in the United States and Canada. The Wheeling Ironmen won two championships, and both the Grand Rapids Blazers and Canton Bulldogs won one title each.
“The United Football League — a powerful combination of the XFL and USFL — will provide passionate sports fans with an entertaining, innovative, and action-packed season,” said Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman of ESPN. “With compelling storytelling across traditional and digital platforms, fan-friendly innovations, and tremendous reach, this visionary league is well-positioned, and we look forward to our continued collaboration.”
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