2024 UFL Season

The 2024 UFL Season will be the first season of the United Football League, a merged league between the XFL and USFL. It will feature 12 teams, 6 from the USFL, 5 from the XFL and one team formerly apart of the USFL. The season will begin on March 30th 2024 with the USFL champion Birmingham Stallions playing the XFL champion St Louis Battlehawks.

## Offseason

### Pre-Merger

#### USFL

The USFL initially confirmed that a 2024 season would take place for the USFL season, with all eight teams playing in their home markets. It was confirmed in the week building up to the 2023 USFL Championship game. The Stallions won both the 2022 and 2023 USFL Championship, beating the Panthers 36-33 in 2022 and beating the Stars 30-24 in 2023. The amount of viewers were better in 2023 than 2022. 2022 averaged 1.1 million viewers and 2023 averaged 1.3 million viewers. 1.68 million viewers tuned in for the 2023 USFL Championship, however, the 2022 USFL Championship had 3.16 million viewers.

#### XFL

The XFL started play in 2020. The first season under Sxm Sports ownership was in 2023, which saw the Battlehawks beat the Tigers 41-39 in the 2023 XFL Championship. 8 million viewers saw the XFL Championship game. The most viewed game in spring football history. The league averaged 4.6 million viewers throughout the season.

### Merger

On September 28, both leagues announced their intent to merge. Throughout October and November, there were many leaks and the amount of teams were leaked to be between 10 and 12. The leagues remained silent about a merger for a while, but on December 31, an announcement during FOX Sports: NFL Sunday confirmed the UFL identity and that both the USFL and XFL merge. On January 1, all the teams and the conferences and divisions were confirmed, as well as the regular season scheduling formula.

## Teams

The 16 teams were confirmed on 1 January 2024, with two conferences, the USFL and XFL both having a North and South Division. The USFL has no division changes from 2023 and remains the same. The XFL in 2023 had an East and West division, and for 2024 they realigned to North and South.

## Season Structure

### Regular Season

Each team will play 12 games over 12 weeks, playing their divisional opponents twice, playing all the teams the other division within their conference and play one team from both divisions in the other conference, which will be based on rotation.

## Schedule

### Regular Season

The season will start on March 30, 2024 with the 2023 USFL Champion Birmingham Stallions playing the 2023 XFL Champion St Louis Battlehawks.

## Broadcasting

Sxm Sports and FOX Sports are the broadcasters. This will be the second year of a 4-year deal for Sxm Sports for the XFL. This is the third and final year of FOX Sports deal with the USFL. A new TV deal between the two broadcasters may come up in the near future.

## References

1. ↑ UFL 12 teams: Former USFL team returns, best teams from each league join new league
2. ↑ 2024 UFL Season: Stallions vs. Battlehawks for opening game of new league
3. ↑ USFL: Viewers + Ratings revealed for 2022 Championship Game
4. ↑ USFL Championship game viewers for 2023 worse than 2022
5. ↑ 2023 XFL Championship: 8 Million Viewers sees the championship game break a spring football record
6. ↑ 2023 XFL Season: Average viewers + ratings for the 2023 season
7. ↑ The USFL and XFL are merging to create the UFL
8. ↑ UFL: All Details So Far
9. ↑ UFL: Conferences and Divisions confirmed!
10. ↑ UFL: Meet the 16 teams for the 2024 season and beyond!
11. ↑ UFL: How the schedule will work
12. ↑ 2024 UFL Season: Season to start on March 30 with Battlehawks and Stallions
13. ↑ UFL: Sxm Sports and FOX Sports to broadcast for the 2024 season