XFL and USFL announce merger

The United States Football League (USFL) and XFL, two spring professional football leagues, plan to merge into one entity, the organizations announced Thursday in a joint press release.

The merger comes as a lifeline for the XFL. That league, which introduced the San Antonio Brahmas in 2023, lost an estimated $60 million and cut a number of jobs during the most recent fiscal year, Forbes reported in June.

As for the revived USFL, it became the first nationally televised spring league in 38 years to begin a second season on April 15, 2023. That reborn eight-team league has media deals with FOX Sports and NBC Sports, while the XFL signed a multi-year deal with ESPN to give the network exclusive broadcasting rights through 2027.

Details about the merger remain scant for now, with no mention of which cities will host teams or where games will be played.

While the eight XFL clubs were based in Arlington and played games in their local markets in 2023, the eight USFL teams played out of four hub cities.

Despite a 3-7 record, San Antonio’s average attendance of 14,983 was the second-highest in the XFL during the regular season, and the city was selected to host the league’s championship game.

“Subject to customary regulatory approvals and if the transaction is consummated, the new league will establish best-in-class operations based on the most recent seasons of both leagues,” the leagues said in their joint release.

San Antonio has a long history of spring football failure, with at least 10 outdoor football teams and three indoor clubs rising and falling since 1975.

The 2024 USFL season was slated to begin in April. The 2024 XFL season was set to kickoff in February.