The UFL’s third full season since the merger of the XFL and USFL could be a pivotal one for the league’s development and prospects. After a slight decline in viewership in 2025, the organization is looking to regain momentum. All the signs are there: a new investor, the availability of UFL betting in Google Pay casinos and sportsbooks, and new teams. What can we expect from the new season, and what changes has the league undergone?
New Big Investor: Mike Repole Sees Potential in UFL
One of the key changes in the United Football League is about its C-level and ownership. In July 2025, Mike Repole (~$4.5 billion net worth) acquired a major stake in the UFL and joined the board as director of business operations. The businessman made his fortune in the drinks industry and has had successful ventures with Tom Brady and Kobe Bryant.
Repole has become actively involved in league activities and plans, considering expansion a priority, though a smart and moderate one. Since his arrival, the Columbus Aviator has become the new addition to the UFL. Mike also advocates for increasing the number of league participants. Repole is well-known for his aggressive marketing and knows how to hit the right spots so he could definitely succeed in casinos that accept Google Pay. A good example is the Birmingham Stallions case, where over 2,000 season tickets were purchased in just a few days after Mike announced the team’s possible relocation. He is genuinely interested in the league’s development, and not just another passive investor.
Three New Teams and Two Rebrandings
The UFL is in its early stages of development, so there is no permanent pool of league participants. However, the number of organizations remains stable at eight teams, as in the first two years of the United Football League. At the same time, in 2026, the UFL will have three newcomers and two rebranded organizations:
? Newcomers: Aviators (based in Columbus), Kings (based in Louisville), Storm (based in Orlando) are now part of the UFL. They replaced the San Antonio Brahmas, Memphis Showboats, and Michigan Panthers.
? Rebrands: The Houston Roughnecks are still based in Houston, but are now the Gamblers. Renegades still stay in Texas, but relocated from Arlington to Dallas.
The planned expansion to 10 teams is delayed until at least 2027. But the general plan is to have twice as many teams (16) by 2035, which is very ambitious. The geography could even extend to the West Coast, with San Diego being mentioned among the new potential locations. Boise, Idaho, was also mentioned as a possible candidate. Currently, the league is fairly compactly based in the Texas-DC-Florida triangle.
Numerous head coach changes.
Another area with many changes is the head coaching position. Compared to the previous season, only Anthony Becht has retained his position in the UFL. However, he has changed teams – in 2025, Becht coached the Battlehawks and will now work with the newcomers, the Orlando Storm.
The two main coaching newsmakers are Rick Neuheisel and Skip Holtz:
? Neuheisel has taken over for the Dallas Renegades, replacing veteran Bob Stoops. Neuheisel has a solid background in college football and NFL experience as an offensive line and quarterbacks coach. In the 1990s and 2000s, Neuheisel spent 12 seasons as head coach at prominent NCAA programs – the Colorado Buffaloes, Washington Huskies, and UCLA Bruins. His solid career record at the NCAA (87-59) is a clear indication of his coaching prowess. Given this appointment, Google Pay casinos and sportsbooks will likely consider Dallas the season favorite.
? Skip Holtz has left the league. Another coach with a solid NCAA resume, he has already become a legend in the UFL. He led his Stallions to three consecutive championships in the 2022 and 2023 USFL seasons, and then won another title in the inaugural UFL season in 2024. He failed to achieve a four-peat due to a loss to the Panthers in the conference finals in 2025. However, Skip left the UFL not because of that loss. He protested against the dispersal draft, wanting to keep the key players under his wing in Birmingham.
New Roster Rules
After joining the league, revolutionary Mark Repole proposed completely overhauling team rosters and holding a dispersal draft. This sparked protests, which led to the departures of the Stallions’ head coach, Skip Holtz, and one of the UFL’s top stars, J’Mar Smith. Such development certainly isn’t well-liked by those planning to bet on the league at sportsbooks and casinos that accept Google Pay. Ultimately, the league had to adjust its plans:
? Organizations were allowed to retain up to 12 players they had previously rostered.
? Teams were allowed to have 60 to 64 players on their preseason rosters, although the original plan was to limit them to 60.
However, for the 2026 regular season, teams will be able to register 45 players. The year before, teams had more flexibility with 50-player rosters. The free agent market is also still open. The league allowed players who spent two seasons with the same team to test their skills.
One of the key goals for 2026: returning to growth
After the merger of the XFL and USFL in 2024, the league posted very respectable numbers in its first year. On average, 816,000 television viewers tuned in to the league’s games, while average attendance was 12,800. In 2025, the numbers dropped. TV ratings fell by almost 20%, and attendance fell by 5%. The drop was particularly noticeable in the final series:
? 2024 Final: 1.6 million television viewers and 27,396 in-arena attendees.
? 2025 Final: 0.98 million spectators and 14,559 in-arena attendees.
Clearly, if the UFL can’t return to growth, the league’s future is debatable. The league’s expansion to Orlando and Columbus, cities that don’t have many strong sports organizations, could significantly help the league in its quest to increase its popularity.