The USFL and XFL officially announced they are merging into the United Football League on Sunday. The eight teams confirmed for the league's inaugural season, along with their respective head coaches, were then revealed on Monday.
The season opener on March 30, 2024, will be played between the 2023 XFL champions Arlington Renegades and the 2023 USFL champions Birmingham Stallions.
"From day one, our mission has been to expand the game of football and be a league of opportunity, culture and innovation," Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, an XFL co-owner, said in a statement. "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."
🫱🏼🫲🏾 United Football League
— XFL (@XFL2023) December 31, 2023
It’s official: owners Dany Garcia & @TheRock announce the XFL & USFL merger.#UFL | #SpringFootball pic.twitter.com/CL3qlu4Gui
On Monday, the UFL announced the remainder of the league's teams. The USFL Division will be comprised of the Birmingham Stallions, Houston Roughnecks, Memphis Showboats and Michigan Panthers, while the XFL Division will feature the Arlington Renegades, D.C. Defenders, San Antonio Brahmas and St. Louis Battlehawks.
Four XFL head coaches and four USFL head coaches were retained by the league. Among the notable names are former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops (Renegades), former Dallas Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips (Brahmas), and former New York Jets tight end Anthony Becht (Battlehawks).
The USFL has come and gone twice, while XFL was on its third try. They had played partially overlapping schedules but announced their intent to merge this past September.
"As a unified spring league, we are able to deepen our commitment to unlocking and surpassing the dreams of our players, coaches, staff and fan," XFL co-owner Dany Garcia said. "This league represents continued legacy and evolution, and we look forward to building the universe of spring football."
Former XFL president and CEO Russ Brandon will keep the same titles in the UFL, while former USFL president of football operations Daryl Johnston will lead football operations. Games are set to air on ABC, ESPN, Fox and FS1.
