Several stories were released on Thursday, in addition to the UFL’s own press release, touting the addition of entrepreneur Mike Repole to the UFL’s vast ownership group. After sifting through all of the stories, here is what we learned yesterday, along with my analysis.
–Repole will control the league’s business operations: Repole, the co-founder of products such as Bodyarmor and Vitaminwater, won’t just be a silent investor in the UFL: He’s taking an active role in running the business side of things, specifically working on upping attendance in the local markets.
Seven of eight UFL franchises saw their attendance decrease in year two. Though there’s no word on how much Repole is investing, he told Sports Business Journal that he’s likely the third biggest investor behind Fox Sports and RedBird Capital.
–Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund is reportedly a minority partner in the UFL: Buried in the Front Office Sports story about Repole’s involvement is a mention that the Qatari government also has stake in the UFL. Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds having increasingly gotten involved in the American sports scene, notably Saudi Arabia with LIV Golf and WWE. These “sovereign wealth funds” are basically slush funds the government can use for whatever they like, and many of them are using sports to help whitewash their image.
–The decision has been made to move one UFL team to Columbus, with at least one more and up to four total set to move: The move to Columbus won’t come as a surprise to discerning readers since UFL News Hub’s Mark Perry broke the news about the UFL moving franchises for 2026. The team will play at Historic Crew Stadium, with a capacity of about 20,000, the former home of the Columbus Crew MLS team.
There’s no word on which current team will transfer to Columbus. The idea that potentially as few as two teams will move this offseason has reinvigorated the fanbases of the Michigan Panthers and Birmingham Stallions on social media, upping the efforts to save those teams. Repole’s interview with USAToday indicated openness to venue changes rather than moving cities, which could salvage a team or two. We’ll know more in the next 30 days, he said.
–Repole’s focus is venues and attendance: This comes straight from the ESPN article on Repole’s involvement. We know UFL ownership has been unhappy with some of their venue partners for a while now, from expensive leases to unaccommodating scheduling to who knows what else.
Repole likened the atmosphere of some UFL games to “watching a COVID game” from the year NFL had no fans in the stands due to the pandemic. The league will look to cities and venues that can (a) be good partners with the league, and (b) offer smaller stadiums that present better optics for television.
He specifically mentioned to Front Office Sports the idea of partnering with MLS teams to share a stadium, which could present its own set of difficulties given the two leagues overlap seasons if the UFL stays with its current format.
–Attendance expectations will be a modest 10-15,000: Time was, anything under 20,000 fans attending a spring football game was seen as a failure. It’s a different era where the UFL is competing against a host of other attractions in many of these cities.
Repole mentioned to ESPN that he’d be taking the blame if he can’t help get average attendance somewhere in the 10-15,000 range. For the teams known to be returning to the UFL in 2026, that seems doable. The two to four other new markets will be an entirely different challenge.
–Ownership is in step with the “marathon, not a sprint” mantra of building the league: UFL ownership has taken a very cautious financial approach to building the UFL – some would say too cautious. But the goal is long-term viability, and the owners have thus far agreed this is the correct vision to follow. Repole falls into that same category of belief. He used the above cliche in his interview with Sports Business Journal, acknowledging that this process will take time and that he’s in it for the long haul.
–Expansion is already on Repole’s radar: While relocation is getting all the publicity, UFL ownership has not forgotten about its desire to expand the number of teams. Repole told ESPN the goal is 10-12 teams in the next five years, with 16 teams in the next decade.
It’s not the quick additions hinted at when the UFL publicly opened its expansion process last year, leaving some to believe the league would up the number to 10 teams as soon as 2026. This indicates a slower rollout and the continued need to get all eight franchises healthy and in lockstep first.
–Getting teams in their home markets will be a priority over the next few years: One of the most common reasons cited by fans as to the lack of engagement in home markets is the fact that teams aren’t actually based in the cities they play – they’re based in Arlington during training camp and the season.
Even players have bemoaned this on social media. UFL ownership, and the XFL before them, has traded whatever potential increase in attendance that would come with basing teams in their home markets for saving money by utilizing the Arlington hub.
Repole indicated to ESPN that while the hub model will continue for now, the plan is for that to change. “You can’t be a real league in five years and have your D.C. team in Arlington,” he said, not mincing words about the need to move these teams into their markets. He also commented that in the short term, teams may spend two or three days in their home city before games instead of one day as a way to activate local interest.
