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XFL & USFL In Serious Discussion To Potentially Merge

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A bombshell was just dropped this morning by Sportico and Axios: the USFL and XFL are in serious discussions to potentially merge, with an announcement possibly coming as soon as this week.

This is a relatively surprising move, considering both leagues have very different models when it comes to spring football at the moment.

The XFL – owned by Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, and Redbird Capital – are partnered with Disney. Their season begins in February, ending in early May. In 2023, games were featured on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and FX channels respectively.

On the other side, the USFL is owned by FOX. They started in 2022, and have taken a much different approach when it comes to their structure. The league utilizes a hub model, with their eight teams sharing four cities in 2023. NBC is also involved with the USFL, having broadcasted games through the past two seasons.

The USFL begins their schedule in April, playing through the beginning of July.

Per Axios:

“The merger would be structured as a merger of equals and would require regulatory approval, one of the sources said. The leagues hope to combine before the 2024 seasons.”

There are so many things to take into account regarding a potential merger. Plenty of details are unknown at the moment.

What we do know is that it will be difficult to merge before the XFL begins their 2024 season, just due to the general timeline. Rumor has it that the leagues are looking to get this done before 2024, though.

There is no indication on who initiated these talks – but, it is worth noting that the XFL lost $60 million in 2023. Redbird Capital was rumored to have been looking to recoup on those losses, which is an interesting piece of info to take into consideration.

We have confirmed with a source that Redbird originally initiated conversations with FOX Sports and the USFL. It appears as if those conversations led to the current talks we are seeing now regarding a merger.

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We will update this article as needed when more information comes out. So far, neither leagues have commented on this developing story.

UPDATE: We reached out to FOX Sports, who declined to comment on the story for now.

What are your thoughts on a USFL and XFL merger? What would this mean for the world of spring football? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!

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James Larsen
Growing up, football was one of the few things that brought me joy. It's always played a major role in my life, and continues to do so. As I've delved into sports journalism, spring football has become my passion. Covering the USFL & XFL is a dream come true, and I look forward to plenty of excellent seasons in the years to come.
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8 Comments

  1. “This is a relatively surprising move, considering both leagues have very different models when it comes to spring football at the moment.” – J Larsen

    Agree with you alot but not here – the leagues are virtually identical in structure and goals. All the models diff talk is just PR from the individual leagues to spin survival.

    This is the only logical move after XFL unwisely chose to come back after USFL beat them to market.

    Reply

  2. Hi,
    This might be a good move for the XFL but it would be a terrible move for the USFL.
    The USFL is in a much stronger position to become a thriving league, while the XFL won’t last
    another two years. I love the USFL, which is like the summer NFL. I hate the XFL,
    which is the creation of Vince Mcmahon and has a strong negative, pro wrestling feel to it.
    Hey Daryl Johnson and FOX, wake up and snap out of it. You DO NOT want this !!!
    Stick to your original plan and become successful with your own identity. Tell the Rock to
    roll away.

    Reply

  3. They both have something the other needs, usfl would love having those St. Louis fans, XFL needs more eyes on the product, win/win in my book. Both leagues are awesome hope spring football is here to stay.

    Reply

  4. I think it is a win win for both sides and sports or football in general. Many pushed back with the XM / Sirius merger. That turned out pretty well.
    I don’t know enough about the AFL merger in the 60’s to compare this, but that too worked out.

    Reply

  5. I like the merger idea if XFL teams adopt USFL team identies. XFL uniforms are horrible. The one part of the deal I dont like is the childgroomers from Disney being involved

    Reply

  6. It would fix a lot of issues, including the XFL driving up salaries for no reason, but Darryl Johnston knows more about football than the 3 XFL frontmen combined. I think the XFL is well-intentioned, but just literally out of their league. I think I would like it better if we pulled a few teams into the USFL with maybe the Rock, Dany Garcia and Redbird Capital owning those teams, but paying a franchise fee. This would only work, of course, were the XFL in real trouble. If not, I see no problem with them remaining separate entities as I really like the path the USFL continues to take. We do need to get some more teams into their cities.

    Reply

  8. If this does happen I see 12 teams, north and south divisions. In the North: NJ Generals, Pittsburgh Maulers, Michigan Panthers, DC Defenders, Stl. Battlehawks and Philadelphia Stars. South: Birmingham Stallions, Arlington Renegades, Houston Roughnecks, Memphis Showboats, San Antonio Brahmas and New Orleans Breakers. This would streamline travel costs while taking up half the country. Year 2 westward expansion, Seatle Dragons in Sea Dragons colors, Oakland, San Diego, Denver, San jose and a few others are possible locations. Two feet down=reception and we can keep all three broadcast partners and add Monday night. Let’s keep Mike Parreira and Dean Blandino, 12 game season from 2nd weekend in March – end of May allowing for a more moderate schedule. Just some possibilities if this comes together.

    Reply

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