UFL Relocating Four Ex-USFL Teams to New Cities: Reports

Half of the UFL appears to be on the move. 

A month after the spring football league’s second season ended, the league is moving four of its eight teams, according to multiple reports.

The Birmingham, Houston, Memphis, and Detroit teams—all previously USFL teams—are relocating, according to UFL News Hub, which reported that the new destinations are Boise, Id.; Columbus, Oh.; Orlando; and an unknown Kentucky city. None of the new cities previously had USFL teams before the merger, though the Orlando Renegades played one season in the previous iteration of the USFL in 1985.

It’s not clear which team would move where.

“Every year, the League office looks at planning for next season and beyond,” the UFL told Front Office Sports in a statement. “At this point, we have nothing to report on any unauthorized speculation.”

The moves come after the UFL followed up a promising inaugural season in 2024 with labor unease with players and dips in ratings and attendance.

The league’s second season following an XFL–UFL merger saw viewership decrease by 20% with an average of 645,000 viewers per game across Fox and ESPN-affiliated networks. The 2024 season averaged 812,000 viewers per game. 

Negotiations between the league and its union over a new collective bargaining agreement led the UFL’s quarterbacks to skip a preseason workout in February. Players threatened to strike before eventually reaching a CBA deal in May. The new CBA runs through the 2026 season and increased player salaries and improved healthcare coverage. 

Attendance also dropped everywhere around the UFL except for Detroit. The Panthers drew well in-state despite playing in an NFL market. 

Memphis ranked last in the league in attendance with an average of fewer than 4,000 fans per game. Birmingham won three consecutive championships—two in the USFL and the 2024 UFL title—before being knocked out in the 2025 playoffs. But despite their success, the Stallions drew an average attendance of 8,800 fans. 

The UFL is the latest attempt to establish a spring football league after the short-lived Alliance of American Football folded in 2019. Fox owns half the league while wrestler turned actor Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and his ex-wife Dany Garcia, are co-owners along with RedBird Capital Partners.  A spokesperson for RedBird declined to comment. Fox deferred comment to the UFL. 

Editors’ note: RedBird IMI, of which RedBird Capital Partners is a joint venture partner, is the majority owner of Front Office Sports.