WASHINGTON — Two non-NFL football leagues announced Sunday they would be combining, in the latest attempt to bring a springtime competitor to the ever-popular National Football League.
The league, which combines both the XFL and USFL leagues, will simply be known as the United Football League, or UFL.
The XFL and the USFL leagues were both relatively new — the XFL launched in 2018 and the USFL began airing in 2022 — but neither were able to dent the NFL's dominance on the television market.
The UFL still plans to launch in the spring, with a March 30, 2024 kickoff date. That kickoff game will feature the two league champions from the two merging leagues.
That match will be between the Arlington Renegades, who won the 2023 XFL championship, and the Birmingham Stallions, who won the championship for the USFL last year.
Several teams won't survive the merger, according to NBC Sports. From the USFL, the Stallions, Michigan Panthers, Houston Gamblers and Memphis Showboats will join the new leage. And while it's clear the Renegades will be in play as well, it's unclear what other XFL teams will join them.
The games will be televised by Fox, FS1, ABC, and ESPN.
For years, it has been an ugly ride for any alternative football networks. The XFL and USFL have both undergone numerous iterations over the past decade, with most lasting one season before folding because of a lack of interest and advertisers.
But executives from leading television networks such as NBC have long made it clear through their continued revivals of the leagues that they believe there is an appetite in the U.S. for a second football league to play in the first half of the year, before the NFL kicks off in August.