2025 UFL season

Last updated

2025 UFL season
United Football League 2024 logo black.png
League United Football League
Sport American football
Number of games43 (40 regular-season games, 3 postseason games)
Number of teams8
TV partner(s) ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, Fox, FS1
Draft
Picked by Memphis Showboats
2025 UFL Championship
Seasons
←  2024

The 2025 UFL season is the second season of the United Football League, which was created following the merger of the XFL and USFL.

Contents

The Birmingham Stallions are the defending champions where they defeated the San Antonio Brahmas 25–0 in the 2024 UFL Championship Game, the only shutout of the entire season, to win their third consecutive spring football championship, adding to their back-to-back championships in the rebooted USFL.

Offseason

The UFL exceeded internal expectations for the 2024 season, with Fox Sports executive Eric Shanks commenting that, though the league still lost money, it was "ahead of the expected pace" in terms of achieving self-sustenance, while the league long-term goal is to solicit local investors in an owner-operator arrangement similar to that used by Major League Soccer and the previous United Football League. [1]

Television viewership rose substantially compared to the previous season as separate leagues, while ticket sales in most cities declined, prompting the league ownership to shift investment toward local ticket sales teams. The inaugural season of the UFL averaged 832,000 viewers per game this season, a 34% increase from the average of 619,000 viewers the USFL and XFL attracted last year, while the championship game on Fox drew the highest viewership with 1.596 million viewers. [1] However, the average attendance dipped from the XFL’s 2023 season average of 14,703 to 13,512. [2]

In an interview after the season Head of Football Operations Daryl Johnston said: "With our home markets, we’ve got to build that trust there — that we’re not going to leave or [that] the league isn’t going to fold. We’ve got a couple cities that historically have been a part of spring football, they’ve committed to a team and that team has left. … We’ve still got some trust to build in our home markets. We are going to be able to dial into the details. We’re going to have a traditional offseason calendar where we can be ahead of the curve instead of being in a position where we have to chase it a little bit". [3]

Draft

On July 11, 2024, the UFL announced they would hold the 2024 UFL draft ahead of the 2025 season on July 17th, 2024. The draft will consist of 10 rounds and eligible players will be those who were eligible for the 2024 NFL draft in April but went undrafted. [4] [5]

Teams

As one of the conditions for approving the merger of the XFL and USFL, federal regulators were said to have "prefer(red) more opportunities" (eventual expansion teams) than the eight teams that were included in the 2024 season. [6] No such expansion is planned for 2025, nor are any relocations, as Daryl Johnston stated that the ticket sales in most of the poorer-selling markets could be improved by showing stability and following a more "traditional offseason calendar." [7]

Teams in the 2025 UFL season
ConferenceTeamLocationStadiumCapacityFirst seasonHead coach
United States Football League (2022) logo.png

USFL Conference		 Birmingham Stallions Birmingham, Alabama Protective Stadium 47,1002022 Skip Holtz
Houston Roughnecks Houston, Texas Rice Stadium [8] 47,0002020 Curtis Johnson
Memphis Showboats Memphis, Tennessee Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium 58,3252023 John DeFilippo
Michigan Panthers Detroit, Michigan Ford Field 65,0002022 Mike Nolan
XFL logo 2023.svg

XFL Conference		 Arlington Renegades Arlington, Texas Choctaw Stadium 25,0002020 Bob Stoops
DC Defenders Washington, D.C. Audi Field 20,0002020 Reggie Barlow
San Antonio Brahmas San Antonio, Texas Alamodome 64,0002023 Wade Phillips
St. Louis Battlehawks St. Louis, Missouri The Dome at America's Center 67,2772020 Anthony Becht
Usa edcp location map.svg
Blue pog.svg
Blue pog.svg
DC
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Blue pog.svg
Blue pog.svg
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Locations of current teams for the 2025 UFL season, (USFL Conference – red; XFL Conference – blue)

Coaches

The four coaches who came into the UFL by way of the XFL—Arlington's Bob Stoops, San Antonio's Wade Phillips, St. Louis's Anthony Becht and DC's Reggie Barlow—are believed to be reaching the end of their guaranteed XFL contracts, and will be subject to new terms that the USFL coaches and all assistants agreed upon in 2024 that were less generous than the 2023 XFL's were. [9] Stoops, the league's longest-tenured coach and the only remaining coach from the inaugural 2020 XFL season, was noncommittal about returning after the 2024 season, stating he was open to returning for 2025 but that "you never know what the structure is going to look like." [10]

Season structure

Preseason

This is the third and final year of the league's agreement with Arlington, Texas, to serve as the league's centralized hub. [11]

Regular season

The league is divided into two conferences, the USFL Conference and the XFL Conference, each a continuation of its respective league. Each team will play a ten-game schedule with no bye weeks, playing two games against each conference rival (one home and one away) and one game against each team in the other conference, all eight teams playing in their home markets. [8] [7]

Postseason

The postseason will have four teams, with the first and second-ranked team in each conference playing in the XFL Championship Game and USFL Championship Game, the winners of which will advance to the 2025 UFL Championship Game, which will be held at a neutral site chosen among the league's eight markets as a reward for strong fan support and attendance. [12]

Media

Television

In the United States, the television rights for the UFL are held by Fox and ESPN (which is under its third season of a five-year deal), [13] On season two, some games are expected to be moved to Friday night broadcast windows, to accommodate Fox’s new IndyCar deal and to fill a notoriously difficult-to-fill void on the Friday schedule left when WWE SmackDown returned to USA Network. [1] Most of the advertising revenue the networks will collect is being sold as part of bulk agreements with Fox Sports and ESPN Inc. and not as a standalone television series. [1]


Related Research Articles

The XFL was a professional American football minor league consisting of eight teams located across the United States in mid-sized to major markets. It is now one of the two-component conferences of the United Football League (UFL), along with the United States Football League (USFL). The XFL league headquarters were in Arlington, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seattle Sea Dragons</span> American football team

The Seattle Sea Dragons were a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. The Sea Dragons competed in the second incarnation of the XFL. The team was founded by Vince McMahon’s Alpha Entertainment as the Seattle Dragons, and were owned-and-operated by Dwayne Johnson’s Alpha Acquico. The Sea Dragons played their home games at Lumen Field.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arlington Renegades</span> UFL (2024) team based in Arlington, Texas

The Arlington Renegades are a professional American football team based in Arlington, Texas. The Renegades compete in the United Football League (UFL). The team was founded as the Dallas Renegades by Vince McMahon's Alpha Entertainment and are owned-and-operated by Dwayne Johnson's Alpha Acquico and Fox Corporation. The Renegades play their home games at Choctaw Stadium. In 2023, The Renegades had a regular season record of 4-6 and were 2-0 in the playoffs, and were crowned XFL Champions. They were a part of the UFL merger in 2024, and started the 2024 season against the USFL Champion Birmingham Stallions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Louis Battlehawks</span> UFL (2024) team based in St. Louis, Missouri

The St. Louis Battlehawks are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. The Battlehawks compete in the United Football League (UFL) as a founding member of the XFL Conference. The team was founded by Vince McMahon’s Alpha Entertainment and are owned-and-operated by Dwayne Johnson's Alpha Acquico and Fox Corporation. The Battlehawks play their home games at The Dome at America's Center. The Battlehawks have a franchise regular season record of 10–5 (.667), the third highest win percentage among UFL teams as of its 2024 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DC Defenders</span> UFL (2024) team based in Washington, D.C.

The DC Defenders are a professional American football team based in Washington, D.C. The Defenders compete in the United Football League (UFL). The team was founded by Vince McMahon’s Alpha Entertainment and is owned and operated by Dwayne Johnson's Alpha Acquico and Fox Corporation. The Defenders play their home games at Audi Field. The Defenders have a regular season record of 12–3 (.800), the second-highest win percentage among UFL teams as of its 2024 season. They were also the top team in the 2023 XFL, boasting a 9–1 record and scoring 49 more points than the next closest team, the St. Louis Battlehawks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Football League (2022–2023)</span> Professional American football league

The United States Football League (USFL) was a professional American football minor league that began play on April 16, 2022. It is now one of the two-component conferences of the United Football League (UFL), along with the XFL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michigan Panthers (2022)</span> Football team of the United States Football League (2022)

The Michigan Panthers are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. The Panthers compete in the United Football League (UFL). The team is owned-and-operated by Dwayne Johnson's Alpha Acquico and Fox Corporation. The team plays its home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit, which also hosts the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birmingham Stallions (2022)</span> Football team in Birmingham, Alabama

The Birmingham Stallions are a professional American football team based in Birmingham, Alabama. The Stallions compete in the United Football League (UFL), and were a founding member of the second iteration of the United States Football League (USFL) in 2022. The Stallions are owned and operated by Dwayne Johnson's Alpha Acquico and Fox Corporation, and play their home games at Protective Stadium. They have won three league championships since their founding, defeating the Philadelphia Stars 33–30 in 2022 and the Pittsburgh Maulers 28–12 in 2023 as part of the USFL, and most recently the San Antonio Brahmas 25–0 in the inaugural UFL Championship Game in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Orleans Breakers (2022)</span> Football team in New Orleans, Louisiana

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Houston Roughnecks (2024)</span> Football team in Houston, Texas

The Houston Roughnecks are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The Roughnecks compete in the United Football League (UFL). The team is owned-and-operated by Dwayne Johnson's Alpha Acquico and Fox Corporation. The team was a founding member of the USFL, as the Houston Gamblers in 2022, named after the 1980s USFL team of the same name. Though named after the city of Houston, the 2020s Gamblers never played there under that brand, instead playing its home games as the guest of other USFL teams in Birmingham, Alabama in 2022 and Memphis, Tennessee in 2023. When the USFL and XFL merged to form the UFL in 2024, the Gamblers took over the branding of the original Houston Roughnecks that had played the 2020 and 2023 seasons in the XFL and will play in Houston at Rice Stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Antonio Brahmas</span> UFL (2024) team based in San Antonio, Texas

The San Antonio Brahmas are a professional American football team based in San Antonio, Texas. The Brahmas compete in the United Football League (UFL) as a member of the XFL Conference. The team is owned-and-operated by Dwayne Johnson's Alpha Acquico and Fox Corporation. The Brahmas play their home games at the Alamodome. The Brahmas have a franchise regular season record of 11-11 (.500), the highest win percentage among UFL teams as of its 2024 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 XFL Championship Game</span> American football game in San Antonio, Texas

The 2023 XFL Championship Game was an American football game on May 13, 2023, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The contest determined the champion of the 2023 XFL season and was played between the South Division title winners Arlington Renegades and the North Division title winners DC Defenders. The game began at 8:00 p.m. EDT and was aired on ABC.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 USFL season</span> Sports season

The 2024 USFL season was the planned third season of the United States Football League. The regular season was expected to start March 30, 2024, and to end in June 2024. The postseason was expected to begin in June 2024 and end with the 2024 USFL Championship Game in July 2024.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Football League (2024)</span> American football league

The United Football League (UFL) is a professional American football high-level minor league which started play in March 2024. The league was created following the merger of the latest incarnations of the XFL and United States Football League (USFL). It consists of eight teams, all of which were members of the XFL or USFL prior to the UFL's creation, concentrated in the Midwest and Southern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 UFL season</span> Inaugural season of the UFL

The 2024 UFL season was the first season of the United Football League, which was created following the merger of the XFL and USFL, and the fifth season in the combined history of the two leagues, following the 2020 XFL season, 2022 USFL season, and separate 2023 seasons for both the USFL and XFL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 UFL championship game</span> American football championship game

The 2024 UFL championship game was an American football game played on June 16, 2024, at The Dome at America's Center in St. Louis, Missouri. The contest determined the champion of the 2024 UFL season and was played between the USFL Conference title winners, the Birmingham Stallions, and the XFL Conference title winners, the San Antonio Brahmas. The game began at 5:00 p.m. EDT and aired on Fox.

The 2024 UFL dispersal draft was the player selection process to fill the rosters of the eight teams for the 2024 UFL season and disperse the rosters from the eight teams from its component conferences, the XFL and USFL, that were not retained in the merger.

The 2024 UFL draft, also known as the 2024 UFL college draft, is the first annual meeting of United Football League (UFL) franchises to select newly eligible players ahead of the 2025 UFL season. It is the first rookie draft since the league formed from the merger of the United States Football League (USFL) and XFL. Previously, the two predecessor leagues held separate rookie drafts in 2023 prior to the merger and then a dispersal draft in 2024 following the merge and contraction from 16 total pre-merger teams to the current 8 teams that competed in the 2024 season. The draft will be held on July 17, 2024 and was announced only six days prior. The announcement of the draft also coincided with the beginning a series of player showcase combines held by the league that will continue to be held though October 2024 after the draft but before the start of the 2025 season.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Cahillane, Mollie; Fischer, Ben (June 21, 2024). "UFL's first season provides a building block". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Final UFL Attendance Figures Fall Short of XFL Last Year". SI.com.
  3. ↑ "UFL 2024: Year 2 evolution to include more innovation, player development". FOXsports.com.
  4. ↑ "2024 UFL College Draft Set for Wednesday, July 17". United Football League. July 11, 2024.
  5. ↑ Garcia, Art (July 11, 2024). "The 2024 UFL College Draft is Wednesday, with the Memphis Showboats owning the first pick". Sports Illustrated FanNation.
  6. ↑ McCann, Michael; Soshnick, Scott (November 30, 2023). "XFL, USFL Merger Approved by Federal Authorities". Sportico.com. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  7. 1 2 Williams, Eric (June 18, 2024). "UFL 2024: Year 2 evolution to include more innovation, player development". Fox Sports on MSN.
  8. 1 2 "UFL President Reveals League's Future Plans, Schedule, Vision". SI.com. January 4, 2024.
  9. ↑ "UFL Pay Structure for Coaches, Players: What We Know". SI.com. January 12, 2024.
  10. ↑ Miller, Anthony (May 30, 2024). "Arlington Renegades Coach Bob Stoops Addresses UFL Future". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Common Cents! UFL Born Out Of Financial Reckoning For Both USFL, XFL". SI.com. January 14, 2024.
  12. ↑ Durando, Stu (March 14, 2024). "'Wow, this market is back': St. Louis gets UFL championship game". STLtoday.com. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  13. ↑ Steinberg, Brian (May 17, 2022). "Disney Strikes Deal to Put XFL on ESPN, FX, ABC". Variety. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
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