Will the XFL and USFL finally merge? We are so hopeful we mocked up a logo.
XFL and USFL fans alike can finally rejoice. After more than three months since initial merger rumors surfaced, an official announcement will be made tomorrow.
Earlier today, @NFLonFox on X (formerly Twitter) shared a post tagging both the USFL and XFL, indicating the forthcoming joint announcement, which according to Mike Mitchell will feature XFL Owners Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, and Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks. The reveal of the finalized XFL USFL league is scheduled for FOX NFL Sunday at 12pm ET. Mitchell added that an announcement about the league’s markets is anticipated on New Year’s Day.
The merger is expected to include eight teams: the Arlington Renegades, Birmingham Stallions, D.C. Defenders, Houston Gamblers, Memphis Showboats, Michigan Panthers, San Antonio Brahmas, and St. Louis Battlehawks. Some teams being “shelved” due to the merger might reemerge as expansion teams in the future.
In the meantime, players from “dissolving” teams will have multiple opportunities to join the league with “remaining” teams. A Mini-Dispersal Draft, likely occurring next week, will allow “surviving” teams to claim up to 20 players from dissolving teams. It’s worth noting that teams from one league within the merger cannot draft players from teams from the other league, and vice versa.
Following this, a Super-Dispersal Draft is set for Jan. 15, boasting a larger pool than the Mini-Dispersal Draft. Surviving teams can protect up to 42 rostered players before the draft, leaving any “unprotected” player available for selection by any team. The remaining players from dissolving teams who went undrafted in the prior draft will also be draft-eligible.
A little over a month after the player-allocation process wraps up, players will report to camp in Arlington, TX, on Feb. 23. 36 days later, Week 1 will kick off on Mar. 30. The league’s regular season will span 10 weeks before two weeks for playoffs.
FOX and ESPN are expected to be the TV partners for the joint venture, with NBC, who broadcasted USFL games, out of the picture.
