History
The Showboats name and branding is based on the original Memphis Showboats of the original United States Football League. On November 15, 2022, it was announced that the Showboats were joining the United States Football League (USFL) to fill the Tampa Bay Bandits' spot after the team announced their hiatus for the 2023 USFL season. [2] On the same day, Todd Haley was announced as the Showboats' inaugural head coach. Players and coaches from the existing Bandits team were transferred to the Showboats. [3]
The Showboats finished the 2023 USFL season with a 5–5 record, placing third in the USFL South Division. The did not make the playoffs in 2023.
After the 2023 season, the showboats fired Head Coach Todd Haley. [4]
In September 2023, Axios reported that the XFL was in advanced talks with the USFL to merge the two leagues prior to the start of their 2024 seasons. [5] On September 28, 2023, the XFL and USFL announced their intent to merge, [6] pending regulatory approval. [7] The merger was made official on December 31, 2023, and the league intends to begin its combined season on March 30, 2024. [8]
On January 3, 2024, the Showboats hired former New Orleans Breakers Head Coach and NFL Offensive Coordinator John DeFilippo. [9]
The Showboats concluded the inaugural 2024 UFL season season with a 2–8 record, placing third in the USFL Conference and missing the playoffs. On June 2, 2024, the Showboats played the Houston Roughnecks, who were tied for last place with the showboats. It was announced that the winner of the game would receive the number one overall pick in the 2024 UFL draft. The Showboats would win 19-12, earning the number one pick. [10] The Showboats would be unable to capitalize on that first overall draft pick, as Jason Bean, whom the Showboats selected, chose not to sign with the team and stayed with the Indianapolis Colts. [11]
On August 2, 2024, the Showboats General manager Dennis Polian stepped down from his position. [12]
On August 9, 2024, DeFilippo and the Showboats parted ways after a 2-8 season in 2024. [13]
On September 23, 2024, the Showboats hired Former Tennessee Titans Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt. This came after the departure of Head Coach John DeFilippo. The Showboats also hired Jim Monos as their new General Manager on the same day. [14]
On March 24, 2025, Jim Turner was named the Interim head coach for the Showboats after Ken Whisenhunt took an indefinite leave of absence to tend to an unidentified personal matter. [15] On March 31, 2025, Whisenhunt returned, [16] but resigned permanently 16 days later. [17] Turner again assumed head coach duties; Noel Mazzone assumed the offensive playcalling duties that Whisenhunt had been handling. [18]
The Showboats have had among the UFL's lowest attendances. League vice President Daryl Johnston noted that the city had a small core of deeply passionate fans, which he compared to the early 2010s-era Bills Mafia in his own home area of Western New York, a fan base that had likewise emerged in a time when its team was in a prolonged period of on-field malaise. Johnston had hoped on using the Bills Mafia as a template to build the Showboats fan base by word-of-mouth. [19]
The league had initially indicated that the Showboats, despite its poor attendance and on-field performance, will return at least for 2026. The Showboats benefited from an unusual sponsorship arrangement with FedEx, whose founder and chairman Fred Smith had long been involved in professional football efforts in the city. FedEx's sponsorship deal with the UFL and the Showboats runs through the end of the 2026 season. [20] Smith's unexpected death in June 2025 jeopardized those plans. [21] By August, incoming UFL co-ownership had indicated it would be moving between two and four teams, [22] reportedly all from the USFL Conference; [23] the Birmingham Stallions were eventually spared from relocation, [24] and the league was "trying" to save the Michigan Panthers with a more ideal stadium, effectively guaranteeing that Memphis and the Houston Roughnecks would be the two minimum teams relocating, one of them to Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. [23]
In August 2025, the Showboats signed the starting quarterback, both top receivers, and an offensive lineman from the Albany Firebirds, the champions of Arena Football One. [25]
Current season 
