The XFL is returning to the gridiron next year for the first time since 2020. The second attempt at the spring football league ended due to a global pandemic they had no control over.

Many hope the league can sustain itself this time around. The USFL's relaunch this past spring certainly provided an encouraging sign that spring football can work, as did the early success of XFL 2.0.

This third iteration of the XFL has a lot going for it. Financially, there doesn't seem to be any issue, and they have an exclusive broadcast partnership with ESPN and its subsidiaries.

On Halloween, the league revealed the team names and logos for the upcoming season. However, we didn't see any uniforms. Those came on Wednesday, during a live broadcast of SportsCenter.

So, how are these uniforms? Are they clean fits that fans can be proud of? Or do they miss the mark in some way or another? Here are the eight XFL uniform sets ranked worst to best.

8. Orlando Guardians

The Orlando Guardians' identity already isn't that creative. It's just the New York Guardians logo with a different coat of paint, literally. These uniforms needed to stand out, and they really didn't.

Some of the uniforms on this list are just kind of bland, but they are okay. This uniform set should probably have received a few more revisions before being revealed.

The helmet and game pants are okay. Orlando's use of neon green isn't overbearing in those regards. On the home uniforms, however, it's a bit much. Especially since they look like those weird Michigan State jerseys.

Overall, this is a rather uninspired look for an uninspired franchise. There isn't much else to say about this one.

7. St. Louis BattleHawks

While I will commend the BattleHawks for having a non-white road uniform, this feels like a bit of a letdown. It isn't so much bad as it is painfully bland.

This feels a bit like a high school practice jersey than something you'd see from a professional football league. Given some of the other options on this list, it really stands out.

The font for the numbers is probably my favorite thing about these jerseys. This is said to be an homage to St. Louis' past as a manufacturer of military jet aircraft. Even that aside, the font just looks nice.

Other than that, there isn't much going for these uniforms. They could certainly be worse, but there still is something left to be desired.

6. Seattle Sea Dragons

The decision to go with orange here instead of the dark blue in their color scheme is a bit weird. They aren't exactly Denver Broncos ripoffs, but there is some resemblance for sure.

The fire orange in this set “is an ode to the legendary intensity of Seattle's relentless fans.” Of all the explanations they could come up with, that is certainly one of them.

The returning XFL franchise does incorporate a scale pattern on their game pants. This is a nice touch and helps give the set a bit more life to it.

If the orange was used to accent the set, these would be better. However, as they are, they are only slightly better than the more bland BattleHawks set.

5. Vegas Vipers

The all-black home look for the Vipers is actually not bad, if a tad bland. The road whites look unimpressive at first, but are actually full of detail.

The “Vipers” font on the jersey definitely sets this apart. It's in line with the V primary logo the team uses, it just looks nice.

On the away jersey, there's this snakeskin pattern seen on the sleeve cap and in the numbering. The home jerseys feature the fanged V on the shoulders, and the snakeskin pattern is in the numbering. However, it isn't really evident as it is with the road unis.

Overall, the away uniform is really good. However, the home uniform could have used a bit more to really bring the entire set to life.

4. San Antonio Brahmas

Part of the reason these are so high is the solid color for both the home and away jerseys. I like when teams move away from the solid color home, white road style that has become the norm over the years.

These are good-looking jerseys on their own, as well. The helmet features horns on both sides, and they form a B at the back of the helmet, which is a nice touch.

Both uniforms feature a serape pattern on the neckline that fits both really well. The away jersey sees this cracked texture on the numbering, which adds a bit of grit.

This texture is also seen in the numbering on the home uniform, and the gradient coloring on the outline of the numbers helps make that texture visible. Overall, a very solid uniform set where you really can't go wrong.

3. DC Defenders

These are very clean uniforms. As one of the returning XFL franchises, there were high hopes for these uniforms, and these ones absolutely delivered.

The camouflage design on the helmets is a very cool touch. You can also see the design on the shoulders of the road white uniforms. On the home reds, there's this silver inner lining on the numbers that adds a lot to the look.

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The Defenders went with a stars and stripes pattern on the sleeves that the Commanders tried with their uniforms. DC pulls it off a lot better than their NFL counterparts, however.

This is easily one of the best sets in the league, and I cannot wait to see how they look on the field in February.

2. Arlington Renegades

Many probably didn't expect powder blue as the main color choice here. However, it works a lot better than the orange does for Seattle.

Their road uniforms are probably the cleanest in the league. The powder blue and red in the numbers looks really well contrasted with the white of the jersey.

The black and red in the numbers complements the blue of the jersey so well. Arlington's helmet is probably the weakest part of this set, but it isn't bad. They tried something more creative with it and that is to be respected.

These would be the best uniform sets in the league, however…

1. Houston Roughnecks

…the Houston Roughnecks exist. In the last iteration of the XFL, the Roughnecks didn't lose a single game. They are also undefeated in a fashion sense.

Houston's helmet is by far the best in the league, taking inspiration from the Texas state flag. Using the flag this way was very creative, and it pays dividends here.

The numbering on the uniforms takes on an “oil splattering” pattern. It mixes the red and blue of the uniform in an incredibly effective way. This pattern is also seen on the sides of their game pants.

This is the most creative set of the eight revealed by the XFL on Wednesday. That fact is certainly a major reason why the Houston Roughnecks have the best uniform set in the league.