What Happened to United States Football League (USFL)?

The United States Football League (USFL) has a complex history marked by two distinct periods of operation. The original USFL was founded in 1982 by New Orleans businessman David Dixon, with its inaugural season played in the spring and summer of 1983. Dixon's vision was to create a professional football league that would complement the NFL by playing during its off-season, thereby avoiding direct competition and controlling spending. The league initially gained traction, signing notable college stars like Herschel Walker and Jim Kelly, and secured national television contracts with ABC and ESPN. However, this carefully crafted plan was undermined by internal conflicts and escalating spending, particularly influenced by New Jersey Generals owner Donald Trump, who advocated for moving the league's schedule to the fall to directly compete with the NFL and force a merger. This strategic shift led to the USFL filing an antitrust lawsuit against the NFL in 1986. Although the USFL technically won the lawsuit, it was awarded a symbolic judgment of only $3, which was insufficient to sustain the league, leading to its cessation of operations before the planned 1986 fall season.

Decades later, the USFL brand was revived. In June 2021, Fox Sports announced the return of the United States Football League, with its inaugural season kicking off in April 2022. This new iteration was backed by Fox Sports, which held a minority equity stake and later became the sole owner in 2023. The revived USFL adopted a hub model, playing all its 2022 games in Birmingham, Alabama, and expanding to four host cities in 2023. The league successfully completed two seasons, with the Birmingham Stallions winning both the 2022 and 2023 championships. Despite moderate television viewership, the league aimed for stability in the spring football market.

A significant turning point occurred in late 2023 when the USFL announced its intent to merge with the XFL, another spring football league. After receiving regulatory approval in November 2023, the merger was formally announced on December 31, 2023, creating the United Football League (UFL). The UFL, co-owned by RedBird Capital Partners, Fox Corporation, Dwayne Johnson, and Dany Garcia, launched its first season on March 30, 2024. The UFL initially comprised eight teams, divided into USFL and XFL conferences, with the Birmingham Stallions winning the inaugural UFL Championship in June 2024.

As of 2026, the USFL, as a separate league, has been fully integrated into the UFL. The UFL's 2026 season commenced on March 27, 2026, featuring eight teams and a shift from a two-conference structure to a single-table standings format. The 2026 UFL Championship Game was played on June 13, 2026. The UFL has also introduced new teams like the Columbus Aviators, Louisville Kings, and Orlando Storm, while some former USFL teams were eliminated during the merger and subsequent restructuring. The league plans to expand to 10 teams by 2028 and 16 teams by 2035, aiming to establish a sustainable year-round professional football presence.