The XFL and USFL have officially agreed to terms to merge ahead of the upcoming season, which will begin in March 2024, via John Vogel. The USFL returned for the first time since the 1980s in 2022, and have played two seasons under FOX Sports ownership. Meanwhile, the XFL returned in 2018 and is currently owned by RedBird Capital Partners, Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia. The two spring leagues were competing against each other, but will now merge.
Despite each league carrying eight teams, they will not expand to 16 teams and will instead keep four teams from each league. From the XFL, the Arlington Renegades, DC Defenders, San Antonio Brahmas and St Louis BattleHawks will be retained while the Seattle Sea Dragons, Vegas Vipers, Houston Roughnecks and Orlando Guardians will no longer stay. On the USFL side, the Birmingham Stallions, Houston Gamblers, Memphis Showboats and Michigan Panthers will be kept while the Pittsburgh Maulers, New Orleans Breakers, Philadelphia Stars and New Jersey Generals will not.
Following the merger, the two leagues released a statement.
“We are pleased to have completed the antitrust review process in connection with the proposed merger of the XFL and USFL and intend to play a combined season this spring kicking off on Saturday, March 30. We are now finalizing terms of the definitive agreement and will share more about this new League in the coming weeks,” via Ben Fischer of the Sports Business Journal.
More details surrounding the terms, name, rules and logistics of the merged leagues will be revealed in the upcoming weeks.
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