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|rowspan=2|April 13|| 1:00&nbsp;p.m.&nbsp;ET{{small|<ref name="Week 3">{{Cite web|title=UFL Schedule: Defenders vs. Renegades, Showboats vs. Stallions, Odds, UFL Stream, UFL Games Today (Saturday, Apr 13)|url=https://uflnewshub.com/ufl/ufl-schedule-defenders-vs-renegades-showboats-vs-stallions-odds-ufl-stream-ufl-games-today-saturday-apr-13/|website=uflnewshub.com|date=April 13, 2024|access-date=April 13, 2024|archive-date=April 13, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240413161007/https://uflnewshub.com/ufl/ufl-schedule-defenders-vs-renegades-showboats-vs-stallions-odds-ufl-stream-ufl-games-today-saturday-apr-13/|url-status=live}}</ref>}} || '''DC Defenders''' || '''29''' || 28 || Arlington Renegades || Choctaw Stadium || 8,411 || ESPN || – || – || <ref>{{Cite web|title=April 13: DC Defenders @ Arlington Renegades Recap|url=https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=520641|access-date=2024-04-13|website=UFL|language=en-US}}</ref>
|rowspan=2|April 13|| 1:00&nbsp;p.m.&nbsp;ET{{small|<ref name="Week 3">{{Cite web|title=UFL Schedule: Defenders vs. Renegades, Showboats vs. Stallions, Odds, UFL Stream, UFL Games Today (Saturday, Apr 13)|url=https://uflnewshub.com/ufl/ufl-schedule-defenders-vs-renegades-showboats-vs-stallions-odds-ufl-stream-ufl-games-today-saturday-apr-13/|website=uflnewshub.com|date=April 13, 2024|access-date=April 13, 2024|archive-date=April 13, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240413161007/https://uflnewshub.com/ufl/ufl-schedule-defenders-vs-renegades-showboats-vs-stallions-odds-ufl-stream-ufl-games-today-saturday-apr-13/|url-status=live}}</ref>}} || '''DC Defenders''' || '''29''' || 28 || Arlington Renegades || Choctaw Stadium || 8,411 || ESPN || – || – || <ref>{{Cite web|title=April 13: DC Defenders @ Arlington Renegades Recap|url=https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=520641|access-date=2024-04-13|website=UFL|language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
|-
|7:00&nbsp;p.m.&nbsp;ET{{small|<ref name="Week 3"/>}} || Memphis Showboats || – || – || Birmingham Stallions || Protective Stadium || – || Fox || – || – || <ref>{{Cite web|title=April 13: Memphis Showboats @ Birmingham Stallions Recap|url=https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=520642|access-date=2024-04-13|website=UFL|language=en-US}}</ref>
|7:00&nbsp;p.m.&nbsp;ET{{small|<ref name="Week 3"/>}} || Memphis Showboats || – || – || Birmingham Stallions || Protective Stadium || 12,265 || Fox || – || – || <ref>{{Cite web|title=April 13: Memphis Showboats @ Birmingham Stallions Recap|url=https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=520642|access-date=2024-04-13|website=UFL|language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
|-
|rowspan=2|April 14|| 12:00&nbsp;p.m.&nbsp;ET{{small|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Michigan Panthers (1-1) vs Houston Roughnecks (0-2) Week 3 Preview: Prediction, Depth Chart, Injuries, Odds|url=https://uflnewshub.com/ufl/michigan-panthers-1-1-vs-houston-roughnecks-0-2-week-3-preview-prediction-depth-chart-injuries-odds/|website=uflnewshub.com|date=April 13, 2024|access-date=April 13, 2024|archive-date=April 13, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240413042016/https://uflnewshub.com/ufl/michigan-panthers-1-1-vs-houston-roughnecks-0-2-week-3-preview-prediction-depth-chart-injuries-odds/|url-status=live}}</ref>}} || Houston Roughnecks || – || – || Michigan Panthers || Ford Field || – || rowspan=2|ABC || – || – || <ref>{{Cite web|title=April 14: Houston Roughnecks @ Michigan Panthers Recap|url=https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=520643|access-date=2024-04-14|website=UFL|language=en-US}}</ref>
|rowspan=2|April 14|| 12:00&nbsp;p.m.&nbsp;ET{{small|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Michigan Panthers (1-1) vs Houston Roughnecks (0-2) Week 3 Preview: Prediction, Depth Chart, Injuries, Odds|url=https://uflnewshub.com/ufl/michigan-panthers-1-1-vs-houston-roughnecks-0-2-week-3-preview-prediction-depth-chart-injuries-odds/|website=uflnewshub.com|date=April 13, 2024|access-date=April 13, 2024|archive-date=April 13, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240413042016/https://uflnewshub.com/ufl/michigan-panthers-1-1-vs-houston-roughnecks-0-2-week-3-preview-prediction-depth-chart-injuries-odds/|url-status=live}}</ref>}} || Houston Roughnecks || – || – || Michigan Panthers || Ford Field || – || rowspan=2|ABC || – || – || <ref>{{Cite web|title=April 14: Houston Roughnecks @ Michigan Panthers Recap|url=https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=520643|access-date=2024-04-14|website=UFL|language=en-US}}</ref>

Revision as of 01:19, 14 April 2024

2024 UFL season
LeagueUnited Football League
SportAmerican football
DurationRegular season:
March 30 – June 2
Playoffs:
June 8 – June 16
Number of games43 (40 regular-season games, 3 postseason games)
Number of teams8
TV partner(s)ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, Fox, FS1
2024 UFL Championship
VenueThe Dome at America's Center, St. Louis, Missouri
Seasons

The 2024 UFL season is the first season of the United Football League (UFL), 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.

The season began on March 30, 2024 and will end on June 2, 2024. The season kicked off with a matchup between the 2023 XFL champion Arlington Renegades and the 2023 USFL champion Birmingham Stallions.[1] The postseason will start on June 8, 2024 and conclude on June 16, 2024 with the 2024 UFL Championship.

Offseason

Pre-merger

USFL

Main article: 2024 USFL season

On June 27, 2023, USFL President of Football Operations Daryl Johnston initially confirmed in an interview that the league would return for the 2024 season.[2]

USFL average viewership in 2023 was down 16% from its debut season to 601,000 and 3% lower than the 2023 XFL season, despite having 28 over-the-air network games compared to eight for the XFL.[3] The championship game also saw a significant decline in viewership from 2022 as the game averaged 1.2 million viewers across NBC, Peacock, and NBC Sports digital platforms.[4] Johnston expressed disappointment and anger that the USFL was comparable to the XFL in ratings for the 2023 season, dismissing the XFL as "no competition" to the "far superior" USFL and questioning how "to be on par with our competition from a ratings standpoint in Year 2, I'm still trying to figure out: How did that happen? (...) they're not even close."[3]

40 players who played in the 2023 USFL season signed contracts with NFL teams. Two players (LaBryan Ray and Brandon Aubrey) started the 2023 NFL season on active 53-man NFL rosters, 11 other players started the season on practice squads, and Isaiah Zuber was placed on injured reserve.[5][6] 16 players finished the season on NFL rosters, with Aubrey selected to the Pro Bowl.[7]

XFL

Main article: 2024 XFL season

The XFL lost nearly $60 million during the season after spending approximately $140 million in expenses over the course of the 2023 season and earned $80 million in gross revenue, including roughly $20 million that came from its broadcast contract with ESPN.[8][9] Executives with the league and ESPN indicated that they considered the season a success.[10][11] After the season ended, the XFL made league wide cuts affecting up to 30 people, including two marketing executives, and shifted other employees to seasonal work.[12][13] According to several reports, the XFL marketing budget was only $120,000 for the 2023 season.[14]

More than 200 players who played in the 2023 XFL season earned invitations to workout for NFL teams, while 63 of them signed contracts. One player (Daniel Whelan) started the 2023 NFL season on an active 53-man NFL roster, while 17 other players started the season on practice squads.[15][16][17] 23 players finished the season on NFL rosters.[7]

During the 2023 season, XFL players filed a petition (through the United Steelworkers) for a representation election with Region 16 of the National Labor Relations Board,[18] but decided against joining the union by vote of 124 to 73.[19]

Merger

Main article: XFL–USFL merger

On September 19, 2023, Axios reported that USFL owner Fox Corporation and the Garcia/Johnson/RedBird Capital Partners consortium that owned the XFL were in advanced talks to create a "merger of equals" between the two leagues before the start of the 2024 season, with an agreement potentially announced by the end of the month.[20] The USFL registered a trademark for "National Spring Football League," the name of the USFL's parent company but speculated to also be a name for the potential merged league, that was made public September 27.[21] On September 28, 2023, the USFL and XFL announced their intent to merge with the specific details of the merger to be announced at a later date.[22] The merger would also require regulatory approval.[23] In October 2023 the XFL filed a trademark application for the name "United Football League".[24] On November 30, 2023, XFL chairwoman Dany Garcia announced via her Instagram page that the leagues had completed the antitrust review process to approve their merger, and the leagues will "play a combined season" kicking off on March 30, 2024.[25] XFL President Russ Brandon will serve in the same capacity for the combined league, with Johnston being assigned to director of football operations.[26] The USFL informed its players association of the four teams in its league to survive the merger on December 19, with the other four teams to be contracted.[27]

On December 27, 2023, during the broadcast of the 2023 Holiday Bowl, Fox aired a clip of Jeff Brohm's "let's play football" speech from the original incarnation of the XFL and announced that details on its involvement in the new merged league would follow "very soon."[28] Three days later, the merger was formally announced on Fox NFL Sunday.[29] The eight teams and head coaches were announced by Dwayne Johnson in a guest appearance on ESPN's College GameDay on January 1, 2024.[30]

Overall, 120 players from both the USFL and XFL signed some form of contract with the NFL for the 2023 season and nine players were signed during the NFL 2024 free agency period;[31] in turn, 12 practice squad players from the 2023 NFL season signed with the UFL for 2024, with the league actively recruiting others prior to the season.[32]

Teams

The merged league retained the XFL and USFL brands as individual conferences. Four teams came from the XFL, while three came from the USFL. The two leagues' Houston-based teams merged under the name and branding of the XFL's Roughnecks, but the merged team took the Gamblers' place in the USFL Conference and retained the Gamblers' player rights and coaching staff.[29]

Teams in the 2024 UFL season
Conference Team Location Stadium Capacity First season Head coach
USFL Conference Birmingham Stallions Birmingham, Alabama Protective Stadium 47,100 2022 Skip Holtz
Houston Roughnecks Houston, Texas Rice Stadium[33] 47,000 2020 Curtis Johnson
Memphis Showboats Memphis, Tennessee Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium 58,325 2023 John DeFilippo
Michigan Panthers Detroit, Michigan Ford Field 65,000 2022 Mike Nolan
XFL Conference Arlington Renegades Arlington, Texas Choctaw Stadium 25,000 2020 Bob Stoops
DC Defenders Washington, D.C. Audi Field 20,000 2020 Reggie Barlow
San Antonio Brahmas San Antonio, Texas Alamodome 64,000 2023 Wade Phillips
St. Louis Battlehawks St. Louis, Missouri The Dome at America's Center 67,277 2020 Anthony Becht
class=notpageimage|
Locations of current teams for the 2024 UFL season, (USFL Conference – red; XFL Conference – blue)

Coaches

Eight of the 16 head coaches from both leagues' 2023 season returned, some with different teams, with all coaches being announced on January 1, 2024. All eight coaches led a team in one of the two leagues during the 2023 season and five are returning to the same squads as 2023. Former XFL coaches Reggie Barlow, Anthony Becht, and Bob Stoops agreed to a future pay cut to remain in the new league,[34] while Hines Ward refused.[34]

Rod Woodson had resigned his position with the Vegas Vipers before the team was contracted.[35] The remaining five coaches—the Generals' Mike Riley, the Stars' Bart Andrus, the Maulers' Ray Horton, the Guardians' Terrell Buckley, and the Sea Dragons' Jim Haslett—saw their positions eliminated with the merger, as did Anthony Blevins, who had been named Woodson's successor.

Coaches in the 2024 UFL season
Team 2023 coach 2024 coach Notes
Arlington Renegades
Bob Stoops
 Stoops returns for his third season with Arlington after compiling a 6–9 (.400) mark over the 2020 and 2023 seasons and winning the 2023 XFL Championship.
Birmingham Stallions
Skip Holtz
 Holtz returns for his third season with the Stallions after compiling a 17–3 (.850) record in 2022–23, winning the USFL Championship Game in both seasons.
DC Defenders
Reggie Barlow
 Barlow returns for his second season with DC after compiling a 9–1 (.900) record in 2023 and reaching the XFL Championship.
Houston Roughnecks
Curtis Johnson
 Johnson coached the 2023 Houston Gamblers, compiling a 5–5 (.500) mark. After taking on the identity of the XFL Roughnecks, Johnson and his staff was kept on to lead the team, which is technically a continuation of the Gamblers.
Memphis Showboats
Todd Haley
John DeFilippo
 The USFL fired head Memphis Showboats coach Todd Haley on October 23[36] and reassigned former New Orleans Breakers coach John DeFilippo to the Showboats.[37] DeFilippo led the Breakers to a 7–3 (.700) record in 2023, losing in the USFL South Division championship.
Michigan Panthers
Mike Nolan
 Nolan returns for his second season with Michigan after going 4–6 (.400) in 2023 and falling in the North Division championship.
San Antonio Brahmas
Hines Ward
Wade Phillips
 Hines Ward resigned on December 28, 2023,[38] and Roughnecks coach Wade Phillips was reassigned to the Brahmas after being displaced by Curtis Johnson, who assumed control of the newly-merged Roughnecks.[39][40] Phillips led the 2023 Roughnecks to a 7–3 (.700) record before losing the XFL South Division championship.
St. Louis Battlehawks
Anthony Becht
 Becht returns for his second season in St. Louis after compiling a 7–3 (.700) record in 2023.

On February 21, 2024 the league announced the teams' full coaching staffs.[41][42][43] In March the UFL announced an expanded partnership (in collaboration with Under Armour) with the National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches (NCMFC) for creating opportunities for minority football coaches.[44] Starting March 7th, the eight selected high school coaches will attend the UFL’s training camp in Arlington, assisting with team meetings, practices and address team needs, they will also join their team for five home games in their respective markets, assisting on the sidelines and working with staff on key projects.[45] NCMFC coaches for the 2024 season will be: Nkere Reed (Renegades), Jason Winchell (Stallions), Eric Allie (Defenders), Yusef Johnson (Roughnecks), Rodney Saulsberry Sr. (Showboats), Marcus Green (Panthers), Matthew Bullock (Brahmas) and Kenneth Boyer (Battlehawks).[46]

Players

Players will report to training camp February 23, 2024.[47] Each team carried 75-men rosters to training camp and trimmed them down to 58 by March 10, 2024. Final roster cuts took place on March 23, 2024, with regular season rosters set at 50 (45 active on game day).[48][49] The minimum stay on injured reserve will be for five games, while a season-ending injured reserve designation guarantees player a camp invitation the following season.[50]

While the UFL embraced more of a "developmental league" mentality,[51] they're also targeting veteran backup-type players, with Johnston saying: "there are a lot of guys who are at peace that their NFL window has closed, but they love the camaraderie of the locker room. They love the day-to-day grind... That's been the really inspiring thing to me, is there is a number of guys in our league who just love the game and want to keep playing it as long as they can.[52] Players that have three or four years in the NFL and want to kind of rewrite that narrative, the way that they’re being viewed by front office’s in the NFL, they want an opportunity to come into the UFL and change that narrative".[53]

Before week three, after several NFL teams approached Panthers K Jake Bates, it was reveled that according to the leagues agreement NFL teams are allowed to contact UFL teams about their players, but cannot directly contact or sign players under contract with the UFL until after the UFL season ended.[54]

Unionization & compensation

Local 9004 of the United Steelworkers, which had served as the labor union for the USFL in 2023, will continue in that capacity for the UFL, operating as the United Football League Players Association[55] (This is not to be confused with the United Football Players Association, which Local 9004 disowned during the 2023–24 offseason).[56] The league will continue operating under the USFL's collective bargaining agreement.[55][57]

Initial reports suggested that, contrary to the 2023 XFL season, quarterbacks would not be allowed to sign for salaries higher than the other positional players.[58][57] However, the UFLPA later clarified that the agreement with the league is for minimum salary only, and any player could sign a personal contract above the minimum.[59] As late as January 2024, the league had resisted "pushback" from some of the higher-paid XFL quarterbacks to increase quarterbacks' salary, with Johnston at the time refusing to deviate from the plan to pay all players equally while acknowledging "there's a good argument for both sides. How do we manage this situation(...)? It's hard to thread that needle."[52]

Select XFL players, who had voted against joining the USW in 2023, expressed concern about the lack of winning bonuses (a key feature of the XFL's pay structure) and a requirement to pay union dues,[57] while some players decided not to return to the league, citing the pay cut as a contributing factor.[60] On an interview after the merger, former Battlehawks QB AJ McCarron revealed that XFL players were in advanced talks with the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) for exclusive representation.[60]

Salary

UFL players' minimum salaries will be $5,500 per week ($2,500 for inactive players) and $150 a week toward 401K contributions, with $400 a week house stipend and $55-a-day per diem stipend during travel days. All contracts will run from January 1 to August 24. During training camp, all players will receive $850 a week. Players on injured reserve will receive $2,500 a week (plus house stipend). UFL players will also be entitled for "players accolade bonuses" for Player of the week ($1,000), All UFL ($2,500), Player of the year ($5,000), and MVP ($7,500).[50] The overall league player budget is $24 million.[61]

Drafts

2023 USFL Draft

Main article: 2023 USFL Draft

On February 21, 2023, the USFL held a draft where 2023 draft-eligible players could be selected by USFL teams.[62] In the announcement, USFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Daryl Johnston stated, "We are building the USFL for long-term success and our first-ever College Draft demonstrates our clear focus on building winning teams for Season Two, Season Three and beyond."[62] 80 players were selected across 10 rounds.[63] Due to this draft occurring two months prior to the 2023 NFL draft, many of the players selected would go on to be drafted by or sign as an undrafted free agent with an NFL team.[64]

2023 XFL Rookie Draft

Main article: 2023 XFL Rookie Draft

In an interview after the 2023 XFL season, the league's Senior Vice President of Player Personnel Doug Whaley disclosed that the league plans a "rookie" draft and intended to conduct "multiple drafts" in the fall of 2023.[65][66] The XFL Rookie Draft took place on June 16, 2023, with 80 players being selected.[67]

On July 28, the XFL held a "rights claim" draft, which had not been announced to the public, and the picks were later released through the official XFL transaction page.[68] The players' rights were assigned to the selected teams, but they were not under contract with the teams (similar to the "negotiation lists" in the CFL[69]). The players selected included: Tavon Austin, Darrynton Evans, Chris Odom, Dru Samia, Josh Jackson, Darrell Henderson, Harrison Hand, Quinton Bell, and Anthony Gordon.[70]

UFL Dispersal Draft

Main article: 2024 UFL dispersal draft

On December 19, 2023, the USFL initially informed the USFL Players Association that four teams would be contracted as part of the USFL–XFL merger.[27] The transition will involve a three-phase player allocation process,[71] with a similar system to be used for XFL players.[72] Phase 1 and 2 is set for January 5, and an open dispersal draft for remaining USFL/XFL players (phase 3) is scheduled for January 15, 2024:[73][74]

  • Phase 1: Each remaining USFL/XFL team identified up to 42 "protected" Contract Players from its roster (or in the XFL's case, had signed a letter of intent with that team).
  • Phase 2: Teams then claimed up to 20 additional "protected" players from non-surviving USFL/XFL teams (respectively).
  • Phase 3: A dispersal draft, billed as the UFL Super Draft,[75] included all USFL/XFL players not "protected" in the earlier phases. Non-contracted players who have previously participated in the USFL or XFL must sign with the respective league before the draft.[76]

Player movement

Free agency

Source[77]

Free agency started on January 16, 2024, for players who weren't selected in the Dispersal draft or did not play in the USFL or XFL in 2023.[78]

In season player movement

Transactions[99]

Trades

Rules

Mike Pereira and Dean Blandino will be in charge of the UFL's officiating and rules.[33][118]

The league rulebook was released February 13, 2024. Though most of the UFL's unique rules were common to both the USFL and XFL (such as allowing a second forward pass if the first does not cross the line of scrimmage, and the treatment of a fumble through the end zone the same as other forward fumbles in that it is brought back to the spot of the fumble), a limited number required compromise or were changed entirely from both leagues' rules:[119][120][121]

  • The league will use the USFL's kickoff rule, which resembles that used at most levels of the game but kicks off from the kicking team's 20-yard line instead of the 35-yard line used at the college and NFL levels (as opposed to the XFL rule which kicked off from the 30-yard line but had the opposing teams line up 35 and 40 yards downfield from the kick respectively and required the kicker to land the kick within 20 yards of the end zone without going in).[122][47] A rule proposal would replace the kickoff with a punt, thereby resembling the safety kick at other levels of the game, but this rule did not make it into the rule book.[123]
  • The onside conversion option will remain available, with a team trailing in the fourth quarter allowed to attempt a single scrimmage play to gain 12 yards from its own 28-yard line. (The XFL used 15 yards from its own 25-yard line; the USFL used 12 yards from its own 33-yard line.)
  • Pass interference penalties will be classified as two types of penalties.
    • Regular defensive pass interference penalties will be limited to 15 yards from the previous line of scrimmage or the spot of the foul, whichever is less.
    • Intentional defensive pass interference is a spot foul, regardless of it being more than 15 yards from the previous line of scrimmage. Similar to a flagrant foul 1 in basketball, where it is called for a foul to stop a breakaway that would lead to a score, intentional pass interference is called when a defensive player commits pass interference against an intended receiver who would make a gain of over 15 yards or score a touchdown were he to catch the ball. This eliminates defensive players from taking advantage of the 15 yard penalty for pass interference on a play that would have gained more than 20 yards.
  • The league will use the XFL's variable-distance conversion rule, offering one, two or three points depending upon how far away from the goal line the offense chooses to attempt the play, and prohibiting kicking for the extra point. (The USFL had allowed the two and three point scrimmage conversions but allowed for an extra point kick.)
  • All touchbacks will come to the receiving team's 25-yard line. Any coffin corner punt that goes out of bounds beyond the 25-yard line will be treated as a touchback, a rule previously used in the XFL (though that league had used the 35-yard line for its touchbacks).
  • The league will use the National Football League rule requiring a receiver to land both feet in bounds for a forward pass to be counted as complete. This was a change from both the XFL and USFL, along with most other professional leagues other than the NFL, that only required one foot in-bounds for a completed pass. This puts the league in line as a developmental league.
  • The league will use remote sensing technology to determine whether the ball has advanced across the line to gain, negating the need for an official chain crew. The USFL had used similar technology, which in 2024 will be provided by BOLT6,[124] a company that had originally signed a partnership with the XFL.[125]
  • The XFL overtime rule will be carried over, in that tie games will involve a best-of-three shootout of two-point conversion attempts from each 5-yard line. If the tie persists, multiple attempts will be played until one team scores, which wins it. One timeout can be called per attempt. The overtime has no game clock, but the play clock will still be used.

Season structure

Preseason

The UFL will continue the XFL agreement with Arlington, Texas, to serve as the league's centralized hub.[126] The league training camps started on February 24, 2024.[33]

For the 2024 season each team trained at a different stadium in Arlington and share it with another team throughout the season as follows:[48][49]

The league plan to hold an untelevised "informal scrimmages" (or "half-games") on March 9, for the league's TV partners (Battlehawks vs Stallions; Defenders vs Panthers; Brahmas vs Roughnecks and Renegades vs Showboats),[127] in order to conduct trial runs for their broadcasts.[49] Teams also held joint practices during the preseason.[128]

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, like the XFL ,all eight teams playing in their home markets.[33] The regular season kicked off on March 30, 2024, with a game between the USFL and XFL champions, the Birmingham Stallions and the Arlington Renegades.[33] The league schedule was released February 5, 2024.[129]

Postseason

The postseason will have four teams. After controversy in the 2023 XFL season in which the St. Louis Battlehawks lost out on a playoff bid on a string of tiebreakers while the Arlington Renegades, three games behind St. Louis in overall standings, advanced to the playoffs, Battlehawks head coach Anthony Becht stated in an interview that the UFL would rework the playoff system so that the winners of each conference will host the league semifinals as before, while the two remaining playoff seeds will be wild-card bids going to the best remaining overall records, regardless of conference.[47] A statement in the schedule press release indicated otherwise, that the XFL and USFL would continue to have self-contained championship games with the first and second team in each conference facing each other.[129] In either event, the winners of the two semifinal games will advance to the 2024 UFL Championship Game.

On March 14, 2024, the UFL announced that The Dome at America's Center, home of the Battlehawks, would host the championship,[130] beating out an aggressive bid from Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, which had hosted both USFL championships.[131] League executives noted that, unlike the USFL which had initially chosen Canton as a neutral site, the UFL would choose future championship sites solely from existing markets as a reward for strong fan support.[130]

Standings

2024 UFL standings
USFL Conference
Team W L PCT GB TD+/- TD+ TD- DIV PF PA DIFF STK
(y) Birmingham Stallions 9 1 .900 - 11 31 20 6–0 265 180 85 W1
(x) Michigan Panthers 7 3 .700 2 5 27 22 4–2 228 189 39 L1
(e) Memphis Showboats 2 8 .200 7 -19 20 39 2–4 188 290 -102 W1
(e) Houston Roughnecks 1 9 .100 8 -12 17 29 0–6 158 233 -75 L6
XFL Conference
Team W L PCT GB TD+/- TD+ TD- DIV PF PA DIFF STK
(y) St. Louis Battlehawks 7 3 .700 - 7 31 24 5–1 260 202 58 W1
(x) San Antonio Brahmas 7 3 .700 - 12 24 12 3–3 192 153 39 L1
(e) DC Defenders 4 6 .400 3 -2 24 26 2–4 209 251 -42 L1
(e) Arlington Renegades 3 7 .300 4 -2 26 28 2–4 247 249 -2 W2
(x)–clinched playoff berth; (y)–clinched division; (e)–eliminated from playoff contention


Season schedule

All games stream on ESPN+ or Fox Sports app unless otherwise noted.

Week 1

Week 1
Date Time
[132]		 Away team Result
[133]		 Home team Stadium Attendance[134] Broadcast Viewership
(millions)[135]		 Rating
[136][137]		 Refs
March 30 1:00 p.m. ET[138] Birmingham Stallions 27 14 Arlington Renegades Choctaw Stadium 14,153 Fox 1.18 0.7 [139][140]
4:00 p.m. ET[141] St. Louis Battlehawks 16 18 Michigan Panthers Ford Field 9,444 1.35 0.7 [142][143]
March 31 12:00 p.m. ET[144] DC Defenders 12 27 San Antonio Brahmas Alamodome 13,164 ESPN 0.96 0.5 [145][146]
3:00 p.m. ET[147] Memphis Showboats 18 12 Houston Roughnecks Rice Stadium 9,157 0.70 0.4 [148][149]

Week 2

Week 2
Date Time
[150]		 Away team Result
[151]		 Home team Stadium Attendance[134] Broadcast Viewership
(millions)[152]		 Rating
[153][154]		 Refs
April 6 12:00 p.m. ET[155] San Antonio Brahmas 20 19 Memphis Showboats Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium 8,791 ESPN 0.72 0.4 [156][157]
8:00 p.m. ET[158] Arlington Renegades 24 27 St. Louis Battlehawks The Dome at America's Center 40,317 ABC 0.91 0.5 [159][160]
April 7 12:00 p.m. ET[161] Birmingham Stallions 20 13 Michigan Panthers Ford Field 7,475 ESPN 0.90 0.5 [162][163]
4:00 p.m. ET[164] Houston Roughnecks 18 23 DC Defenders Audi Field 15,052 Fox 0.85 0.4 [165][166]

Week 3

Week 3
Date Time
[167]		 Away team Result
 Home team Stadium Attendance[134] Broadcast Viewership
(millions)		 Rating
 Refs
April 13 1:00 p.m. ET[168] DC Defenders 29 28 Arlington Renegades Choctaw Stadium 8,411 ESPN – – [169]
7:00 p.m. ET[168] Memphis Showboats – – Birmingham Stallions Protective Stadium 12,265 Fox – – [170]
April 14 12:00 p.m. ET[171] Houston Roughnecks – – Michigan Panthers Ford Field – ABC – – [172]
3:00 p.m. ET[173] St. Louis Battlehawks – – San Antonio Brahmas Alamodome – – – [174]

Week 4

Week 4
Date Time
 Away team Result
 Home team Stadium Attendance[134] Broadcast Viewership
(millions)		 Rating
 Refs
April 20 12:30 p.m. ET Memphis Showboats – – St. Louis Battlehawks The Dome at America's Center – ABC – –
7:00 p.m. ET DC Defenders – – Birmingham Stallions Protective Stadium – Fox – –
Michigan Panthers – – San Antonio Brahmas Alamodome – – –
April 21 2:00 p.m. ET Arlington Renegades – – Houston Roughnecks Rice Stadium – FS1 – –

Week 5

Week 5
Date Time
 Away team Result
 Home team Stadium Attendance[134] Broadcast Viewership
(millions)		 Rating
 Refs
April 27 7:00 p.m. ET Birmingham Stallions – – Houston Roughnecks Rice Stadium – Fox – –
San Antonio Brahmas – – Arlington Renegades Choctaw Stadium – – –
April 28 12:00 p.m. ET St. Louis Battlehawks – – DC Defenders Audi Field – ESPN – –
3:00 p.m. ET Michigan Panthers – – Memphis Showboats Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium – Fox – –

Week 6

Week 6
Date Time
 Away team Result
 Home team Stadium Attendance[134] Broadcast Viewership
(millions)		 Rating
 Refs
May 4 12:00 p.m. ET Birmingham Stallions – – Memphis Showboats Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium – ABC – –
3:00 p.m. ET Houston Roughnecks – – St. Louis Battlehawks The Dome at America's Center – Fox – –
May 5 1:00 p.m. ET Arlington Renegades – – Michigan Panthers Ford Field – – –
4:00 p.m. ET San Antonio Brahmas – – DC Defenders Audi Field – – –

Week 7

Week 7
Date Time
 Away team Result
 Home team Stadium Attendance[134] Broadcast Viewership
(millions)		 Rating
 Refs
May 11 1:00 p.m. ET Memphis Showboats – – Arlington Renegades Choctaw Stadium – ESPN – –
4:00 p.m. ET St. Louis Battlehawks – – Birmingham Stallions Protective Stadium – Fox – –
May 12 12:00 p.m. ET Michigan Panthers – – DC Defenders Audi Field – ESPN – –
3:00 p.m. ET San Antonio Brahmas – – Houston Roughnecks Rice Stadium – – –

Week 8

Week 8
Date Time
 Away team Result
 Home team Stadium Attendance[134] Broadcast Viewership
(millions)		 Rating
 Refs
May 18 4:00 p.m. ET Memphis Showboats – – Michigan Panthers Ford Field – Fox – –
8:00 p.m. ET Houston Roughnecks – – Birmingham Stallions Protective Stadium – ESPN2 – –
May 19 12:00 p.m. ET DC Defenders – – St. Louis Battlehawks The Dome at America's Center – ABC – –
4:00 p.m. ET Arlington Renegades – – San Antonio Brahmas Alamodome – Fox – –

Week 9

Week 9
Date Time
 Away team Result
 Home team Stadium Attendance[134] Broadcast Viewership
(millions)		 Rating
 Refs
May 25 12:00 p.m. ET St. Louis Battlehawks – – Arlington Renegades Choctaw Stadium – ABC – –
3:00 p.m. ET Birmingham Stallions – – San Antonio Brahmas Alamodome – – –
May 26 2:30 p.m. ET DC Defenders – – Memphis Showboats Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium – Fox – –
Michigan Panthers – – Houston Roughnecks Rice Stadium – – –

Week 10

Week 10
Date Time
 Away team Result
 Home team Stadium Attendance[134] Broadcast Viewership
(millions)		 Rating
 Refs
June 1 12:00 p.m. ET Michigan Panthers – – Birmingham Stallions Protective Stadium – ESPN – –
4:00 p.m. ET San Antonio Brahmas – – St. Louis Battlehawks The Dome at America's Center – Fox – –
June 2 12:00 p.m. ET Arlington Renegades – – DC Defenders Audi Field – ABC – –
7:00 p.m. ET Houston Roughnecks – – Memphis Showboats Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium – Fox – –

Playoffs

The playoffs will start on June 8 and 9 and will end with the championship game on June 16.

Division Finals
Date Time
 Away team Result
 Home team Stadium Attendance[134] Broadcast Viewership
(millions)		 Rating
 Refs
June 8 3:00 p.m. ET USFL/XFL Conference #2 Seed – – USFL/XFL Conference #1 Seed – – ABC – – –
June 9 TBD p.m. ET[a] USFL/XFL Conference #2 Seed – – USFL/XFL Conference #1 Seed – – Fox – – –
UFL Championship
Date Time
 Away team Result
 Home team Stadium Attendance[134] Broadcast Viewership
(millions)		 Rating
 Refs
June 16 5:00 p.m. ET USFL Conference Champion – – XFL Conference Champion The Dome at America's Center – Fox – – –

Reference:[130][175][176]

  1. ^ this game will not be played between 3:30-7 p.m. ET due to a NASCAR Cup Series race

Attendance

Announced attendance figures for each home game.[134] In the weekly columns, dashes (—) indicate away games, while bold font indicates the highest attendance of the week.

Team / Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Division Finals Championship Total Average
Arlington Renegades 14,153 — 8,411 — — — — — — — — — 22,564 11,282
Birmingham Stallions — — — — — — — — — — — — 0 0
DC Defenders — 15,052 — — — — — — — — — — 15,052 15,052
Houston Roughnecks 9,157 — — — — — — — — — — — 9,157 9,157
Memphis Showboats — 8,791 — — — — — — — — — — 8,791 8,791
Michigan Panthers 9,444 7,475 — — — — — — — — — — 16,919 8,460
San Antonio Brahmas 13,164 — — — — — — — — — — — 13,164 13,164
St. Louis Battlehawks — 40,317 — — — — — — — — — — 40,317 40,317
Total 45,918 71,635 8,411 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 117,553  
Average 11,480 17,909 8,411 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0   14,694

The home openers for Arlington and Michigan were both up compared to their counterparts in 2023 (12,047 for Arlington, an estimated 7,500 for Michigan[177]), while San Antonio's was down from its opener (but still in line with other home games in 2023), in part due to church service attendance Easter Sunday morning.[178] Houston and Memphis also saw substantial declines compared to 2023, with Johnston admitting concern about the Showboats' crowd turnout and noting that it was part of a downward trend for the team dating back to its 2023 home opener; he had hoped for improvement for the 2025 season with more favorable time slots.[179]

Awards

Players of the week

In the 2020 XFL season, the league awarded a weekly award called "The Star of the Week". In the 2022 and 2023 USFL seasons, the league awarded Offensive, Defensive, and Special Teams Players of the Week awards. During the 2024 season, the UFL has not posted official player of the week awards. However, similar to the 2023 XFL season, some independent media companies recognized offensive, defensive, and special teams players each week.

After not awarding "Players of the Week" awards in the first two weeks, The UFLPA filed a grievance challenging the UFL’s decision, claiming its a violation of the league's collective bargaining agreement.[180]

Athlon Sports

Week Offensive Player Defensive Player Special Teams Player[ST 1] Refs.
Player Pos. Team Player Pos. Team Player Pos. Team
1 Chase Garbers QB Brahmas Daniel Wise DT Panthers Jake Bates K Panthers [181]
2 Marcell Ateman WR Battlehawks Taco Charlton DE Stallions Chris Blewitt K Stallions [182]

Pro Football Focus

Week Offensive Player Defensive Player Offensive Line[ST 1] Refs.
Player Pos. Team Player Pos. Team Team
1 Wes Hills RB Panthers Darius Phillips CB Brahmas Battlehawks [183]
2 Mataeo Durant RB Battlehawks Dondrea Tillman DE Stallions Renegades [184]

UFLBoard.com

Week Offensive Player Defensive Player Special Teams Player[ST 1] Refs.
Player Pos. Team Player Pos. Team Player Pos. Team
1 Chase Garbers QB Brahmas Reuben Foster LB Roughnecks Jake Bates K Panthers [185]
2 Marcell Ateman WR Battlehawks Taco Charlton DE Stallions Jake Bates (2) K Panthers [186]
  1. ^ a b c PFF awarded the "Offensive Line" award while other publications awarded the "Special Teams Player" award.

Season Awards

All-UFL Team selections, Players and Coaches of the Year, and the Most Valuable Player Award will be announced after the conclusion of the season.

League finances

The league was created as a "merger of equals", with the respective leagues' owners assuming 50% ownership of the newly formed UFL.[126] RedBird Capital Partners owner Gerry Cardinale called it "a tremendous opportunity to achieve something unique. A legitimate shot at becoming one of the top professional leagues in the country after the big four leagues".[187]

In March, Under Armour announced they extended the multi-year agreement signed in 2023 with the XFL.[188] Later that month, Michael Strahan's MSX brand was announced as the "Official Off-Field Apparel Partner".[189] Other UFL's sponsors include: Westgate Resorts, Progressive Insurance, PepsiCo (Gatorade), The Coca-Cola Company (Simply Spiked), CBD Kratom, and Molson Coors. Johnson and Garcia also use the league to promote their own brands, Teremana Tequila and ZOA Energy Drink.[190] On April 6, 2024 the league announced a partnership with the United States Army,[191] who paid an estimated $10 million for jersey patch sponsorship and other promotional considerations.[192] In April Upper Deck announced they'll release "2024 UFL Game Dated Moments Cards".[193]

St. Louis Battlehawks signed a sponsorship agreement with Budweiser.[194] The sponsorship returns Anheuser-Busch to the league, after it had sponsored the XFL in 2020 to promote Bud Light Seltzer.[195] In March, Flux announced a multi-year sponsorship with the D.C. Defenders and St. Louis Battlehawks.[196]

Personnel

Source[197]


Media

Television

In the United States, the television rights for the UFL is held by Fox and ESPN, which held the rights to the USFL and XFL, respectively.[198][199][200] NBC Sports, which had shared broadcast rights to the USFL with Fox Sports in 2022 and 2023, will not carry UFL games due to an increase in schedule conflicts, stemming from the proposed start date being slightly earlier than 2022 and 2023.[201] There had been one year remaining on NBC's contract.[202]

Fox Sports' regular season coverage includes pairs of regional games in Weeks 4, 5, and 9 on Fox, 13 national games on Fox, and one game on FS1. The ESPN networks' regular season coverage includes 9 games on ABC, 10 games on ESPN, and one game on ESPN2. 63% of all UFL games will air on broadcast television (ABC or FOX) and 25% of the remaining games will air on the ESPN flagship network. ABC and Fox will also each air a semifinal game. The 2024 UFL Championship Game will be on Fox. In addition, games on the ESPN networks will be streamed on ESPN+.[203][204] ESPN will also air a weekly multi-platform post-game show.[205][206] Eight of Fox's games will be simulcast on its Spanish language outlet Fox Deportes.[207] Through the first eight weeks of the season, the UFL's broadcast partners had sold $3.7 million in in-game commercial inventory at an average of $6,750 per advertisement; in addition to the UFL's league sponsors, regular television sponsors included Jersey Mike's, T-Mobile, IBM, Liberty Mutual and Subway, among numerous pharmaceuticals.[192]

Curt Menefee and Joel Klatt, who served as Fox's lead broadcast team for the XFL and USFL since 2020, will continue in that capacity in 2024.[208][207] ESPN leading crew will feature Mike Monaco or Drew Carter (alternating throughout the season), Sam Acho, Stormy Buonantony and Cole Cubelic.[209][210]

Brahmas kicker Donald De La Haye features the league in his Web series Project NFL, which is featured on his YouTube channel, Deestroying.[211]

Viewership

In millions of viewers

Broadcaster 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Division finals Championship
game		 Total Average
ABC – 0.9 – – – – – – – – – – 0.9 0.9
– – – – – – – – – – – –
ESPN 1.0 0.7 – – – – – – – – – – 3.3 0.8
0.7 0.9 – – – – – – – – – –
– – – – – – – – – – – –
ESPN2 – – – – – – – – – – – – 0.0 0.0
Fox 1.2 0.9 – – – – – – – – – – 3.4 1.1
1.3 – – – – – – – – – – –
– – – – – – – – – – – –
FS1 – – – – – – – – – – – – 0.0 0.0
Total 4.2 3.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 7.6  
Average 1.1 0.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0   1.0

* One decimal place is shown in table but two decimal places are used in all calculations.
* Viewership figures for games streaming on ESPN+ were not released.

Radio

Both ESPN and Fox will carry audio simulcasts of their coverage on their Sirius XM Radio feeds, ESPN Xtra and Fox Sports Radio, respectively.[212] Among local affiliates, Memphis Showboats games will air on Memphis radio station WKIM (FM 98.9).[213]

Reception

The UFL announcement was the number one story the week after its merger in St. Louis.[214]

Writing for ProFootballTalk, Mike Florio was skeptical of the league's long-term odds given the history of spring football and attendance figures he saw as mediocre,[215] while acknowledging "The U.F.L. (New York Times-style) can be F.U.N." citing a fake field goal in which punter/holder Brad Wing threw a touchdown pass to Alex Mollette, the team's center who was lined up as a tackle eligible.[216] Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports lamented the lack of offensive output in Week 1 (noting a lack of effective running back play), while praising exciting special teams play, mentioning the Wing-to-Mollette touchdown and Jake Bates's 64-yard game-winning field goal; Kerr surmised that the league would need to improve its offensive line play.[217] USA Today writer Jim Reineking noted that the former USFL squads, in general, seemed to have the upper hand in the opening week contests, while criticizing the league's decision to use the USFL rules on kickoffs (while acknowledging that the more conventional USFL formation did provide ample opportunity for returns) and starting the season around the crowded Easter holiday, arguing that the league would have been better served launching in the post-Super Bowl window as the XFL traditionally did.[218] Barstool Sports declared "The UFL is risen!" with writer Clem crediting the Wing-to-Mollette play and Bates's field goal for reigniting his interest in spring football.[219] SB Nation wrote of the Wing-to-Mollette play: "This is why we come to the UFL. For moments like this, plays like this. This is what makes football great."[220]

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