photo courtesy of pfnewsroom.com
The United Football League (UFL) is sporting a new look. As per James Larson of PFNewsroom, four of the league’s eight teams will be relocated for the 2026 season. The news was first reported by Mark Perry of UFLNewsHub.com.
The four teams that were a part of the USFL conference were the Birmingham Stallions, Michigan Panthers, Houston Roughnecks, and Memphis Showboats. It pretty much wiped out the conference as it was.
Why Relocation Now?
Memphis was a disappointing market from the start. This included poor attendance and back-to-back seasons of poor play on the field.
As for Michigan, the team made it to the UFL title game this past season, but lost to the DC Defenders, 58-34.
Michigan did, however, experience a positive trend, as the team saw an increase in attendance in 2025. The reasoning for its relocation is that it couldn’t cover the cost of playing at Ford Field (home of the NFL Detroit Lions).
Despite being a three-time spring football champion, Birmingham still could not fill up enough seats to support the team.
Who Will Play in the 2026 UFL?
The UFL’s four remaining teams from the XFL Conference are: the St. Louis Battlehawks, DC Defenders, Arlington Renegades, and San Antonio Brahmas.
According to Pro Football Newsroom, the new locations will be held in Boise, ID; Louisville/Lexington, KY; Columbus, OH; and an area in Florida, possibly Orlando.
In 2023, Orlando had an XFL team, but it couldn’t outlast the XFL/USFL consolidation.
Louisville hosted an arena football team from 2001-08, while the NFL sported a team from 1920-26 in Ohio, called the Columbus Panhandles.
Other Areas to Address
The most critical area the UFL must attend to is increasing the poor attendance numbers from 2025. The attendance in the league dipped by 5% in 2025, according to the Sports Business Journal.
Of the eight home markets, seven saw a decrease in attendance. The only one that saw an increase was the Michigan Panthers, up by 30.4%.
The findings are considered worrisome, especially since the UFL has poured huge investments into each of its markets.
UFL CEO and President Russ Brandon claimed that 2025 was the first real year that they wanted to aim on attendance needs. Last season was just to have a league that could operate smoothly.
After having a better understanding of market consumption this past season, UFL Owner Danny Garcia is reading the room. The league is attempting to grow its market through a targeted strategy, with the hope that this will lead to better attendance.
When Should the 2026 UFL Season Start?
In back-to-back years, the UFL started on March 28. Brandon indicated that the league will address this tight timeframe.
March 28 was chosen to split the bill between the XFL and USFL after the merger. The UFL’s current date puts them at an early disadvantage in ratings.
Currently, they were competing against the NCAA Tournament, which could have also contributed to the 20% decline, which is only part of the equation for the overall TV ratings dip. Nevertheless, Brandon wasn’t that worried.
He would also like to reach out to the players and fans to gather their thoughts.
