- May 21, 2026
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After the 2025 season, the UFL moved three of its eight teams to new markets. Could more changes happen after the 2026 season?
Via Kevin Seifert of ESPN, UFL co-owner Mike Repole said Friday that there's an "80 percent chance" the eight markets for 2026 will be the eight markets for 2027.
Out after last year were Detroit, Memphis, and San Antonio. Those teams were moved to Columbus, Orlando, and Louisville.
The other five markets are D.C., Birmingham, St. Louis, Houston, and Dallas.
Oklahoma City will join as an expansion team in 2028. Repole mentioned several other potential markets: New England; Austin; Raleigh; Queens, New York; New Mexico; Greenville or Charleston, South Carolina; Utah; and Boise.
Birmingham could be at risk of losing its team. Not that Birmingham would notice. Attendance dropped 16 percent in 2026. In Week 7, barely 4,700 showed up for the game.
The UFL is surviving. The question is whether it will, or could, be thriving. The ultimate ceiling is unknown; Repole is determined to find out where it is.
The 2026 season concludes with the United Bowl on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. ET. Unfortunately for the UFL, one of its primary owners (Fox) will be televising a World Cup match between Qatar and Switzerland at the same time.
Which underscores one of the basic challenges the UFL faces — tailoring the schedule (and specific kickoff times) to avoid competing with other live sports.
Via Kevin Seifert of ESPN, UFL co-owner Mike Repole said Friday that there's an "80 percent chance" the eight markets for 2026 will be the eight markets for 2027.
Out after last year were Detroit, Memphis, and San Antonio. Those teams were moved to Columbus, Orlando, and Louisville.
The other five markets are D.C., Birmingham, St. Louis, Houston, and Dallas.
Oklahoma City will join as an expansion team in 2028. Repole mentioned several other potential markets: New England; Austin; Raleigh; Queens, New York; New Mexico; Greenville or Charleston, South Carolina; Utah; and Boise.
Birmingham could be at risk of losing its team. Not that Birmingham would notice. Attendance dropped 16 percent in 2026. In Week 7, barely 4,700 showed up for the game.
The UFL is surviving. The question is whether it will, or could, be thriving. The ultimate ceiling is unknown; Repole is determined to find out where it is.
The 2026 season concludes with the United Bowl on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. ET. Unfortunately for the UFL, one of its primary owners (Fox) will be televising a World Cup match between Qatar and Switzerland at the same time.
Which underscores one of the basic challenges the UFL faces — tailoring the schedule (and specific kickoff times) to avoid competing with other live sports.