The USFL and XFL are reportedly in talks to merge and create a single spring league, as per various reports. The goal is to finalize the deal, pending regulatory approval, before the start of the 2024 season. While neither league has commented on the rumors, Axios was the first to report on the potential merger. Last year, the two upstart leagues competed against each other during a two-month overlap of their seasons, including for airtime.
In 2022, Fox Corp rebooted the USFL, and it played its first season from April to July with eight teams. The second season saw seven of the original cities retain their teams, while the Tampa franchise moved to Memphis. The original iteration of the USFL positioned itself as a spring alternative to the NFL, attracting notable players like Herschel Walker and Steve Young in their rookie seasons. However, it folded after three seasons in 1986.
The XFL, on the other hand, made a comeback in 2023, marking its second attempt to revive the league. Previous attempts were led by Vince McMahon in 2001 and 2020, but both lasted only one season. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Dany Garcia’s new ownership group bought the XFL after it filed for bankruptcy in 2020. The league incurred a reported loss of $60 million last season, using five cities from the 2020 iteration, relocating one, and introducing two new locations, while playing games from February to May with ESPN as the broadcast partner. Johnson emphasized in an interview with Forbes that the league’s ownership group is committed to the long-term success of the XFL.
A potential merger between the USFL and XFL would not only involve media rights but also determine the fate of all 16 teams between the two leagues. This includes two franchises currently based in Houston.
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