In a recent media interview conducted after a Arlington Renegades practice, UFL co-owner Dany Garcia discussed the league’s development heading into its second season, the new UFL headquarters in Arlington, and the excitement surrounding Friday night games.
This was a surprise appearance for the co-owner. Garcia was been involved with the UFL and attends regular meetings we are hearing from sources. How much power she has behinds the scenes since the merger is anyone’s guess. But she and The Rock are not as prominent decision makers as they were in the XFL.
On Transitioning to Year Two
Garcia reflected on her experience as a football league owner entering her third year in the position.
“Being an owner, the year three of being an owner. I don’t know if you ever get acclimated to it. It is a fantastic, thriving, challenging, beautiful sport and beautiful position. But I will say it gets better and better every year. Our scrimmage today, we had two of our teams out. The energy is great. The guys look great. A lot of really good conditioning. So, yeah, all good things.”
Despite the negative labor talk and less than ideal ticket situation. We are in year two of the merger and have had Spring Football since 2022, when the USFL returned. The UFL co-owner sees continued progress from the league’s first season, noting the positive energy and conditioning levels displayed during recent team scrimmages.
On Player Development Success
Garcia highlighted the league’s success in developing players for the NFL.
“A continuation of what we had last year. We have 84 players currently right now signed with the NFL. We had a tremendous level of success, a tremendous level of play. I’m always looking for that.”
This statistic of 84 players signed to NFL contracts demonstrates the UFL’s effectiveness as a development pipeline. The league continues to position itself as a viable path for players seeking to advance their professional football careers. However can this league last financially is the real question. There is no question that the UFL is a fantastic feeder system to the NFL. The USFL and XFL proved that long ago.
On the New UFL Headquarters
Garcia provided details about the league’s new headquarters in Arlington.
“A few weeks ago, I was able to officially open UFL HQ here in Arlington. That’s a massive, massive milestone for us. Coach spoke about it just earlier that all of our teams and all of our coaches are now in one location and come together. So we can do so much more. It’s so much more efficient. It puts a stake in the ground as far as who we are.”
This move was a huge sign that the UFL is here to stay. That was until the labor situation. We really wont have an answer on that until kickoff.
On Friday Night Games
Garcia expressed enthusiasm about the UFL’s Friday night broadcast schedule.
“Friday Night Lights with Fox, that was a big initiative for our broadcast partners and our partners in the ownership of the NFL that we come out with a Friday night property where you just get that excitement, that energy under the lights. There’s nothing like that. I think our players are going to be absolutely excited about that experience. We’re really happy what it does for us and where we are on broadcast.”
The Friday night broadcast strategy expands the UFL’s weekly schedule across three days (Friday, Saturday, Sunday), potentially increasing viewership and fan accessibility. This is one of the biggest things to keep an eye on this season. Friday Night on FOX could be a huge win for the league and bring in new fans like never before.
On International Growth
When asked about Mexican and Latino fans, Garcia emphasized the league’s global vision.
“Football in Mexico, so dynamic. It’s actually been markets that we have been so excited about. So to our football fans there, what the passion, the play, what’s happening, we support you, we embrace you. We are inspired by what happens there, and we are thrilled that you’re a part of our community.”
Garcia’s comments highlight the UFL’s recognition of international markets, particularly in Latin America. This acknowledgment of football’s popularity in Mexico suggests potential future expansion opportunities for the league’s fan base beyond U.S. borders. In the XFL 2.0, international markets like Mexico were talked a lot about. We don’t hear that much talk in the United Football League.
The UFL begins its second season on Friday, March 28, following the merger of the XFL and USFL. Training camp for the upcoming season started on February 27. We are now less than two weeks till kickoff.
