In a recent announcement, the United Football League (UFL) revealed its team lineup for the 2024 season, notably excluding the New Jersey Generals. The UFL, comprised of eight teams, merges elements from the XFL and USFL but leaves out several teams from both leagues.
The UFL’s structure includes four teams each from the XFL and USFL. From the XFL, the D.C. Defenders, Arlington Renegades, San Antonio Brahmas, and St. Louis Battlehawks will participate. The USFL contributes the Birmingham Stallions, Memphis Showboats, Michigan Panthers, and a newly formed Houston Roughnecks team, merging the Houston Gamblers’ players and staff with the name of Houston’s previous XFL team.
“Thank you, Generals fans, we had a blast these past two seasons,” the team said in a post on X. The fate of the team is not known at this time, but the team’s official page has been changed to redirected to the new UFL page.
This new league is divided into two conferences: the XFL Conference, consisting of the Defenders, Battlehawks, Brahmas, and Renegades, and the USFL Conference, featuring the Panthers, Roughnecks, Showboats, and Stallions.
Among the teams not joining the UFL for the upcoming season are the Orlando Guardians, Seattle Sea Dragons, and Vegas Vipers from the XFL, along with the New Jersey Generals, New Orleans Breakers, Philadelphia Stars, and Pittsburgh Maulers from the USFL. There has been no official decision regarding the players under contract with these excluded teams.
The UFL’s inaugural game is scheduled for March 30, featuring a matchup between the Arlington Renegades and Birmingham Stallions. The league plans to operate on a 10-game schedule with a hub model for training in Arlington, Texas, and games played across the teams’ home markets. The season will conclude with two semifinal playoff games and a neutral-site championship game. Players are expected to report to training camp on February 24.