The two spring football leagues will merge into one, beginning next season. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
DeMarcus Dixon
Staff Writer
The XFL and USFL are in business together — officially. Both leagues announced their intent to merge Thursday, as the new spring football league will begin in the 2024 season.
The USFL and XFL released a joint statement on the incoming merger. More details on the merger will be released in the coming weeks.
“Subject to customary regulatory approvals and if the transaction is consummated, the new league will establish best-in-class operations based on the most recent seasons of both leagues. This historic combination will anchor professional spring football with substantial capabilities and resources to ensure future growth and continue to enhance the development of the collective players, coaches, and staff that are coming together.”
The XFL came back for its third incarnation in 2023 with teams playing in eight different cities — Arlington (TX), Houston (TX), Las Vegas (NV), Orlando (FL), San Antonio (TX), Seattle (WA), St. Louis (MO), and Washington D.C. The St. Louis Battlehawks went 7-3 last season, while the team from Houston won the league championship.
No further information has been provided on whether all 16 teams will play in their home cities in 2024 (the XFL and USFL each had a Houston team, but the XFL team actually played in the home city). Additional information will come at a later date.
The new USFL has been playing for two seasons, the first with all the teams playing in Birmingham, Alabama. The USFL played its second season with eight teams in four “hub” cities — Detroit (MI), Canton (OH), Memphis (TN), and Birmingham (AL).
The teams that played in the USFL were based off the teams from the previous UFL played in the 1980s — Philadelphia Stars, Birmingham Stallions, Michigan Panthers, Pittsburgh Maulers, Memphis Showboats, Houston Gamblers, New Jersey Generals, and New Orleans Breakers.
No longer will rival spring football leagues compete, as the USFL and XFL merger is banking on spring football lasting for years to come.