Marquette, MI – July 29th, 2025 – Four teams that were initially part of the USFL conference before the merger with the XFL will be relocating before the 2026 season. The four teams include the Michigan Panthers, Birmingham Stallions, Houston Roughnecks, and Memphis Showboats.
The UFL league-wide attendance dropped an average of 5% in 2025, not only in person, but also many second halves of televised games shifted to secondary networks due to lower ratings. The UFL lost nearly 20% of its TV viewership from the previous season. In a recent statement made by the league, “The league office is in the planning stages for the next season and beyond. At this point, there is nothing to report on unauthorized speculation.”
The Michigan Panthers, despite a great season in 2025 that saw a 43% attendance boost, must relocate due to the cost of using Ford Field. The Birmingham Stallions have seen the opposite problem, a declining fandom, which has prompted their move. For the Houston Roughnecks, attendance flatlined in 2025 after lagging TV ratings, which put pressure on their financial viability. Lastly, the Memphis Showboats are suffering low turnouts, sometimes below 2,100 fans per game, in a stadium that can hold up to 45,000.
States like Florida, Idaho, Ohio, and Kentucky could be destinations for a UFL team for the next season. Those cities were selected for their non-NFL status, untapped fan bases, and accessible stadiums like Lower.com Field in Columbus and Albertsons Stadium in Boise. Hopefully, new cities can help elevate the UFL’s popularity and earn back attendance and viewership.
