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The United Football League has big plans for the next two seasons. The league announced four new markets on Wednesday, September 23. Two teams will join the UFL in 2027. Two more teams will arrive in 2028. The expansion will take the league to 10 teams for the 2028 season. The new markets also stretch the UFL into several new regions. The 2027 expansion includes Colorado and Rhode Island. Colorado will play its home games in Colorado Springs. Rhode Island will play in Pawtucket. The 2028 expansion includes Utah and Oklahoma. Utah will play in Sandy, Utah. Oklahoma will play in Oklahoma City. This expansion follows several major changes for the UFL. The league recently announced departures from Birmingham and Houston after the 2026 season. Those changes helped create room for the next phase of growth.
Colorado Springs Gets UFL Football
Colorado will bring professional spring football to Colorado Springs in 2027. The new team will play its home games at Weidner Field. The stadium currently serves as the home of the Colorado Springs Switchbacks. The Switchbacks compete in the USL Championship. The UFL plans to play its first Colorado home game on April 11, 2027. The game will start at 3 p.m. Eastern and air on ABC. The team will also enter a smaller stadium environment than most UFL clubs. Weidner Field seats approximately 8,000 fans. That capacity makes it the smallest stadium in the current UFL lineup.
League president Russ Brandon discussed the appeal of smaller venues. The UFL wants venues that create a more intimate experience for fans. Colorado Springs gives the league another opportunity to use that approach. The team will not have its final identity immediately. Colorado will unveil its name, colors, logo and branding on October 25. That event will take place at Weidner Field. Season ticket deposits will also become available during the event.
Rhode Island Joins the UFL
Rhode Island will also begin UFL play during the 2027 season. The team will play in Pawtucket at Centreville Bank Stadium. The stadium sits in downtown Pawtucket along the Seekonk River. Rhode Island will open its home schedule on April 2, 2027. The game will start at 8 p.m. Eastern and air on FOX. The stadium opened in 2025 and already hosts Rhode Island FC. It has also welcomed other major sporting and community events. The UFL sees Pawtucket as more than a Rhode Island market. The league wants to connect with fans throughout New England. That gives the franchise a chance to reach beyond the immediate Pawtucket area. Rhode Island will also reveal its team identity before the season. The league plans a public unveiling on October 18. Fans will learn the team’s name, colors, logo and complete brand identity during that event.
Utah Expands the UFL West
Utah will join the UFL in 2028 alongside Oklahoma. The Utah team will play at America First Field in Sandy. The stadium serves as the home of Real Salt Lake and Utah Royals FC. America First Field provides the league with another established professional sports venue. The stadium also gives the UFL a presence near Salt Lake City. The venue sits against the Wasatch Mountains. That creates a distinctive setting for spring football games. The UFL has not announced the Utah team’s name or branding yet. The league plans to release those details closer to the 2028 season. Utah also gives the UFL another western market. Colorado Springs will arrive one year earlier, creating another nearby presence. The league continues to expand beyond its original concentration of markets. That geographic growth represents an important part of its next phase.
Oklahoma City Gets a UFL Team
Oklahoma will also begin play in 2028. The team will call Oklahoma City home. It will play at the new MAPS 4 Multipurpose Stadium. Construction began on the downtown Oklahoma City stadium in June. Officials expect the venue to open in early 2028. The location places the UFL inside a city with a strong football culture. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State already command major college football followings. High school football also plays a major role throughout the state. The UFL now gets an opportunity to establish professional football in that environment. The league has not announced the Oklahoma team’s identity yet. Additional details will come closer to the 2028 launch.
The UFL’s Next Chapter
The four new markets give the UFL a much different geographic footprint. Colorado Springs and Pawtucket arrive in 2027. Sandy and Oklahoma City follow in 2028. The league will reach 10 teams once all four markets begin play. That represents a significant jump from the six-team lineup entering this expansion. The UFL also enters this expansion after a strong 2026 campaign. League officials cited growth in viewership and ticket sales. The 2026 season also produced a sold-out United Bowl. The Louisville Kings won the championship during their first UFL season. The league also continues to promote its connection with the NFL. UFL officials said 118 former players attended NFL training camps in 2026. Of those players, 46 reached active
NFL rosters or practice squads, according to the league. Now, the UFL will try to turn that momentum into sustainable growth. Colorado Springs and Rhode Island will get their first taste in 2027. Utah and Oklahoma will follow one year later. For spring football fans, the next two seasons will bring plenty of new places to watch. Just as importantly, four new communities will get teams of their own. The UFL’s announcement also says the league targets 12 teams by 2030, though strong market interest could accelerate that timeline
Author Profile
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Bradley Walker (VP) and Head of our Florida operations for NGSC Sports, bringing extensive experience across collegiate, professional, and amateur athletics. His coverage spans USF Athletics, including football, baseball, lacrosse, and softball, as well as University of Tampa baseball.
Bradley also provides coverage of minor league baseball with the Clearwater Threshers and Major League Baseball with the Tampa Bay Rays. On the national stage, he covers college football bowl games and conference championship matchups, along with premier golf events across the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and LPGA Tour.
In addition to his reporting work, Bradley is the play-by-play announcer for Pinellas Park High School Patriots football, lending his voice and insight to Friday night lights.
He is also an active podcast host and contributor, serving as a host on The Walker Report, where he delivers in-depth sports analysis, interviews, and coverage across multiple levels of competition.
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