The United Football League today announced it has officially launched its first expansion process. The UFL is accepting proposals from prospective markets looking to bring spring football to their communities and be a part of the growth of the sport.
“As the UFL lays the groundwork for future growth, we’re excited to begin exploring new markets for expansion, where spring football can not only live, but thrive,” said UFL President and CEO Russ Brandon. “These expansion efforts validate our vision and early success, demonstrating how spring football resonates with fans and reinforcing our commitment to broadening its reach. With the strength and structure of our ownership group, along with our media partners, we are well-positioned for the long haul and look forward to identifying communities that have the potential, and desire, to host a UFL team.”
In its search to identify the strongest markets to support its ambitious growth goals, the UFL is looking at several core attributes when selecting its new cities, including fan interest and existing sports culture, geography and population and venue and infrastructure availability.
The UFL currently consists of eight teams – the Arlington Renegades, Birmingham Stallions, Michigan Panthers, Houston Roughnecks, Memphis Showboats, San Antonio Brahmas, St. Louis Battlehawks and D.C. Defenders.
The 2025 UFL season will kick off on March 28, 2025, with a 10-week regular season schedule, followed by two conference championship games, and the UFL Championship Game on June 14, 2025.
Fans can visit TheUFL.com/tickets to learn more about each market’s season tickets, see all prices and benefits, and sign up for special information and content.
About the UFL
The United Football League (UFL) is shaping the future of spring football, born from the groundbreaking 2024 merger of the XFL and USFL. With the visionary backing of RedBird Capital Partners, FOX, Dany Garcia and Dwayne Johnson, the UFL is redefining the football landscape. Positioned to innovate and expand fan engagement and player opportunities, the league is poised for growth with its eight teams in key markets: Arlington (TX), Birmingham (AL), Detroit (MI), Houston (TX), San Antonio (TX), Memphis (TN), St. Louis (MO), and Washington D.C. The UFL is committed to pushing the boundaries of the game and delivering an elevated experience for players, fans, and partners alike.
3 Comments
by Ken Granito
As the divide in wealth deepens between the haves and have nots there has never been as many possible UFL owners as there are today. It is good to learn the UFL is ready for expansion. With the amount of the players the league has, now is the time. Where and how to grow? Where the league can they should try to use some of the trademarks the league currently has as there already fans associated with those teams, however sometimes there will be better opportunities and it will make sense to have a whole new brand or market. In the IFA, the league was formed and teams have just joined the league similar to what the NFL did in its very early days. In regards to expansion the UFL should plan it, but also be flexible for when the strongest opportunities arise. I believe, whole heartedly, there should be a team in New Jersey and the team name should be the New Jersey Generals with same colors, etc. I get it. I am a Generals fan. It seems very self-serving. Just yesterday I traded 3 autograph cards for a Darius Victor auto. So even though the Generals don’t exist today, I am still a fan and I continue to support Kavontae Turpin and will turn on the Cowboys to see how he is doing. I was a Generals season ticket holder and wish I could be now. The other day I looked at the Memphis tickets and thought how cool it would be to be able to pick out seats and say these are going to be my seats like a child readying a list for Santa. Yes I am a Generals fan. There are more of us. I root for Luis Perez, Darius Victor, Kavontae Turpin. Hell I even root for Brock Miller, a left-footed punter, who punts for the team, not just his average. I am honest enough to say there are some Generals players that could not have competed in the UFL last year with the talent level increase. I am able to put my own wants aside for the good of the league.
New Jersey will support the New Jersey Generals. Honestly other than the Devils the Generals are New Jersey’s team. In the 1980s the Generals would easily get 35,000 fans each week. Although we had Hershel Walker, Brian Sipe and Doug Flutie conversations would also be had over Sam Bowers, Maurice Carthon, Kent Hull, Freddie Gilbert and John Joyce as we loved these players and would critique all the players as we would the Jets or Giants, but a lot more positively than the Jets and Giants today, even if we weren’t the Stars. Even in the league’s last iteration of the Generals, quite a few of my old friends would watch the game even though they could not go see them as the league did not feel New Jersey was worth the investment.
I would love to see Jon Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Derek Jeter, A-Rod or any number of businessmen that could see the beauty in bringing the Generals back to New Jersey. Based on what the UFL pays its players, I can see player’s payroll being about $3,000,000. This would include camp and the regular season pay. I think New Jersey would bring in 20,000 fans (to start) per game @ an average of $30 per ticket for $3,000,000 in ticket revenue. I don’t know what stadium rental would go for, but hoping the owners could get SHI Stadium so the team would have room for increased ticket sales as the team gains a foothold. Princeton and Red Bull Arena provide additional options. One day I even wrote into the News Hub as I reached out to Friends of HInchliffe and they would be open to discussions to bring the Generals to Hinchliffe Stadium but that is a much smaller stadium, seating only 10,000. Red Bull Arena would be nice in that we could easily attract fans from both North and Central jersey as it is centrally located, however I feel the stadium may not be large enough for the amount of fans. Princeton has a really good venue and I still feel we could get 20,000, but is maybe situated a little far West. SHI Stadium is the home for Rutgers so the stadium is red and white which works very well with the Generals. A few seatbacks for us old Generals fans and we are good to go. If the team continues to grow from there maybe we get MetLife and with the American Dream mall and New York City close by, maybe New Jersey becomes the crown jewel of the UFL.
The cost structure of the UFL works for New Jersey. Many people would be able to pay $50 per seat ($55 in season 2) that the league charges today, but at the $25-$30 a family of four could come to the game for much less than going to see the Yankees or Mets with half the travel time. Remember we are expanding for the good of the league, so you may want to collect the Franchise Fee over a few years as the owners will be already meeting expenses that come along with starting and running a football team. The league can also help with some management help or shared services and continue to share revenue from the team, but maybe not sales.
I feel having a team in New Jersey will be a TV ratings boost across the league, like no other team has provided, previously. You talk about ratings being a million per game. If the Generals had home games in the Eastern part of New Jersey, the league would pick up another 1/4 million weekly viewers by the end of the year. I feel strongly about that. Football is big in New Jersey and New York, but they also want to feel they are worth the investment. If you place a team in New Jersey they will come and they will view.
Please do not let gambling dictate gameplay. Greed is going to be the one thing that ruins the NFL for fans like me. Let football remain beautiful. I am not saying people should not be allowed to gamble, but when gambling websites are among a league’s biggest advertisers it’s easy to see how it can all go wrong. Last season I read that the Monday night opener between the Jets and Bills had 91% of the money on the Jets and only 9% on the Bills. The Jets won that game on the last play as a kick return was returned for a touchdown, so they ended up beating the spread that day, but overall since gambling has become legalized they have 40 wins and 65 losses against the spread with 2 ties. This is for the 7 years since gambling has been legal. For the 7 years before gambling was legalized the Jets were 52-52 with 7 ties against the spread. If you like to connect dots, like me, there may be a correlation. To just have 91% of the money on anything just does not pass the sniff test. Please don’t let that affect gameplay. This is for me the largest downside to putting a team in the New York area.
I believe that for half the people playing in the NFL their dream is to be rich. It makes sense. Billionaires and corporations make money so fast you cannot even say hand over fist anymore. They make is so fast only computers can keep up. You really should be proud of the product you produce each week. It is the best brand of football out there. Most of the players in the UFL, their dream is to really, play football. I get that they want to be paid as well, but I feel there is an opportunity here to play on TV in front of their families and a national audience each week. Most UFL teams get the same airtime as the Cowboys or Chiefs do nationally and they play 7 fewer games.
UFL gameplay has gotten so good that very soon, I expect fans to purchase and wear players’ jerseys to the stadium and I am not talking a team jersey with a year on it like 23 or 24. Remember if you build it they will come. You have built the start of a great home to football players and fans. You have invested a lot into this league to get it where it is. You have invested in places that have not brought you the kind of return New Jersey would. How many times do I hear the attendance figures and feel New Jersey would do so much better than that. That you could turn on a game played in New Jersey and there will be fans (families) in the seats, building kids that become the tradition of going to Generals games. In 1984, I was a 15 year old Generals fan and at 55 years old I am still a Generals fan. I just came home from visiting my stepfather on Monday. His health is failing a bit, but I still see the gleam in his eye. As I am a March baby, he got me the season tickets for my birthday. You want to bring families into this league. Most of New Jersey are transplanted New Yorkers who moved out to Jersey to help build a better life for their families. Doesn’t the UFL want to grow with those children? New Jersey is the place for the UFL. I can understand if you don’t want to pay the expenses that goes with having a team here, but if so, please bring in owners who will, just keep the UFL brand and all the good football with it, in tact.
by J
The goal for the league should be to replicate what happens in st louis, put a football team in a market that has a football fanbase but was burned by the nfl. The 2 obvious choices for these parameters are oakland and sandiego. San Diego seems like the better choice with snapdragon staduim being available, while oakland is alittle more complicated and san Francisco still being in the bay area
by Ken Granito
I have often stated the Oakland Invaders and the San Diego Squadron should be two teams in this league. It just makes sense. Oakland has a home they would be looking to have a UFL team in and they would easily get 25,000 fans in it. San Diego might be a more difficult place because it has a private owner. That stated it would only make sense as they easily could put 25,000 -30,000 fans. It seems they way they are going about expansion though, they would be looking for a team owner to come forward and put a team in. Within 2 1/2 years, I would like to see New Jersey, Oakland, San Diego and Seatle (if they can find a workable stadium). I don’t know what they charged for Lumen Field so that would have to be something that is worked out. After that they could start filling in the rest of the country. Once you have that many teams the whole country could feel the league has invested in them.