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Kevin Seifert, ESPN Staff Writer
The spring/alternative football industry is running out of original acronyms.
American football fans have seen the rise (and fall) of three different versions of the XFL. There were two USFLs, two UFLs, and one AAF. The surviving parts were combined this winter and, after a thorough review of the historic landscape, reinstated the “United Football League” as the name of the new venture.
The third UFL, this time owned 50-50 by Fox Sports and former XFL 3.0 investors, opens training camp on Saturday in Arlington, Texas. The eight teams will play a 10-week season with no bye weeks, starting March 30th. And this league boasts a combination of the advantages of its predecessor: strong financial support, multiple national broadcast partners, and an amalgamation of previous templates. do not have.
“The right thing to do for spring football is to have one centralized league, and we all agree that this league will be here well beyond our years,” said UFL CEO and Chairman Russ Brandon. I think I'm very confident in that.”
Brandon, a longtime NFL executive with the Buffalo Bills, will join the XFL for the 2023 season and be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the UFL. Former USFL front office chief Darryl Johnston serves as vice president of football operations, and the eight coaches are equivalent members of the USFL and XFL starting with the 2023 season.
“We're going to be a much, much more talented league with more depth at key positions,” Johnston said. “I think our staff will be stronger. We'll be taking eight teams with us.” [in the USFL] and 8 teams [in the XFL] And combine them into 8 pieces. You're bringing the best players and the best coaches into the UFL family. ”
Here's what you need to know about the UFL at the start of training camp.
How does UFL training camp work?
All eight teams will report to league headquarters in Arlington and practice at surrounding facilities. The team will be allowed his 75-man roster. Once the regular season begins, rosters will be reduced to 50 players per team.
These Arlington-based facilities will continue to serve as practice locations during the regular season. Similar to the 2023 XFL, teams will travel to their home markets just for games.
What are those teams (and markets)?
The league is made up of four former XFL teams and four USFL teams. One of the overlapping markets is Houston, where the UFL has decided to rebrand the USFL's Houston franchise under the name of the XFL Houston team.
The teams, home stadiums and head coaches are:
USFL Conference
Birmingham Stallions (Protective Stadium, Skip Holtz)
Houston Roughnecks (Rice Stadium, Curtis Johnson)
Memphis Showboat (Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, John DeFilippo)
Michigan Panthers (Ford Field, Mike Nolan)
XFL Conference
Arlington Renegades (Choctaw Stadium, Bob Stoops)
DC Defenders (Audi Field, Reggie Barlow)
San Antonio Brahmas (Alamodome, Wade Phillips)
St. Louis BattleHawks (Americas Center Dome, Anthony Becht)
2:16
Introducing the new UFL conference and teams
Danny Garcia and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson announce new UFL conference.
What is the profile of a typical spring football player?
The AAF, XFL, and USFL have sent hundreds of players to NFL tryouts, offseason practices, training camp practices, and/or regular season rosters. Among them are Los Angeles Chargers tight end Donald Parham Jr., Atlanta Falcons quarterback Logan Woodside, and Dallas Cowboys returner Cavonte Turpin, all of whom have signed up for the 2023 season. Some players remained in the league.
However, Johnston said he was surprised that many spring football players from the AAF, XFL and USFL don't necessarily have a chance at the NFL.
“The majority of our players had expectations; [in past seasons] “It's like, 'I've got to get a chance to go back to the NFL,'” he said, “but I'm starting to realize there's a lot of players who are relieved that the NFL window is closed.” , they love the camaraderie in the locker room. They love the daily struggle.
“…That was really exciting for me. There are a lot of players in our league who just love the game and want to keep playing as long as possible.”
Who are the UFL players?
The UFL's training camp roster has several players who are known in the NFL, including former New York Giants running back Wayne Gallman, who is assigned to St. Louis. The UFL also entered the world of social media, signing former UCF placekicker Donald De La Haye, also known as “Destroying,” a YouTube star. He was assigned to San Antonio.
But there will be quite a bit of personnel change in the coming weeks, and generally speaking, the league will be viewed through the lens of quarterback talent. To that end, the UFL has pursued a combination of Spring League veterans and former NFL backups. The list includes AJ McCarron (St. Louis), Matt Corral (Birmingham), Danny Etling (Michigan), Case Kucas (Memphis) and Tom, the younger brother of longtime NFL quarterback Joe Flacco. Includes Flacco (San Antonio). Last season's XFL Championship Game quarterbacks Luis Perez (Arlington) and Jordan Ta'amu (DC) also return.
Some spring leagues pay quarterbacks big salaries to bring in big names, but as of last month, the UFL opposed that approach, Johnston said.
UFL players receive $5,500 per game week under a partnership with the United Football Players Association, a union recognized and negotiated by the UFL.
“Our quarterback is paid the same as any other player,” Johnston said. “The approach is to be fiscally responsible there. We're getting some pushback from some companies, and that's understandable, because they're trying to figure out how valuable this position is and how they can make it more Because everyone can say they know when to ask for a higher salary.”
“We are an emerging league that is trying to get its feet firmly planted in order to be successful here and for many years to come. There are good discussions on both sides. How do we manage this situation in a positive and positive way?” Is it good for both sides of the equation? …Threading the needle is difficult. ”
Who is in control of your finances?
Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks represents 50% of the UFL board of directors, with the other half being represented by members of the XFL 3.0 ownership group, Gerry Cardinale, Dany Garcia and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Fox Sports and Disney/ESPN are both broadcast partners. All 43 UFL games will be televised on ABC, Fox, ESPN, FS1 or ESPN2 and streamed on ESPN+ or the Fox Sports app.
The season will begin on March 30th, with four teams (two from each conference) advancing to the playoffs, which begin on June 9th. The UFL Championship Game will be held in the city on June 16th and will be announced at a later date.
Opening week schedule (all Eastern time):
Saturday, March 30th
Birmingham Stallions vs. Arlington Renegades (1 p.m., Fox)
St. Louis BattleHawks vs. Michigan Panthers (4:30 p.m., Fox)
Sunday, March 31st
DC Defenders vs. San Antonio Brahamas (Noon, ESPN)
Memphis Showboats vs. Houston Roughnecks (3 p.m., ESPN)
