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UFL expands to 10 teams with four new markets by 2028

UFL expands to 10 teams with four new markets by 2028

Money Moves Salt Lake City, UT local

Salt Lake City, Oklahoma City, Colorado Springs, and Pawtucket join the spring football league

Today: UFL announces four new markets

Overview

Updated 2 hours ago

The United Football League is betting that spring football can work in America. On Wednesday it announced its boldest move yet: expanding to 10 teams by 2028, with new franchises in Salt Lake City, Oklahoma City, Colorado Springs, and Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

The expansion comes as UFL attendance is falling, down 14.3% in 2026, and the league just shut down two markets. The question is whether growth can outpace the losses.

Why it matters

If the UFL's 10-team expansion succeeds, spring football becomes a permanent fixture; if it fails, the latest rival to the NFL collapses.

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Key Indicators

10
UFL teams by 2028
League expands from 8 to 10 teams with four new markets
4
New markets announced
Salt Lake City, Oklahoma City, Colorado Springs, Pawtucket
14.3%
Attendance decline in 2026
Average fell to 10,416 per game from 12,162 in 2025
10,416
Average attendance per game 2026
Through first eight weeks of the season
46
UFL players on NFL rosters
Former UFL players on active rosters or practice squads

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People Involved

Organizations Involved

Timeline

September 2023 September 2026

6 events Latest: Today
Tap a bar to jump to that date
  1. UFL announces four new markets

    Today Expansion

    Rhode Island and Colorado join in 2027; Utah and Oklahoma in 2028, reaching 10 teams.

  2. UFL cuts Birmingham and Houston

    Restructuring

    League announces it will cease operations in Birmingham and Houston after the 2026 season.

  3. Louisville Kings win United Bowl

    Championship

    Inaugural-season Louisville wins the title; league tours about a dozen candidate cities afterward.

  4. UFL issues request for proposal

    Process

    League officials begin formal search for new markets, issuing a request for proposal.

  5. UFL plays its inaugural season

    Launch

    The merged league begins its first season, the latest attempt at spring football.

  6. XFL and USFL announce merger

    Announcement

    The two spring football leagues agree to merge, forming the United Football League.

Scenarios

1

UFL's 10-team league launches on schedule in 2028

Likely Resolves by Apr 1, 2028

Discussed by: League officials, including co-owner Mike Repole

All four new teams (Rhode Island, Colorado, Utah, Oklahoma) begin play as scheduled. The league maintains its 10-team footprint through the 2028 season. This requires the new markets to draw enough fans to keep the league viable, building on the encouraging early results from the 2026 expansion class of Columbus, Louisville, and Orlando.

2

Attendance keeps falling, league consolidates again

Possible Resolves by Jul 1, 2028

Discussed by: Sports Business Journal, which reported the 14.3% attendance decline

The UFL's attendance decline continues in 2027 and 2028, forcing the league to shut down additional markets or merge teams. The expansion to 10 teams proves unsustainable, and the league contracts back to a smaller footprint. St. Louis and Washington, the league's largest markets, have already seen double-digit attendance drops.

3

UFL becomes the NFL's official development league

Unlikely Resolves by Sep 1, 2028

Discussed by: League officials citing 46 UFL players on NFL rosters

The NFL formalizes its relationship with the UFL, using it as a development pipeline. This could involve NFL funding, shared player development programs, or a formal partnership. The UFL's talent pipeline grows, with more players moving to NFL rosters, building on the 118 former UFL players who attended NFL training camps in 2026.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

September 1960-January 1970

AFL 1960-1969

The American Football League launched in 1960 with eight teams, competing directly with the NFL. It signed star players, including Joe Namath, and won Super Bowl III in 1969. The AFL merged with the NFL in 1970, with all AFL teams joining the new combined league.

Then

The AFL's success forced the NFL to merge, creating the modern NFL with 26 teams in 1970.

Now

The AFL is the only rival league to successfully force a merger with the NFL, setting the template for how a challenger can succeed.

Why this matters now

The AFL shows the path to success for a rival league: build a strong product, sign star players, and force the NFL to deal. The UFL is far from that, but the AFL proves it's possible.

March 1983-August 1985

USFL 1983-1985

The original USFL launched in 1983, signing star players like Herschel Walker and Heisman winner Doug Flutie. It sued the NFL for antitrust violations in 1984, seeking access to major markets and TV deals. The league won the case in 1986 but was awarded only $1 in damages, and it folded before the 1987 season.

Then

The USFL won its antitrust case against the NFL but received only $1 in damages, which was tripled to $3. The league folded without playing another season.

Now

The USFL's failure reinforced the NFL's dominance and showed that rival leagues face enormous structural barriers.

Why this matters now

The UFL is the latest in a long line of leagues trying to compete with the NFL. The USFL's experience shows that even winning in court doesn't guarantee survival.

February-April 2001

XFL 2001

WWE chairman Vince McMahon launched the XFL in February 2001, promising a harder-hitting, more entertaining brand of football. The league drew strong ratings for its debut but collapsed within weeks as viewers tuned out. It folded after one season.

Then

The XFL folded in May 2001 after one season, losing an estimated $70 million.

Now

The XFL became a cautionary tale for spring football, showing that novelty alone couldn't sustain a rival league.

Why this matters now

The UFL faces the same challenge as the XFL: convincing fans to watch football in the spring. The XFL's failure shows how quickly interest can evaporate.

Sources

(4)

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