The United Football League (UFL) is a high-level professional minor league football league created by merging the XFL and the United States Football League.
Officially launched in December 2023, the UFL began its inaugural season in March 2024, aiming to provide fans with an exciting alternative to the National Football League (NFL) while encouraging innovation in football.
The UFL's roots go back to the XFL and USFL, two leagues that sought to establish themselves as viable spring football options. The XFL, originally founded by Vince McMahon in 2001 and later revived in 2020, emphasized speed, innovation, and fan engagement. Meanwhile, the USFL, which had its own previous history, returned in 2022 under the ownership of Fox Sports. Both leagues faced financial hurdles, including those related to COVID-19 restrictions, which disrupted operations. Recognizing the potential for synergy, the two leagues merged to form the UFL, creating a unified platform for spring football.
Headquartered in Arlington, Texas, the UFL operates as a professional minor league. It is co-owned by National Spring Football League Enterprises (backed by Fox Corporation) and XFL Properties (led by Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, and RedBird Capital Partners).
Currently, the league includes eight teams, divided into two conferences: the XFL Conference and the USFL Conference. This structure allows for balanced competition, with teams concentrated in the Midwest and Southern United States.
The UFL's eight teams include the Birmingham Stallions, Houston, Roughnecks, Memphis Showboats, and Michigan Panthers in the USFL Conference, and the Arlington Renegades, DC Defenders, San Antonio Brahmas, and St. Louis Battlehawks in the XFL Conference.
The UFL has adopted innovative rules to enhance the game's excitement and pace. Teams can attempt plays from the 2-yard line (1 point), 5-yard line (2 points), or 10-yard line (3 points). Kickoffs are conducted from the 20-yard line, with specific rules to encourage returns and minimize touchbacks. Teams trailing in the fourth quarter can opt for a 4th-and-12 play from their 28-yard line instead of an onside kick. Teams are allowed two forward passes on a single play, provided the ball does not cross the line of scrimmage before the second pass.
The UFL has established strategic partnerships to support its growth and innovation. These include Under Armour, which provides cutting-edge gear for players and staff; the U.S. Army, a partnership focused on leadership development and community engagement, with the Army serving as the league's presenting partner in 2024; and its Football Advancement through Sports Technology (FAST) initiative, which collaborates with tech companies to test and implement innovations in the sport.
Topics related to the league, its teams, or any other entity or informational source focused on the United Football League are appropriate for this category.
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Formed in 2018, the professional football franchise was one of the eight teams that formed the newly reformed XFL, becoming part of the United Football League (UFL) with the XFL-USFL merger as a member of the XFL Conference. Home games are played at Choctaw Stadium. Game schedules, team rosters, coaching staff, team statistics, results, news, and videos are featured on the official team website, which includes a fan shop carrying branded apparel, accessories, and other merchandise.
https://www.theufl.com/teams/arlington
Based in Birmingham, Alabama, the Stallions compete in the UFL as a member of the USFL Conference, of which they were a founding member. Owned by Dwayne Johnson's Alpha Acquico and Fox Corporation, they play home games at Protective Stadium. A team roster, coaching staff, game schedules, and ticket sales are featured on the team's official website. Other resources include team statistics, game videos, fan resources, and an online store selling branded apparel, UFL exclusives, and other items.
https://www.theufl.com/teams/birmingham
The DC Defenders are a professional football team playing home games at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. The franchise competes in the United Football League (UFL) as a member of the XFL Conference. Established in 2018, the Defenders were one of eight teams in the newly reformed XFL, becoming part of the UFL with the XFL-USFL merger. Team rosters, its coaching staff, game schedules, and team statistics are published on the team's official website, which includes videos.
https://www.theufl.com/teams/dc
The Roughnecks are a professional football team competing in the United Football League (UFL) as a member of the USFL Conference. The team was a founding member of the USFL as the Houston Gamblers in 2022 and named for the 1980s USFL team of the same name. While named for the city of Houston, the 2022s Gamblers never played there under that brand. When the USFL and XFL merged in 2024, the Gamblers took over the branding of the original Houston Roughnecks. Schedules are featured on its site.
https://www.theufl.com/teams/houston
Owned and operated by Dwayne Johnson's Alpha Acquico and Fox Corporation, the Showboats are a professional football team in the United Football League (UFL) as part of the USFL Conference. They play home games at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. The team is branded on the original Memphis Showboats of the first United States Football League. Game schedules, ticket options, team rosters, statistics, and an online store are available, offering branded merchandise.
https://www.theufl.com/teams/memphis
Playing home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, which also hosts the NFL Detroit Lions, the Panthers are a professional football team in the United Football League (UFL) as part of the USFL Conference. Established in 2021, the franchise is owned by Dwayne Johnson's Alpha Acquico and Fox Corporation. Team rosters, coaches, game schedules, and ticket options are featured on the official team website, along with news and videos, and an online fan shopping site.
https://www.theufl.com/teams/michigan
The Brahmas play their home games at the Alamodome as a professional football team that competes in the United Football League (UFL) as a member of the XFL Conference. Uniform colors are dark gray, yellow, and light gray. Game schedules, team rosters, coaching staff, team statistics, results, game videos, team news, fan resources, and an online shopping area offering branded apparel and other merchandise and accessories are available on its official website.
https://www.theufl.com/teams/san-antonio
Competing in the United Football League (UFL), the Battlehawks are a professional football league in the UFL's XFL Conference. The team was a founding member of the XFL League and plays its home games at The Dome at America's Center in St. Louis, Missouri. The uniform colors are royal blue and silver. The team's official website features game schedules, a team roster, its coaching staff, statistics and results, videos, fan resources, and an introduction to its community activities.
https://www.theufl.com/teams/st-louis
UFL Info provides information about the United Football League (UFL), which was formed by merging the XFL and USFL. It features updates on UFL teams, schedules, standings, and other resources. Featured are the head coaches for each UFL team, game schedules, team logos, an overview of the rules and format of the league, matchups to look out for, where games may be viewed, when the UFL season begins and ends, and ticket availability, venues, news, and standings.
https://uflinfo.com/
Dedicated exclusively to the United Football League, the UFL News Hub is presented by a team of writers, each of whom specializes in covering individual UFL teams, ensuring fans receive the most in-depth analysis and comprehensive coverage, including strategies, player development and behind-the-scenes action, insights, and analysis of the United Football League, presented through informational articles, podcasts, and an interactive online discussion board.
https://uflnewshub.com/
Created through the merger of the XFL and the United States Football League (USFL), the UFL began play in 2024 with eight teams, all of which were members of the XFL or USFL prior to their merger. League and team schedules are posted on the official league website, which features its teams, hosts team websites, and maintains league and team statistics, rules, and coaches clinics. Career opportunities are posted on the site, and tickets, as well as branded merchandise, may be purchased online.
https://www.theufl.com/
