UFL Expands footprint with Team Relocations to Columbus,Louisville,adn Orlando
Columbus,OH – February 26,2025 – The Unitedโฃ Football League (UFL) today announced a strategic โrealignment,relocating teams to Columbus,Ohio; Louisville,Kentucky; and Orlando,Florida,for the remainder of its โฃinaugural season. The moves come as the league seeks to optimize fan engagement and โฃbuild lasting markets following initial challenges inโ attendance andโ broadcast viewership.
The relocation impacts the Arlington Renegades, the Memphis Showmen, โand the DC Defenders. The Renegades will now play โคas โฃthe Columbus Conquerors,the Showmen will become the Louisville Legends,and the Defenders will be rebranded as the Orlandoโฃ Vipers. UFL President and CEO, โGeorge Manesis, stated the leagueโ evaluated multiple factors, including market size, stadium availability, and local community support, โขwhen making the decision. “These cities have demonstrated a strong passion for football and โฃoffer โคthe infrastructure โnecessary to support UFL teams,” Manesis said. “Weโ are confident that these โขmoves will create a more vibrant and competitive league.”
this shiftโ represents a important course correctionโ for the UFL, a spring football league formed from the mergerโค of the USFL and XFL in January 2024. The league aimed to capitalize โขon the growing demand for โขfootball beyond theโ NFL’s season, but โขearly results indicated a need to reassess its โฃgeographic strategy. The relocations are intended to tap intoโ new fan bases and โคgenerate increased revenue through ticket sales, โmerchandise, and local sponsorships.
The UFL’s schedule willโฃ be adjusted to reflect the new team locations, with details to beโ released shortly. The leagueโ will work closely with local officials in Columbus, Louisville, and Orlando to ensure a smooth transition and maximize community involvement.โข The UFL season is โขcurrently underway and is broadcast on ESPN, FOX, and streaming platforms. The league hopes โขthese โคchanges will solidify its โpositionโฃ as a viable alternative to the NFL and provide a platform for aspiring professional football โplayers.