The UFL Deserves a Second Season But...

[@DanielDavid1219]

They need better start times, this is a spring and summer league no one wants to go to a football game in Houston at noon unless their own kid is playing in the game.

[@DDDiego]

They need to start earlier in the year too, places like Birmingham and Memphis get extremely hot in the last few weeks of the season and that can turn people off from going to games in afternoon. Not a good look visually

[@michaelwalker7400]

Houston moving back to TDECU should help the Roughnecks. Physical advertising has to be a priority in the offseason, not just relying on Facebook and Twitter ads to get fans in seats. Video adboards are replacing standard boards, so there's not the excuse of paying over the cost to make sure that fans know there are games coming up in the near future. Also, new markets need to be based on fans in seats. San Antonio has the 7th highest market, yet there's no way they'll be getting a NFL team.

[@guyfawkesuThe1]

They need marketing in local markets, 2 for 1 tickets and FREE BEER!

[@darthandeddeu]

Better offer free shuttle buses too , so yeah tailgating allowed ​@@guyfawkesuThe1

[@jtx1059]

I honestly say that the all the TX teams should play at one of the nicer HS stadiums they have around their cities.

[@SacTownLions0]

The Original UFL in the 2010's was a DISASTER of a league (no Tv contract, bad leadership, no funding, low football quality) and yet Sacramento and Omaha both drew about 20,000 per game over 2 years!! I would go to Sac, Omaha, Columbus, Portland, Louisville, OKC, etc.

[@apeters38]

Oh yes we would love a team in Sacramento.

[@stebo5562]

Yea Houston is not a good market for the ufl. To many sports teams and too big a city. Could work in one of Houston’s surrounding towns

[@andrewclune3266]

If the ufl put a team in Sacramento I would give the league a chance. I watched the original ufl because they had a team in Sacramento.

[@allanross611]

Omaha is not allowed spring football in TD

[@burninghammerstudios7033]

i really think that moving to smaller stadiums in other cities will help tv because like you said, if its dead in the stadium its not fun to watch the game on tv. ive been watching sports my whole life and if the fans in the stadium arent into it its hard for me to get into it at home if i dont care about the teams

[@joeyyoho3670]

I've never understood why these spring leagues didn't gravitate towards cities that have been openly pining for NFL teams for decades. Sacramento, Portland, St Louis obviously, Oakland again. As for what their mission is? It has felt like the USFL has been just patiently waiting for the NFL to come absorb them. I don't know if they've ever stated that as a goal. But that's what I feel like they're waiting for. They just want the NFL to absorb them and use them as a farm league system. And as long as they can get by from year to year until that happens, they're happy

[@Caboolable]

With the success of St.Louis. Idk why Oakland and San Diego are barely talked about.

[@johnharris6655]

Sacramento Tried with the WLAF and Canadian Football.

[@charleswebsterjr.6350]

​@johnharris6655 you'd think Sacramento and Portland would be on the radar ( especially Sacramento got a new MLS Stadium that owner is open for another pro sports tenant). But they want Seattle and San Francisco Los Angeles and Vegas still.

[@the503creepout7]

if i just had 2 cents to toss into the "improve the UFL" brainstorm, it would be these: Penny 1: pick franchise location that don't already have nfl or big college FB teams to contend with. I'm thinkin - San Diego, San Jose or Oakland, SLC, Santa Fe or Albuquerque, St Louis, Birmingham, Louisville, etc. And make the tickets super cheap. Make marketing deals w local businesses & give away a buncha tickets just to fill up the stadiums more. And when it comes to stadiums; they don't need to be huge. A 3 quarter full small stadium is a lot more energetic than a 1 quarter dull huge stadium. Penny 2: i thought the AAF had a really good concept a few years back by trying to sign players to teams who went to colleges in the region. Like if there was a team in San Jose, by signing a lot of players who were outta colleges in the Pac12(RIP😔) they could draw more fans who'd likely have followed them in their college years.

[@teto85]

San Jose? Cal, Stanford, San Jose State and there is an NFL team just on the other side of Lafayette Street called the 49ers.

[@the503creepout7]

@teto85 cal, Stanford, & San Jose st are certainly not big draws when it comes to college football today. Yeah the niners are in San Francisco but there's actually a strong desire in the east bay for a team of their own since the Raiders left. Those Raiders fans aren't just becoming 49ers fans just because they're the closest regional team.

[@Jefff72]

One issue for me personally is that the Canadian football league is kicking off soon. so if I have limited time between either checking out the UFL or in establish CFL, I think I go for the CFL. It might be different if a UFL team was in my area.

[@JosephRocco-mi4cm]

Let's face it, the USFL-XFL merger wasn't exactly NFL-AFL. It barely registered a blip on the sports radar. And, it happened too fast without a lot of planning. There were 16 teams between the two leagues, and they got rid of half of them. Seeing so many empty seats does have a negative impact on tv.

[@xeditionstarwars6011]

Yeah I agree it was more like the NFL-AAFC merger lol

[@SharkMako]

But the TV ratings and viewers were higher compared to 2023 USFL and XFL

[@SactoShane]

Bring the UFL to Sac. Guarantee it be a big draw

[@ValleyProud916]

Been there...done that

[@OneManOnFire]

As a Bay Area native myself I'm cool with that idea but some part of me thinks if they had a Oakland team they would have a huge amount of support assuming the stadium doesn't fall down.

[@lemonsvcuts56]

They should hit up oakland

[@Bigchamb55]

Cali is a big no right now! They are avoiding those high state taxes for a reason

[@86byrdman]

@@lemonsvcuts56 Oakland? Where? At the Coliseum? Maybe the new Raimondi Park?

[@brosciencegutfeelings7058]

We’re holding it down in DC!

[@matthewwelsh294]

Because people there hate the Washington Commanders

[@AntiContradiction]

Not really lol

[@WD40Gaming]

@@AntiContradictioncasual, defenders easily have the best fan base maybe besides the hawks, super dedicated with the bear snack. Go be negative somewhere else :)

[@matthewwelsh294]

Put teams in Portland, Salt Lake City, Omaha, Orlando, and Columbus. No MLB, No NFL, and in Columbus case No NBA. They have three freaking teams in Texas and two of these cities have NFL and MLB teams. All of the Texas cities have a NBA team

[@michaelstallings5824]

thats been my whole thought all alone.....open new markets, cities that may actually want a team to call their own

[@steventomasi5557]

The XFL was in Orlando in 2023 and they were the second worst team in the league attendance wise

[@michaelstallings5824]

@@steventomasi5557 they also had the worse team. in the a a f. the orlando aollos were the best team,with good attendence.in other exansion leagues of they had good attendence

[@charleswebsterjr.6350]

San Antonio and Austin are the only 2 that should have Teams in Texas. As well as San Diego, Oakland and Sacramento in California.

[@michaelstallings5824]

@@charleswebsterjr.6350 i susect that houston,or arlington may relocate to austin

[@robmclean4352]

3:51 Fun fact: the 2009-12 UFL isn't actually the first league with that name. There was a minor-league UFL in the early 60s, which eventually became the Continental Football League.

[@thetouchback]

I will forever be be sad the Continental Football League couldn't make it a few more seasons so it was around at same time others were preparing to launch the Intercontinental Football League.

[@goodreverend2k1]

Dude This is the 3rd UFL League you had one in 2009. Las Vegas Locomotives

[@LegitLoki]

I feel like the Omaha Market is underrated and forgotten about

[@colonialstraits1069]

That won’t help tv ratings. Physical attendance doesn’t matter nearly as much.

[@allanross611]

Not allowed, as I have posted

[@brandonconforto315]

I think the thing you might be missing about the lackluster attendance in the USFl divisions is that the teams didn’t play at their home stadiums for a season or two so they lack the connection that the XFL teams do. I didn’t watch the USFL but was a fan of the XFL and that is what i noticed.

[@1_lens_view]

Years ago the USFL put a decent product on the field in Memphis, and the games drew pretty well. I think they were 5th in attendance in 1985. They did indeed have to create a lot of visibility around themselves and play the community card, like you are suggesting, but they proved teams in the area can draw. I hope the same proves true for the current iteration. First things first: improve performance.

[@DarrenMcFaddenmutineer]

Reggie White made that team successful. The current Showboats would be wise to sign a whole roster of Vols and Rebels.

[@TheManFromWaco]

San Diego does seems like a pretty obvious pick. I went to a San Diego Fleet game when I lived out there and they were able to draw a solid crowd with plenty of energy to Qualcomm Stadium. And like St. Louis, the city was screwed out of its NFL team, so it has a similar profile to the league's top attendance market. Heck, the San Diego State Aztecs have a new on-campus football stadium, so there's even a good facility ready to go. Moving an underperforming franchise out there almost makes too much sense.

[@colincuratolo1645]

1. Arlington pulled their weight last year when they put out a better team so I’m not worried. 2. Houston moved to Rice Stadium, moving back to TDECU should fix some of the attendance issues. 3. Michigan needs to move out of Ford Field. I’d prefer Eastern Michigan’s stadium, you can pull from the students and staff. 4. I would say Louisville, Tulsa, and Hampton Roads/Norfolk would be some relocation or expansion sites I would look at.

[@twincity6079]

For the Roughnecks then the Gamblers, TDECU was/is under construction so they are using Rice Stadium in the mean time.

[@colincuratolo1645]

@@twincity6079 it’ll be back next year I’ve heard.

[@mattwilliams6641]

I highly doubt Michigan leaves Ford Field. Better scheduling next year should help the team. Giving the team three straight home games to start the season where they had to compete with the NCAA Tournament, two Tigers home games and a day where there was a Tigers & Red Wings game happening at the same time wasn't the best way to build momentum.

[@mikepalko8446]

EMU stadium is a dump!

[@JohnnyDouchbag-nr5yf]

Play games on fri , sat, or sun nights! No one wants to go to a 1pm sat game when it's hot and get hammered and pass out by 6pm

[@PCSPounder]

“Towns” don’t get a league a sufficient media contract. Suffice it to say that I sense a network or two had the say in locations.

[@jayanxiety]

It can only succeed in cities who don't have an NFL team. The "spring league" is a good idea. For many decades the CFL has been able to succeed because for most of the time they operate in a time that doesn't run the same time of the NFL. Teams who don't have a presence in other pro leagues are among the most successful. The highest attendance is the tiny market of Saskatchewan. They regularly sell out 40,000 plus due to the fact that they're the only game in town. The UFL can learn from this. Put teams in places where they would be the only professional sports team. Entire states such as Maine, Vermont, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and others might be ripe for this kind of game. I might be going out on a limb, but why not Anchorage, Alaska or even Hawaii are untapped markets where the UFL could make history as the first professional league to have a team in one of those places.

[@geoff3103]

and it can succeed in cities that don't have an MLB team

[@DarrenMcFaddenmutineer]

Little Rock has a decent stadium. They would be good rivals for Memphis and St. Louis. I'd also be intrigued by a team in Tulsa.

[@benmontjo]

It feels like watching sports during Covid when there were no spectators in attendance

[@usernamegenerico]

Another point I would like to add is the name of the league itself, "UFL" Over the past FIVE YEARS we technically have FOUR spring football leagues that have failed. AAF failed (Tom Dundon), XFL 2 failed (COVID), and the XFL 3 and USFL 2 both technically failed because they merged under new branding. It is hard to fall in love with spring football when a brand name that is supposed to stay the same for years undergoes constant metamorphosis. It felt rushed. I will admit I haven't truly watched a game of XFL 3 or USFL 2 but I also hadn't seen much PR from them promoting the pending merger. They should have just stuck with the XFL or USFL name that fans already recognized instead of trying to make yet another new spring football league. P.S. Kind of ironic that the NFL is going to use the XFL kickoff this year and not the UFL

[@vidguy1976]

Do you want to know what will also affect attendance? Constantly shifting teams around every season trying to "chase" attendance. Most of these, and any market that a TV partner is going to care about, have been burned before by multiple spring leagues. You can't be 1 and done in markets as whatever new market you put a team in is just going to think "why go...team is going to probably be gone in a year anyway".

[@acmodelmaster1944]

Instead of dividing the UFL into the XFL and USFL Conferences, here’s how I would divide up the UFL. The Eastern Conference would have Washington DC, Hartford CT, Canton OH, Louisville KY, and Birmingham AL. The Western Conference would have Omaha NE, St Louis MO, Boise ID, Portland OR, and San Diego CA.

[@appleman20]

One thing the UFL need to do is to market inside the city. Put buildboards up, be present inside the markets, and do more activities in the markets. 2. Would be to not move any markets. If you move a market after 1 season, you will lose fans in seconds. 3. Is to move these teams into smaller stadiums. For example is Michigan moving away from Ford Field to ann arbor or somewhere in Michigan.

[@Knightmessenger]

But the Michigan Panthers have always played at the home of the Detroit Lions. (Other than when the USFL played all games in one city) Even the old USFL of the 1980s, the Panthers played at the Silverdome and had great attendance.

[@guyfaux3978]

How about the Tidewater VA area?

[@PCSPounder]

Stadium?

[@guyfaux3978]

@@PCSPounder "If you build it, they will come."

[@Christian-fn6yu]

Chattanooga Tennessee would be a great fit I know a lot of people are looking for something like a UFL team

[@mattwilliams6641]

The schedule makers didn't do the Michigan Panthers too many favors, giving them three straight home games to start the year, where they had to compete with the NCAA Tournament at LCA, the Red Wings in the middle of a playoff push, and a Tigers home game.

[@toadeightyfive]

5:26 What about the Lehigh Valley as an east coast team? It's got ~900k people (in the same ballpark as Omaha), plus it's close enough to cities like Philly and NYC that you could theoretically draw fans from there too. And the IronPigs have both a really good (if not quite football-geared) facility, and have been consistently top 5 in all of minor league baseball's attendance.

[@josephmetiva3575]

Terrible idea to jump teams around after just 1 year. A fan base can't really get behind a team if they think it will be moved. I do like the idea of going to smaller markets to expand.

[@vb2324]

It's crazy besides St Louis, the UFL's first market targets were olaces that lost NFL teams (ie Oakland and San Diego)

[@benficademacaufan]

Make it like the usl where they try to put new franchises where there aren’t mls teams

[@OneManOnFire]

I think what annoys me is the lack of coverage. I'm off on the weekends and go out with to eat during game time. NONE of the places I ever visit regardless of city or venue I go with TV's. No one is playing it! I was at a pizza place on a Sunday and they had poker on TV from ESPN when UFL was playing.

[@msk1170]

I live close to Birmingham and before every season I say I’m gonna go to games and watch on tv and the season starts and ends and I’ve forgotten all about it and Birmingham has been a winning team. I just can’t get into it.

[@thetouchback]

We've all been there and done that. In fact, I have been the same way with Sacramento State and UC Davis athletics here in Northern California over the years.

[@hearmeout9138]

This is me as well. I have never seen any type of team outreach to the communities around Birmingham. After Covid, everyone started working remotely and while we used to go downtown on weekends or stay there for night activities, we’ve just become too lazy to drive there unless we are being paid for it. 😉

[@brianmcdaniel1760]

How about Orlando?

[@thetouchback]

Only if Coach Hayden Fox comes out of retirement.

[@AHomelessShoe]

Would you ever be willing to do a video on TBL and other attempts at lower league basketball?

[@thetouchback]

A chance to talk about the Yakima SunKings? Sign me up. The original CBA is a fascinating story and nothing ever really replaced. The D League has become something else entirely. I don't know much about the TBL over the past few seasons, but I'll check it out.

[@roryh2241]

It definitely seems like they prioritize TV over in person viewership with everything they do. Between the choice of cities and game start times, it seems like they don’t really care if anyone actually shows up.

[@jakerawlins4698]

The panthers are apparently looking at moving to Lansing, more of the middle of the state. See if that would help the numbers.

[@thetouchback]

I like that move a lot actually. The Panthers still need to do marketing but I think that could work out nicely.

[@joeyyoho3670]

Also, this is why I prefer arena football over normal spring league ball. There are two arena football leagues going very strong right now. One of them is arguably going stronger than the UFL. They put out a better product, with significantly lesser talent. Because they changed the game, and they modified it, and they made it so that even less talented players playing make it just as interesting. The game they step out onto the arena field and play is an easier game than the outdoor game. And I tune into the IFL every weekend. I don't even have a team in the IFL that I really follow, aside from the San Diego strike Force, who's quarterback I played against several times in high school cuz he's from my area. But I just tune into those games and watch them because they're fun. Oh and they stream their games on KZbin for free

[@thetouchback]

The IFL's decision to stream games for free on KZbin is awesome. I don't have to figure out what stupid streaming service the games are on and even get reminders when it goes live.

[@Jefff72]

What do you think about the ELF? One issue is there are limited roster spots for Americans. They are trying to develop local European players.

[@thetouchback]

I am doing an entire video on the many rises and falls of American football in Europe. To that end, I appreciate what the EFL is trying and see merit in it. However, some of those games are hard to watch.

[@maninredhelm]

The ELF needs time. Like a decade or more. They're not just building a league, they're building a culture. And it's not just the sport, it's that Europe normally doesn't do multi-national leagues, or leagues without promotion/relegation. So the ELF is doubly/triply foreign and unusual. I check in once in awhile hoping to see European fans with a different approach to fan behavior, but outside the German clubs there's not much of a crowd. It's also weird to me that they continue avoiding the UK. I don't think it's an EU travel issue because they had a team in Turkey. Maybe they don't want to do all the difficult grassroots work just for the NFL to swoop in and place a team there.

[@texn14]

In the first (Covid shortened season) it looked like the Roughnecks were building something special. The crowds didn't look too bad and there seemed to be a lot of energy. That team was fun to watch and they were undefeated. They came back, ditched the original uniforms which I think people liked, brought in Wade Phillips so OK. I didn't get to see a ton of games to see the crowd size (I'm from Houston but don't live there anymore, otherwise I would attend) but at least they were winning. Then again, they shipped off the good team with a very popular coach with long ties to Houston and brought in a mediocre USFL team who were even worse after the merger. So I guess what I'm saying is that the Houston fan hasn't had any stability in 2.5 season of this team. After buying gear for two iterations of this team I can sympathise. As mentioned in another comment, the weather is a factor. Too bad they can't play indoors. They may need to schedule all night games when the Astros are out of town. Actually winning would probably help too. The Texans are about to get really good, and I don't know if people are going to turn out for a 2-8 football team.

[@julianrengifo5679]

One underrepresented market in the north east I think people will definitely vie for is New Jersey. Bring back the New Jersey Generals because it could’ve had such a strong market if given the chance to play in New Jersey. In my opinion I think it should be placed in Atlantic City because north jersey/central jersey already has sports teams representing that area and a population to support it . South Jersey needs that and Atlantic City is the Perfect City in NJ for that. And for south jersey people to feel like they’re New Jersey people with an identity, not always appealing to Philly for everything .

[@thetouchback]

That's actually a great shout. Plus, AC has an underappreciated football history.

[@ethanmx2]

I firmly believe major markets are in necessity for a spring league. Those major areas have to be anchor points for all the other “towns“ to build off of. a team in Chicago benefits the teams in Detroit, and St. Louis for example. I think the 2020 XFL season proved that those major markets are necessary. I don’t think they get those 2 1/2 to 3m viewership numbers without them. A team in New York wouldn’t need a significant percentage to hit that 1 million mark. So I would argue that you would need not just cities that don’t have professional football, but major markets as well. I do agree that Sacramento would be a great spot on the West Coast. Oakland is absolutely a no go right now, the only other option in the Bay area is San Jose

[@eliasconnolly1973]

Another thing that hasn't been talked about, is despite the UFL having good national marketing, I have heard that their local boots on the ground marketing has been lackluster. I think if they can inject a higher local awareness in the next 12 months, the attendance should hopefully go up as well

[@JosephV.Reese715]

Little Rock Arkansas needs something like this

[@scotteckersley6972]

This League is operating like a NCAA Division II organization. No advertising, which host cities hardly knew the teams exist. No ties/sponsorships with the NFL. No NIL Level visibility, marketing of players/commercial products; nor, real push to highlight league(UFL) apparel. Need a Prime Time Friday Night Game, a Late Afternoon Saturday game, to avoid some of college basketball key matchups & local college programs games, which hurt Memphis, Houston, & Birmingham attendance, and wrap up the weekend with the regular Sunday two game broadcast, at slightly later start times. However, this league needs to expand by 4 teams, not only for more visible content/product; but, 8 teams looks & gives the impression of a less than low-level Minor League vibe. The needs to do a real market study of viable cities & approach to the population of those cities. Two cities that come to mind, right off the bat are Oklahoma City(Norman) and Canton....possibly Louisville as a third city, Baltimore as a crosstown rival to DC, maybe. The kicker is broadcasting. With a twelve-team league, the league can put together a network package, similar to the NFL Sunday Ticket, with the ABC/Fox networks, streaming on KZbin TV where as, the UFL have 6 game every week, for 10 weeks, at a compatible marketed share price.... for the sake of argument, let's say for an example: $39.99 for the package(all 40 Sunday games), $49.99 with RedZone/4-Screen Sneak-Peek. The League would maintain one Prime Time game on Friday Night, rotated between ABC(5 games)/Fox(5 games). One National broadcast game mid-Sunday afternoon on a rotating basis with ABC(5)/Fox(5). The other 4 remaining games, played simultaneously, mid-Sunday afternoon on RedZone/4-Screen Sneak-Peek...with kick start time at 3:15p et/2:15p ct...broadcast start at 3p et/2p ct & broadcast end at 6:30p et/5:30p ct, unless overages. Obviously, when one network feature the Friday Night Prime Time Game, the other network partner broadcast the Sunday National Televised Game. The other Four game, split broadcasting rights between the two networks, ABC/Fox coverage, streamed on KZbin TV RedZone/4-Screen Sneak-Peek. This can help the league generate more revenue, from package sells & Ads; and maybe, help marginally increase KZbin TVs Subscriptions some. This league needs to convey a more big-boy business operation plan, as if they are an SEC/B10 knock off alternative to minor league football. Now as for the schedule for a 12-Team League...this is where the league needs to temporarily, think outside the box, for the time being, until the time come, hopefully, where the League can expand to 16 Teams. Forget this USFL/XFL Division format...time to move past that, at least for now. Set up 3 Divisions of 4 Teams each, based on naturally geographic proximity/regional rival. Each Team play 6 Division games, home & home, against their divisional rival. 2 games, one home/one away, against two opponents of one Division...the same against the other Division. Rotate opponents every two years...if the League can last that long. 6 Team Playoffs format, where as, 3 Division winners & 3 Wildcards(regardless of division affiliate). Top two teams gets a bye, for 1st Round Wildcard Weekend....3rd division winner(3-seed) host the 6th seed and the top wildcard team(4th-seed) host the 5th seed. 2nd Round Divisional Playoff Game feature the top team(1st-seed) hosting the lowest seeded team that advance and the 2nd seed team hosting the other team that advance. Championship Game feature the two remaining teams that advance. Again, ABC/Fox split televised playoff games....networks bid on televising the Championship Game. All post-season kick times TBD....probably on a Saturdays/Sundays, at that time of the year, when March Madness is long gone.

[@gerardparker4220]

There was an old UFL???

[@maninredhelm]

2010s UFL: Sacramento Mountain Lions, Omaha Nighthawks, Hartford Colonials, Las Vegas Locomotives, Florida Tuskers and Virginia Destroyers. There was also a 1960s UFL that played mostly in Ohio and the states bordering it. They don't really have any cool memorabilia to revive though because this was around the dawn of hard shell helmets, and none of them used helmet logos.

[@geoff3103]

real simple. For starters: they need to put teams in cities that don't have MLB teams. And two, they need to start the season in May and end it late August. Can't start it at the start of NHL/NBA playoffs, you'll get lost. Play it over the summer when nothing else is going on. Smart move though changing the name to the UFL. XFL sounds gimmicky/pornographic, and USFL is....well....4 letter league names are too clunky.

[@studentathlete7751]

I like the United Football League but I think the UFL should’ve adopted the USFL’s point after touchdown system instead. You still get the 2-3 point conversion option but you also still have the option for kickers to kick the extra point which I think makes more sense and is the best of both worlds.

[@williamgant1726]

Get rid of noon games....more evening night games.

[@RavansFan-u5j]

The UFL needs teams playing in smaller stadiums like the DC Defenders do. A new professional football league called the American Flag Football League (AFFL) plans to have teams playing in smaller stadiums, not big stadiums

[@dalebennett5468]

Better start times would help attendance more then anything else. Noon start times in the Spring just won't work.

[@kpowers]

Only the Battlehawks have good attendance. Yes, the Defenders have great fans but they do play in a smaller stadium. The Commanders of the AAF had better attendance than the Brahmas. So Brahmas may have like 1 or 2 thousand more than the Panthers but it still looks about the same when watching it on TV. Speaking of the Panthers, Michigan Panthers is the only team to show increase in attendance throughout the season (plus the crowds were pretty noisy). The Roughnecks needs to move to Shell Stadium and the Renegades needs to move to Toyota Stadium. For the Memphis Showboats, it does seem like FEDEX wants to buy the team, which may be a good thing for the Memphis Showboats which should help in promoting the team more. The reality if you want the UFL to air on the big four Networks (ABC, FOX, NBC or even CBS) you are going to have to play in bigger markets than Omaha or Witchta for example

[@Patrick-s5o5t]

Best thing to do is give it some time give the fans some time to adjust to spring football the league will build and market itself as time goes on especially the new big football city's like denver and Pittsburgh it will grow

[@nickmeara5323]

The Michigan Panthers should have their games in Grand Rapids, MI on the campus of Western Michigan.

[@RavenStorm332]

the two best teams attendance wise are STL and DC I can see San Antonio and Birmingham growing. As someone who watched every game of the XFL in 2023 but this year I didn't watch many games because currently VP of Football operations Daryl Johnson decided to take away something that I found was interesting which was the XFL style kickoff his reasoning was because it felt too different from what the NFL was looking for from players and the league President Ross Brandon has said that the UFL isn't trying to be a minor league to the NFL as they're trying to just be another pro football league which Daryl has also said as well. Everytime I say that they should have kept a team in Las Vegas at Cashman Field because if you look at the attendance for the Vegas Vipers in 2023 they got 6k for every home game and they were on a losing streak in a 10 week regular season football league, the number of fans every home game was consistent at 6k and according to the Las Vegas Lights a soccer team that plays there said that Cashman field holds 10k max so getting 6k in a 10k stadium is half full imagine if they had stayed and cultivated that I could see Vegas selling out which would look great on TV

[@quantumfootball]

The minor league baseball team in Dayton has sold out every game except during the pandemic since their founding in 1999. The University of Dayton's basketball team has sold out every home game except during the pandemic since sometime in the 1960's. Welcome Stadium has a capacity of 11,000 and it's only along part of the sidelines, so if they added end zone seating, it sounds like a good place for a UFL team.

[@MitchellStil]

I do agree with your premise that some cities might be great for attracting fans but not the biggest TV markets. I would suggest Michigan Panthers to Kalamazoo MI. that has 250,000 population a a 32,000 capacity stadium. Move Houston to Austin TX. Population almost a million people. Mike Myers stadium 20,000 capacity. However, will the ownership want the teams only in large markets? I think that is the problem.

[@They0ungTravler]

We need a team here in Oklahoma!! We have the IFL Tulsa Oilers and it’s been a blast. A spring pro team would be loved here, especially since it doesn’t compete with college football (NFL is non existent here other than Cowboys and Chiefs and some Broncos)

[@thetouchback]

I actually can see that working. I don't know what is happening with the MAPS4 soccer stadium that was planned for the OKC Energy soccer team but that would be a good size to start.

[@They0ungTravler]

@@thetouchback I’ve always joked the chargers would have more fans here than L.A. Plus we would have the Chargers and the Thunder! If I were to make a team for Oklahoma it would be called the Bolts because then we’d have the Thunder and the Bolts!

[@WookieDrives]

Omaha would be a fantastic choice. They support their arena team through and though, despite that team being in a struggling league with 5 teams left standing.

[@thetouchback]

The Omaha Beef will always be one the best names in sports.

[@bootsnframes7626]

The UFL really needs to build up to 16 teams. New teams in new markets would generate more enthusiasm.

[@TimEric4d3d3d3]

Really digging the Sacramento Surge jersey

[@ChicagoBenAnderson]

Every team (except St. Louis) should be playing in Soccer stadiums. Smaller venues that are typically vertical making for a better in stadium experience, but will also look better on TV IMO a Portland team at Providence Park would be do this league well

[@SinisterTea]

I literally just found out the UFL existed stumbling upon this video.

[@TheNewChevyRoll48]

I think between year 1 and year 2 the UFL should do a lot more local advertising. TV ratings are solid, but people in the cities they play in should know when these games are. If they can get butts in seats, they should do just fine with their current TV ratings. Otherwise, relocation may kill the UFL's chances at survival as those fans may not show up either as what'd be the point in going to support a team that may not be there after the season is over.

[@UserName-ts3sp]

for sure. i don’t know why they have a team in detroit for example… grand rapids would probably be better for that type of league.

[@Bbsa_man]

I really hope I don’t lose my panthers

[@dancingdog60]

I'd love to see spring pro football do well. And this UFL XFL/USFL hybrid has one major issue. The lack of star power. I understand they market themselves as a "developmental league". But, for example AAA Baseball and the G-League aren't on ABC or FOX or NBC or CBS. WNBA ratings were at an all time high this season-why? Because they signed Caitlin Clark. Nobody cared about the WNBA the year before. The G-League and AAA Baseball and AHL games aren't on major networks. You need stars to get butts in seats and eyes on the screen. The UFL has to perhaps open it's piggy bank and do what the old 80's USFL and 70's WHA did and pay some stars. They have major network coverage. They need star power in my opinion.

[@alesitercrimson24]

If they had any advertising at all they would have had better attendance. For no advertising the numbers were great. Think about it. Somehow thousands went to games and barely anyone knew the league existed. Any effort at all will improve attendance.

[@ihonestlydontevenknow4359]

ima be honest, i haven’t watched a single second of this league. probably football fatigue (or me just at the point where watching basketball every single day as soon as the super bowl ends), but still.

[@dylanhahami]

New York City proper, playing at a stadium within actual city limits is an incredibly underrated opportunity.

[@MutedGrowl]

City limits? If you are talking about Manhattan, there ain’t a “proper” stadium.

[@jayanxiety]

Maybe make a couple of refits to one of their two baseball stadiums and you could in theory play there. Though spring is baseball season, so the schedule would be tight if not impossible. Still, I agree that it's weird that New York's two pro football teams not only play in a different city...they play in a different state! For that matter, they both share the same stadium!

[@dylanhahami]

@@MutedGrowl New York is made up of 5 boroughs, I was talking more about a stadium that isn't in New Jersey

[@dylanhahami]

@@jayanxiety When NYCFC gets their new stadium in Queens in a few years I can see it easily hosting spring football, while not up to NFL standards it should definitely be up to UFL standards

[@OneManOnFire]

If you look at Google maps Yankee stadium shows the layout for a football game. It might work.

[@badbirdkc]

I think the problem has just been too many spring football leagues that have, honestly, been bad football. AAF, XFL, USFL, XFL again, and UFL, all within the span of a few years. People just aren't going to commit. Sadly, Covid killed all the momentum of XFL 2.0. Had that not happened, I don't think we'd even be here talking about what needs to be done to save the league, because it would have been doing just fine. I think the USFL really killed a lot of goodwill. The XFL 3.0 rebrand felt cheap, and now the UFL feels like it's just throwing darts and isn't serious. I think better markets is a must. I like the idea of Omaha or Wichita or Boise or Sacramanto or Des Moines. But as it sits now, I don't see this league lasting long.

[@charleswebsterjr.6350]

They keep going to markets that already has NFL teams as well as other major leagues.

[@44JackOfSpades]

Charleston Sc would be a great city, good sized metro population & extremely underserved as far as kind of high level college ball or professional sports

[@lemonsvcuts56]

I just dont want this to be a minor g league or a feeder for the nfl, this league has the usfl and xfl name - both of those leagues have history behind them. If UFL plays their cards right they can be the king of spring football

[@johnharris6655]

Look at the old AFL, other than New York and Los Angels, which was required by the TV networks, the put most teams in Small Markets that did not have any other franchises. Oakland, then San Diego, Dallas, then Kansas City, Buffalo, Houston, Ok Boston had the Red Sox, and then Denver. 3 AFL cities had Baseball and only New York and LA had football. The NFL expanded into Dallas forcing the Texans to move to KC and become the Chiefs. Move to Cities without any other sports teams and play in Smaller stadiums. Put a team in Iowa, Utah,

[@drummssticks]

Seattle would be a great city for the UFL when they were part of the XFL they had really solid attendance and TV viewers.

[@marvinalexander6796]

The UFL are gonna announce sooner when the 2025 season will begin, that will give those eight Franchises time to sell tickets, and get community support to get fans to go to the games, and buy their merchandise.

[@the-ish-1_21]

I think the UFL should focus on cities thirsty for a football team like Sacramento, Omaha, San Diego, Oakland, Portland and the list goes on. I think they should stay away from cities that already have NFL teams. And also have them play in 20,000 seat soccer stadiums cause it's working for DC and it worked for Sacramento & Omaha in the past as they all had over 20,000 fans filling up those stadiums. They also need marketable teams bring back the Memphis Maniax cause that's more marketable then Showboats? I would say once the NYCFC MLS team complete their stadium have the XFL's Hitmen return as the NY Hitmen to that stadium cause both the NY Giants and Jets play in New Jersey it would be great to have a football team really play in New York City. My idea would be bring back the Outlaws and have them play in Oakland. Bring back the Thunderbolts and have them play in San Diego to keep that charge in the city of San Diego going. Maybe bring the Sacramento Surge to the UFL or the AAF's Orlando Apollos to the UFL? There are a lot of cities that are thirsty for a football franchise. Most cities are more about their NFL teams. Just my opinion though

[@ryanr9299]

I'm kind of bummed they're not going to expand into Year 2.. the guy is right it is getting kinda boring watching the same teams play each other over and over

[@ChubbzElvis]

Baseball and hockey have set the blueprint. Go for smaller cities with fan bases that are starving for something to do. Des Moines, Sacramento, Albuquerque, Tallahassee, Omaha…. All these cities would be great for UFL teams

[@johngalbreath9394]

Raleigh seems like an obvious choice for a UFL team. They've been trying hard to expand beyond the one major pro team they have right now and there is a massive push for a MLB team. Most Carolinians, given the chance, would tune into a new, exciting football team as opposed to dealing with a team owned by David Tepper. Given the right ownership, a Raleigh (or Durham) based team would do wonders. That being said, there isn't a suitable venue for a team to draw 10-15k fans outside of WakeMed Park (Cary). Perhaps they host it at Okelly-Riddick Stadium on the campus of NC Central?

[@thetouchback]

Would WakeMed Park allow football games? I know lacrosse has been played there but not football. That would actually be a good place for it. And you're right about Raleigh. That's a good shout.

[@johngalbreath9394]

⁠@@thetouchbackwith WakeMed being home to the NC Courage (WPSL) I doubt they'd want football on their field. Central's field might have some logistical problems but it's at the perfect capacity for a UFL team. Wallace Wade is probably a bit too big but I'm assuming those are the only two options in the Triangle

[@ryanr9299]

Omaha seems like a no brainer to me if they want fans in the stands. no nba teams compete with

[@ceddygwap2795]

Bring a team to Oakland we still have the stadium but lost all three major sports team warriors , A's, and Raiders im sure oakland would support the bay is loyal

[@johnpaulstrobel2547]

Michigan actually I think did pretty well in terms of attendance. It was a decent increase over last year and though in the first 3 games, we saw a decrease, the last home game had over 9,000 fans and if felt really alive when I was there. I think an offseason of marketing in the market will have Michigan averaging above 10k a game

[@Knightmessenger]

The fact that all of the teams practiced in Texas didn't help with fan outreach.

[@mattwilliams6641]

That decrease in the first three games is called: A home game the same week as the NCAA Tournament at LCA, A contest at the same time as a Tigers opening series game, and a date where there was a Tigers and Red Wings game both happening. Hopefully they spread the games out next year.

[@johnpaulstrobel2547]

@@mattwilliams6641 for sure, and I think if the panthers hosted Birmingham week 10, we would have had around 10-12k in a attendance I believe.

[@goodreverend2k1]

It's a betting league. It will take 4-5 years to build a true in stadium fan base. Look at the WNBA. Taken them over 20 years. You just have to keep stacking seasons.😅

[@michaelnewton5873]

Spring Football is tough in baseball cities.

[@marcwelby9085]

St. Louis has entered the chat. Baseball city to the core, yet they draw 40K for this league.

[@Bingusandtheallstars]

St. Louis pal

[@OGbigmikefrmCali]

The UFL should bring back the Sacramento Mountain Lions! But the problem is that the Athletics will be playing in Sacramento next couple of years until their stadium is built in Vegas!

[@michaelstallings5824]

think out of the box for future expansion the big sky area for example, idah,montana,north and south dakota, college football crazy, smaller markets yes, would they have as much trouble attracting fans as larger markets so far? i doubt it.

[@michaelstallings5824]

my list of cities, orlando,louisville, raleigh, norfolk,virginiabeach, charleston,myrtle beach, savannah, syracuse,columbus,or canton. albuquerque,austin,tucson,saltlake city,reno,boise,portland,san jose oklahoma city, tulsa,omaha,boise..all decent size markets that would relish a team.of their own

[@joshheitman6832]

Actually the original UFL was formed in the 60s and began play in 1961 and rebranded as the CoFL in 1965 before folding in 1969. That has to be one of the forgotten startup football leagues. The UFL from 2009 was actually the second incarnation of the UFL and was probably the best known league with that name before this one we have now. I agree that the new UFL has room for improvement. Maybe someday it can serve as a minor league for the NFL. The NFL is the only professional sports league not to have a farm system. All the olympic sports leagues such as Major League Baseball, the NBA, and the NHL all have a farm system and have had one like forever

[@pp3k3jamail]

💥💥I don't watch these secondary leagues anymore. I did in 2020 when they came out with the revamp version of the XFL and I liked it, and it was doing good. Then we all know that pandemic just destroyed that League along with everything else that year.

[@WhatsUp-fe8jc]

They really should have done this in the beginning of this season instead of the second. Makes the teams look like they won’t stay

[@gerardparker4220]

Idk if the audience atmosphere has that much impact on the ratings or general interest

[@JosephRocco-mi4cm]

It actually does. The optics are bad, and the stadiums seem lifeless.

[@capricornmagic63]

Sacramento Surge Jersey? Awesome!

[@thetouchback]

The first game I ever went to was seeing the Surge at Hughes Stadium.

[@bijou.miszou]

they should have kept the XFL branding.

[@iDewitt]

The UFL should definitely focus on smaller cities and cities that’s were robbed of their former teams. There are way too many teams in Texas right now. The only team that should stay are the Brahmas. I would suggest moving the Renegades to Orlando and rebranding them to a new team like the Orlando Sharks keep the colors and just change the logo. And move the Roughnecks to San Diego and completely rebranding them. I’m sure San Diego would love a football back in their city. As for expansion teams I agree with bringing back old teams like the Nighthawks and some Colonials and adding teams to cities that didn’t a team like Portland or Salt Lake City. Here’s to hoping the UFL thrives.

[@alesitercrimson24]

There is no sharks in Orlando lol

[@omcnair]

Omaha...Fresno...Salt Lake City....OKC...Hampton Roads Va.....Louisville....

[@steveneighner7543]

Enormous issue is lack of local ownership as in Alabama many don't even know we have a team because FOX isn't promoting the teams locally which would get more fans into the stadiums and there's this huge BS rumor that the UFL doesn't even care about fans in the stadiums because it's a tv league. The Memphis Showboats have a guaranteed owner in the owner of FedEX with the local ties you mentioned as many fans fear this league will fold. This idea of a single owner failed gloriously with the AAF and if FOX got local owners they'd be making money with this league as the ratings are good but everyone's afraid they could pull the plug at any time. Look, this isn't rocket science as even the IFL does far more to promote it's fans and it's teams with many of their games pulling UFL numbers with no national network sponsoring and in the smaller arenas. The Stallions are my team but over and over I tell people about the Stallions and the response is almost universal... We have a team????? FOX is not promoting the teams in local markets. In Birmingham, tie the team to the Alabama Crimson tide and Auburn Tigers, bring in their former players who went on to the NFL like Joe Namath, get some decent halftime music performers and put the camera's on the fans as this isn't the NFL so don't broadcast it like it is... put the fans on tv like the IFL does. And change the name to the USXFL to shed the identities of the failed leagues that it reflects upon as this is the third incarnation of the UFL because there was a league by this name in the 60s.

[@JBTriple8]

or you can watch the CFL

[@Knightmessenger]

I think the Michigan Panthers should partner with the Lions to give discounts to their season ticket holders. And partner with businesses to give discounted tickets. Or promote tickets to people living near the stadium.

[@SallyJames-od9bx]

Add the breakers and the dragons and put a team in Oklahoma