UFL Announces Five Major Changes for 2026 Season

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Three new cities are joining the UFL; however, as the league announced, this comes at the cost of three previously established franchises. The Columbus Aviators, Louisville Kings, and Orlando Storm all join the UFL. While the San Antonio Brahmas and the Memphis Showboats have ceased operations. The third team, the Michigan Panthers, has suspended operations, leaving the door open for a potential return. The league is eyeing expansion for 2028.

The UFL made these moves to “elevate the fan experience” by “focusing on smaller, more intimate settings”.

There is no information on how rosters for the new teams will be built. While some speculation of the old team’s rosters and management will be kept through relocation, nothing is concrete.

After a long wait, Columbus is being awarded their first professional football team since 1992. The Ohio Glory played one season in NFL Europe in 1992. The Aviators will play at Historic Crew Stadium, the former home of the Columbus Crew, which sits roughly 27,000. The Aviators will offer Ohio State fans football in the spring, and as co-owner Mike Repole said, it was one of the primary reasons for choosing Columbus as a location.

After a long battle, Orlando has a professional football team again. In the original XFL in 2001, the Orlando Rage were one of the most successful teams. Likewise, in the Alliance of American Football (AAF), the Orlando Apollos found success during the league’s brief tenure. However, when the XFL returned to Orlando in 2023 with the New York Guardians moving to Orlando, the team failed to fill Camping World Stadium’s massive 60,000 capacity. Hence, Orlando was dropped as a location during the merger. However, the UFL secured the 25,000 capacity Inter&Co Stadium, which also hosts Orlando City SC, to form the Orlando Storm.

The Louisville Kings mark the state of Kentucky’s first professional football team and one of the few pro teams in the state overall. This is Louisville’s first pro football team since the Kentucky Trackers, who competed in the American Football Association in 1980. They moved into the new Lynn Family Stadium, which opened in 2020 for the Louisville City FC and Racing Louisville FC. The stadium sits 20,000, which meets the UFL’s new goal of more intimate settings through their campaign of targeting deals with soccer stadiums.

Some other changes for the 2026 season include two name changes. The Arlington Renegades revert to the Dallas Renegades as they move from Arlington to Frisco. The team went by the Dallas Renegades during the 2020 XFL season under Vince McMahon, but changed their name once under the ownership of Dwayne Johnson, and Fox Sports. The Renegades will now play their games in Toyota Stadium rather than Choctaw Stadium, formerly known as Globe Life Park.

The second name change is that of Houston. The Houston Roughnecks will go back to the Houston Gamblers identity used from both versions of the USFL. When the XFL-USFL merger occurred in 2024, the league announced that the XFL’s Houston Roughnecks would cease operations, and their branding would be transferred to the Houston Gamblers. However, it appears that the move was not beneficial, as they are reverting to the original. In addition, the team will compete in its sixth stadium in five years. The team moves to Shell Energy Stadium, home to the Houston Dynamo FC. Previously, they competed at Rice Stadium and TDECU Stadium.

The UFL enters its third season, but with five of the eight teams in the league rebranding, consistency becomes a question. Spring football has undergone numerous changes since the concept became popular in 2017. The UFL saw a 5% dip in attendance in 2025 and a 25% dip in television viewers. Hence, these rebrands may counteract these dips and regain interest in new markets. However, they run the risk of losing support from the established fanbases. Especially that of the fans of the Michigan Panthers, who were the only team to see an increase in ticket sales in 2025. Their suspension comes due to the high rent of Ford Field costing $500,00 a game. However, the door remains open as they look to move into AlumniFi Field after it finishes construction in 2028.

About Post Author

Zachary Worstell

A Marietta College Student with three years of journalism experience writing for Marietta's Marcolian Online Newspaper. He was promoted to Editor in Chief of the Marcolian in 2023. A Pittsburgh native, he covers sports from the Pittsburgh region as well as Ohio and West Virginia.

zach102803@gmail.com

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