Title: United Football League Announces Team Markets, Coaches for March 2024 Debut
The newly formed United Football League (UFL) has taken significant steps forward in its preparations for the upcoming 2024 season. The league announced on Monday that it has set its eight markets and secured head coaches for each team as it continues its march toward a March 2024 debut on the field.
The UFL will encompass four XFL markets, three from the USFL, and one that the now-merged leagues shared. The eight teams, all of which are located in either the Eastern or Central time zones, will be split into two conferences that are named after the leagues that formed them. Four XFL coaches and four USFL coaches were retained for the upcoming season.
In the USFL conference, the Birmingham Stallions will be coached by Skip Holtz, the Houston Roughnecks by Curtis Johnson, the Memphis Showboats by John DeFilippo, and the Michigan Panthers by Mike Nolan. In the XFL conference, the Arlington Renegades will be led by Bob Stoops, the D.C. Defenders by Reggie Barlow, the San Antonio Brahmas by Wade Phillips, and the St. Louis Battlehawks by Anthony Becht.
The UFL kept the XFL team’s brand and tapped the USFL team’s coach for the locations where both leagues had teams in 2023. UFL players are scheduled to report to training camp on Feb. 24 in Arlington, Texas, where the XFL trained last season. The teams will then play a 10-game regular season, starting March 30 with a matchup between Birmingham and Arlington.
The USFL and XFL played separate, partially overlapping schedules in 2023. The leagues announced their intent to merge on Sept. 28 and received approval from federal regulators on Nov. 30. The XFL had previously discussed a partnership with the Canadian Football League in 2021, but negotiations did not lead to an agreement.
As the UFL continues to make progress toward its inaugural season, football fans are eagerly anticipating the debut of the new league in March 2024. Stay tuned for more updates as the UFL’s vision becomes a reality on the football field.