The spring football league formed after the merger of the XFL and United States Football League will be known as the United Football League, its partners confirmed Sunday.
Former XFL president/CEO Russ Brandon will hold the same title for the UFL. Former USFL president of football operations Daryl Johnston will oversee the new league's football operations.
The UFL announced the season opener on March 30 will be contested between the XFL champion Arlington Renegades and the Birmingham Stallions, the USFL's champs.
The Stallions join the Michigan Panthers, Houston Gamblers, and Memphis Showboats as the former USFL teams that will carry over to the UFL. The Renegades are the lone XFL team to be named to the UFL at the moment. The Washington Post reported Sunday that five XFL teams — the D.C. Defenders, Houston Roughnecks, San Antonio Brahmas, St. Louis Battlehawks, and the Renegades — will join the Panthers, Stallions, and Showboats in an eight-team UFL.
The XFL and USFL announced plans to merge in September. The USFL relaunched in 2021 and is owned by Fox Sports. The XFL returned in 2022, owned by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and business partner Dany Garcia.
"From Day One, our mission has been to expand the game of football and be a league of opportunity, culture and innovation," Johnson said in a statement. "As we come together to create the UFL, we can build something powerful, exciting and very cool for football fans — a spring league with lasting impact for all the players with a dream to play pro football and the 'hardest workers in the room' mentality to make their dreams come true."
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