SI-FN by MM: UFL President Reveals League's Future

[4th&long]

https://www.si.com/fannation/ufl/news/u ... ule-vision

>> Late word is that the Houston Roughnecks, who have explored several venue options for 2024, including Shell Energy, will play at Rice Stadium this season.

Anticipates that the UFL 2024 game and TV schedule on FOX, ABC and ESPN will be released in the middle of January. The league and its partners are working diligently on the schedule.

There's potential for an all-XFL versus USFL lineup in week one.

League rules are expected to be released shortly. Of much contention will be the XFL kickoff, something the NFL is seriously considering implementing for its future. The USFL and XFL in 2023 shared similarities in their rule book borrowed from XFL 2020 with some tweaks.

Brandon says that the league is looking at expansion shortly. Brandon stated that it's unfortunate that specific markets are not returning in 2024 but that the UFL is here for the long haul.

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Mike has a few good tidbits...

[GDAWG]

Shell Energy is very crowded in the spring with both MLS and NWSL.

[MGB01]

Anticipates that the UFL 2024 game and TV schedule on FOX, ABC and ESPN will be released in the middle of January. The league and its partners are working diligently on the schedule.

There's potential for an all-XFL versus USFL lineup in week one.

Which is something I was thinking of. Like 2016 week 1--was NFC North @ AFC South (CHI@HOU, GB@JAC, MIN@TEN, DET@IND), with ARL already on the road and STL out that week cause of AMA Supercross plus a chance for a Texas throwdown (SA @ HOU) in week one you'd have the same here. Also a lot of these venues on the USFL side will likely have spring games on the Saturday of week two (BIR/HOU/MEM), might as well burn them off in one shot.

[XFLUSFLGUY]

Expansion as in going back to the cities and teams that didn’t make the cut with the merger or new cities with new teams or a combination of both?

[jcestl]

Birm @ Arl
StL @ Mem
Hou @ SA
DC @ MI
Seems that Arlington is slated to host week 1 and since Battledome isn't available week 1 I like this schedule. As regional as possible and evenly split between USFL and XFL venues

[4th&long]

Expansion as in going back to the cities and teams that didn’t make the cut with the merger or new cities with new teams or a combination of both?

XFLUSFLGuy

I think both are both are on the table. Clearly the USFL and XFL prior teams were in markets attractive to TV Networks as larger markets. But may have costs or travel may be expensive that were not yet attractive, sure they are possible returns.

As far as new markets - sure especially if a potential or actual investor say - I'll invest but want a team in "_____" (new) city.

They'll likely be 100% focused on 2024 until into the season... expansion may not really happen till 2026

[GDAWG]

Expansion as in going back to the cities and teams that didn’t make the cut with the merger or new cities with new teams or a combination of both?

Probably both since not all of the teams that are cut will be back, at least in the cities they were designated for. I don't think the Maulers will ever play a single game in Pittsburgh if they return and the Vipers will likely be elsewhere if they return.

[GregParks]

Expansion as in going back to the cities and teams that didn’t make the cut with the merger or new cities with new teams or a combination of both?

Leagues like this always like to tease expansion (heck, Dany Garcia was talking expansion when she was making the media rounds during championship week, and as it turns out, the XFL chose not to even sustain the eight teams they had for a second season). I know it's a fun topic, but I wouldn't get too deep down that rabbit hole until the league gets through a successful first season or two.