Expanding the UFL to 32 Teams

Three and a half years ago, I penned an article about the relaunch of the XFL in 2022. In which I laid out what a 32-team XFL could look like. Including the role of a minor league system in the NFL. Well, with the now UFL shuffling around several of its teams and announcing that the plan is to add 8 more teams to get to 16 teams in the 2030s, I thought what better time and way to bring the idea back up, and this time I have stadiums for each team. Some might say that the NFL doesn’t need a minor league, as the NCAA acts as one. To this, I say every other major American sports league has a minor league system. The MLB has the largest version of this, with each MLB having 4 or 5 farm teams. The NHL has both the AHL and ECHL. NBA with the G league, and the MLS even has its own, with MLS2 very creative name by the way. And I say this, next being a fan of a minor league team in the ECHL’s Kansas City Mavericks. It is way more fun being a minor league team than the top-level teams because, in the case of the Mavericks, you root for the guys who aren’t part of the NHL or even AHL rosters. You root for the guys who probably aren’t ever going to play in a Coachella Valley or Seattle, in the case of the Mavericks, but are still some of the best players in the league. David Cotton, I love you, you deserve the best, and you get that in Kansas City. So, a minor league football league would definitely have some legs beyond the psychopaths like me who love sports so much that they go to minor league games. I could do an entire video about how much minor league sports mean to me and to B-Card as a whole, but that feels like a video for another time. Now this all begs the question: how would a minor league football league affect other football leagues?

Well, the NFL would be the least affected, as they would have the fringe players in the UFL instead of being free agents. With that being said, you might have a slight improvement in the product on the field with more reps available for players. On the flip side, all likelihood it would probably be the death blow to the various independent football leagues and indoor/arena football. The Arena Football leagues of the IFL, NAL, AFL, Arena1, AIF, and AAFL would be the first and heaviest impacted, as players from those teams would fill out the ranks of the UFL rosters. Could some of these leagues survive? I mean, sure, like one or two, but not all mentioned. There are several arena football leagues with 8 or fewer members, and there will probably be consolidations done for any leagues to survive. The IFL and NAL would probably be the two that would be the last ones standing, as the rest of the leagues look to be on their last legs. Both have been the most stable arena football leagues over the past 15 years. The play on the field may take a small dip in quality, but not anything that the casual fan would notice too much.  The CFL would be an interesting case as it is the only league that has a limit on U.S.-born football players. So, they would be perfectly fine, as the majority of the rosters are comprised of Canadian-born players. U.S.-born players would be fewer in this world, meaning that the league would lean more on Canadians and what they call international players. Ultimately, the CFL as a whole would be unchanged and, for the most part, not affected by the play on the field.  Finally, the NCAA would probably be the least impacted, as beyond the fact that it’s the NCAA, most big-name stars aren’t going to be jumping at the opportunity to play football in the spring for less than what they can make in college. Would some FCS and lower FBS schools be affected? Sure, just as they are in the current NIL era. The bigger programs would have no issues keeping their top players or poaching the best from the lower ranks. If anything, this might wake the NCAA as to how broken the current landscape of college football is. Also, yes, for this, we will be keeping the UFL in the spring as a spring development league, as this would give the players a chance to show off for the NFL and to make the summer camp rosters. Which brings up the issue of the roster construction for each of these UFL teams.

Well, thankfully, we have a blueprint sent out from the UFL itself, as the league will be using regional rights to sign players. Meaning, for instance, a team in Columbus, Ohio gets the first chance to sign a player who went to Ohio State and not the team from, say, California. This, in my opinion, is an excellent idea as it will get the fans of those colleges to watch their former stars on the next level, close to home. The insertion of the college team name in the NFL clips on the video board gets some of the loudest cheers at college games, as, shockingly, fans grow attached to these players. I will take this one step further, however, with the roster construction, as the NFL kind of has something that can help with this. The practice squad. Each NFL team is allowed to have 16 players on their practice squad at a time. If we are building the rosters for these UFL teams in the same way the NFL does with a 53-man roster, then each UFL team would only need 37 additional players to be signed. If you want to take it even further, out of the 53-man roster, NFL teams have only 46 dressed out for games, so there are an additional 7 players for the UFL roster, making it 30 players to be signed. Let’s go further and say that players who only play special teams beyond kickers and punters are also part of the UFL roster, then we are looking closer to about 25 players that need to sign for each UFL team. Which is very doable. Look at preseason football with rosters of 75. The players who are cut from the NFL team would be transferred to the UFL team. 18 get cut, which is the 16 practice squad guys plus two, the 7 who do not dress out, which brings it to 25 players from the NFL teams. UFL teams then have the opportunity to sign college players post-draft to be on the roster. Would this fudge the NFL timeline? Eh, if you move the draft to say the week after the Super Bowl or even in March, with the combine happening the week after the draft. The UFL season could kick off in the first week of April. Giving each UFL a month of mini camps. Which is close to what the NFL does anyway for its regular season. Could this also be an opportunity for guys who are coming off injuries to go on a rehab assignment? I mean, sure, it could in theory, but nothing is completely out of the question. Have a guy play a game or two to see how he progresses from injury. The MLB and NHL do it all the time. Now for the fun part. The locations for UFL 32 teams.

For this, much like I did in the previous article, all of the UFL teams will be based in the US. Sorry, Toronto, London, Mexico City, Dublin, Berlin, and San Juan. For better or worse, the NFL is a global brand; however, the UFL should remain regional, much like the current plan has been set out. Naming the teams was thankfully pretty easy, for the most part. As I used the names of old UFL, XFL, USFL, AAF, or WLAF teams, or current UFL teams, I just shuffled around a bit. So just who are these teams? What cities get a UFL team, where they will be playing, what are their names, and their NFL affiliate? To answer that, we start deep in the heart of Texas.

Austin Renegades, Austin, Texas, Q2 Stadium, NFL affiliate Houston Texans. We start with a city known more for keeping it weird than for pro sports. Home to the Texas Longhorns in college football, Austin is one of the fastest-growing cities in the US. And is more than deserving of another sports team. Austin FC is the only pro sports team in town and is the other tenant of the 20,000-seat Q2 Stadium in downtown Austin. With the only other options being that of high school stadiums, or Texas’s Darrell K Royal Stadium, Q2 Stadium is the perfect option and the preferred type of venue that the UFL is looking for. The Renegade name is from the current Dallas Renegades. Keep the logo, heck, even the weird logo that was used last year in Arlington, move the operations to Austin, and you have a wealth of talent to select from for the regional players. Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor, Houston, Rice, Sam Houston, and Lamar, to name a few schools that are in either the Austin or Houston area. The Texans get the nod for Austin as a counterweight to the Cowboys team, who we will get to later.

Birmingham Stallions, Birmingham, Alabama, Protective Stadium, NFL affiliate Atlanta Falcons. Now, the dominance of the past very well may continue with this pairing. The Stallions stay in place in Birmingham, getting a pipeline to Auburn and Alabama, and they also get Georgia and Georgia Tech. Not much else to add to this, as there is no change to the Stallions. They keep the 47,000-seat Protective Stadium as their home venue. The Falcons get a team that knows how to win, which could meld well with the young talent Atlanta has. This might be the juggernaut that rules the UFL for a long time.

California Wildcats, Fresno, California Valley Children’s Stadium, NFL affiliate Los Angeles Rams. The rebirth of an XFL 2020 team, the then LA Wildcats, played at Dignity Health Sport Park in Carson for the COVID-shortened relaunch of the XFL. Unfortunately, Carson is part of the LA metro and is just down the 405 from Sofi Stadium. Fresno is the new range of these Wildcats and their den in the 40,000-seat Valley Children’s Stadium home in the fall to the Fresno State Bulldogs. For the regional rights, we have to get a little more creative, as the Rams share LA with the Chargers, and Fresno is not far away from the Bay Area, home to the 49ers. So, for this, the Wildcats will have the rights to Fresno State, USC, Cal Poly, and Hawaii as spoilers. There is no UFL team in Hawaii. The Wildcats get USC because the Rams used to play in the LA Coliseum. Cry not for the Chargers and Rams, for they brought this upon themselves by moving from San Diego and Saint Louis, respectively.

Carolina Triumph Greenville, South Carolina Triumph Stadium NFL affiliate New Orleans Saints. The first team, whose name is not based on a team from the past, is instead the Triumph are named after the USL team in Greenville, Greenville Triumph SC. Playing in a stadium yet to be built, however, that stadium is nearing completion and will be ready for the 2026 season. Triumph Stadium will be a 6,300- or 10,000-seat stadium (depending on who you ask). The Saints get the nod here, as while Atlanta is closer to Greenville, Atlanta is also closer to Birmingham. Regional rights make the Triumph an instant impact team. LSU, Tulane, and other Louisiana schools paired up with Clemson, South Carolina, and Coastal Carolina. A slumbering giant waiting to Triumph in the UFL.

Columbus Aviators, Columbus, Ohio, Historic Crew Stadium, NFL affiliate Cleveland Browns. The second of the current UFL teams on this list, the Aviators, while not my first choice of name, fly into the UFL with one of the nicer stadiums, with the 19,968-seat Historic Crew Stadium. Unfortunately, they are paired with one of the worst NFL teams. Columbus does have the benefit of having regional rights to Ohio State. However, the only other teams they have rights to are MAC schools in Kent State, Akron, and Ohio. Along with several smaller FCS and lower teams. Not exactly the strongest pool to pull from. Cleveland got Columbus, but fear not for the other Ohio NFL team, as they have a decent city as well. 

Dayton Bulldogs, Dayton, Ohio, Welcome Stadium, NFL affiliate Cincinnati Bengals. Now I’m sure a few people are questioning why Dayton for Cincy and not another city on this list. I will get to that when we get to them. Dayton, thankfully, is a very decent mid-sized market. The Bulldogs' name comes from the long-gone Canton Bulldogs. Welcome Stadium, home to the Dayton Flyers football team, seats 20,000 and is more than ready to host pro football. Regional rights are boosted by the Bengals, as, similarly to the Aviators, the Bulldogs have one good college team in the region. Cincinnati, Miami (OH), Toledo, Bowling Green, and Ball State make up the regional rights. 

Fort Lauderdale Bandits, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Chase Stadium, NFL affiliate Miami Dolphins. The options in Florida were not the best, as most either do not have the proper population or stadium that the UFL is looking for. Fort Lauderdale does, however, even though it is part of the Miami metro. With that being said, the Miami metro takes up a third of the state, as the metro has three separate divisions. Fort Lauderdale has the second-largest population. The Bandits’ name is from the Tampa Bandits from both the original USFL and the revival in 2022. Chase Stadium, home to Miami International of the MLS, seats 21,550, making it an ideal spot for the UFL. The Bandits get the regional right to Miami, FIU, and FAU, an alright trio of teams to pull from.

Hartford Federals Hartford, Connecticut Trinity Health Stadium NFL affiliate New York Giants. The Federals are revived from the USFL of the 80’s, not in Washington but in Hartford. Trinity Health Stadium seats 10,000 and is the home to the USL’s Hartford Athletic. The Giants get Hartford due to a coin flip over the Jets. Regional rights for the Federals look bleak to say the least. The issue with the Giants is that they are in New Jersey and share the state with the Jets. For this reason, the Federals get UConn, Army, Yale, LIU, Stony Brook, and a bunch of other FCS schools in New York City and Connecticut. The weakest of the regional rights so far.

Louisville Kings, Louisville, Kentucky, Lynn Family Stadium, NFL affiliate Indianapolis Colts. I tried my hardest to find a city in Indiana that I could justify hosting an affiliate for the Colts. Fort Wayne didn't have a decent stadium, Evansville didn’t have the population, South Bend, Bloomington, and West Lafayette had the same issue, just with stadiums that were too big. Louisville is less than 2 hours away from Indy, and Cincinnati is the same distance away. The only reason Cincy didn’t get Louisville is because of Dayton being that close by to Cincinnati. The Kings are the third current UFL team here, and nothing changes. Lynn Family Stadium seats 11,700 and hosts soccer. Regional rights are a boon for the Kings. Notre Dame, Louisville, Indiana, Purdue, Kentucky, and Western Kentucky round out what could be the Kings of the UFL.

Memphis Showboats, Memphis, Tennessee, AutoZone Park, NFL affiliate Tennessee Titans. The third time has to be the charm, right? Well, the Showboats this time would have a new home in the 10,000-seat AutoZone Park, home to the AAA Memphis Redbirds. There was no way that the Liberty Bowl would work as a home for the Showboats, as they couldn’t average 10,000 fans per game. Would downsizing the venue help Memphis? It would be worth a shot, as the city has shown in the past, to love football. The Titans played in the Liberty Bowl when they moved from Houston. While the games were not sold out, the attendance was better than anything the Showboats have had since their return in 2022. The 1984 Showboats averaged 27,599 per game and over 30,000 per game in 1985. Regional rights, the Showboats are in good hands. Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Memphis, Middle Tennessee State, and a bunch of FCS teams might be just enough to right the ship and prove Memphis is a football town once again.

Michigan Panthers, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Houseman Field, NFL affiliate Detroit Lions. The UFL folded the Panthers to the anger of many around the league, citing stadium issues. All the UFL had to do was look west to Grand Rapids and to Houseman Field. The 8,000-seat stadium just received 5.1 million dollars in renovations this year. Additional seating can be brought in to increase the capacity to over 10,000. An additional or improved scoreboard could be another addition if the UFL wanted to show they are willing to help the community more, as Houseman hosts several high school sporting events. Regional rights for the Panthers include Michigan, Michigan State, Eastern, Central, and Western Michigan. 

Milwaukee Maulers, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Hart Park Stadium, NFL affiliate Green Bay Packers. Milwaukee, we need to talk about Iron District Stadium and the lack of construction going on for it. Supposed to start construction back in 2022. Since then, no ground has been broken, no update has been given, and the official website for the project hasn’t posted any updates since 2023. Would a UFL team moving there get things in motion? Probably not, given that the USL team seems to be dead in the water because of this. Hart Park Stadium thankfully stands as an option that would need massive improvements for UFL football. With a seating capacity of just under 5,000, no electronic scoreboard, lack of amenities, and being outside of Milwaukee puts it as a low chance of success, but the Packers being attached might be enough. The Maulers come from the USFL team from Pittsburgh. Regional rights are a struggle, as well, and Wisconsin is the only school of any note.

New Jersey Generals, Harrison, New Jersey, Sports Illustrated Stadium, NFL affiliate New York Jets. The reason the Federals got hosed was the return of possibly the most famous USFL brand of all time. Playing in the 25,000-seat Sports Illustrated Stadium, home to the MLS’s New York Red Bulls. The Jets benefited from losing the coin toss. The Generals would be playing in front of their hometown fans, cheering them on. The only negative is that of the regional rights. Rutgers, Monmouth, and Princeton are the only schools of note.

New Mexico Stars Albuquerque, New Mexico Nusenda Community Stadium NFL affiliate Arizona Cardinals. The old Philly Stars move to the desert to become the New Mexico Stars. Playing not at the 39,000-seat University Stadium but at the smaller Nusenda Community Stadium. Seating 7,500, while it is not the biggest in the city, it would be a good test to see if people would come watch pro football in New Mexico. The Cardinals, being the closest team, would get the chance to help it work out. Regional rights are all over the place. Arizona, Arizona State, New Mexico, New Mexico State, and Northern Arizona.

Oklahoma City Outlaws, Edmound, Oklahoma, Chad Richison Stadium, NFL affiliate Kansas City Chiefs. The Outlaws ride again in Oklahoma for the first time since the 1984 USFL season, but instead of Tulsa, it’s in OKC, well, the OKC metro. Chad Richison Stadium is home to the Central Oklahoma Bronchos of D2 football, and it seats 12,000. Making it the best option in the OKC area until the new soccer stadium gets built in 2028. The Kansas City Chiefs get the Outlaws based on the fact that I ran out of NFL teams. Regional rights are not as good as you think, however. Oklahoma, Kansas, Kansas State, the formerly mentioned UCO, and other smaller schools around the KC and OKC areas. We will get to some notable schools not mentioned later.

Omaha Wranglers, Omaha, Nebraska, Morrison Stadium, NFL affiliate Minnesota Vikings. Yes, while Kansas City is 3ish hours away from Omaha, the Vikings get to claim the city of the golden spike. The Wranglers used to be in Arizona back in the 80s, but now drive down the field in Omaha. Morrison Stadium is the soccer stadium for the University of Creighton that holds 7,500, with plenty of room to add seating. Morrison gets the nod over Charles Schwab Field for one selfish reason. The College World Series. That and it’s a baseball stadium, and I tried to avoid using those. Regional rights give the Wranglers to Nebraska, Minnesota, and St Thomas. Not a large list, but one that has talent.

Orlando Storm Orlando, Florida, Inter&Co Stadium NFL affiliate Jacksonville Jaguars. The fourth current UFL team. No changes whatsoever, the 25,500-seat Inter&Co Stadium is perfect for the UFL. The name is great, the stadium is great, and the city is great. No notes on that front. Jacksonville is closer to Orlando than Tampa Bay is, so the Jags get lucky. Regional rights, however, are different. UCF, Florida, Stetson, and Bethune-Cookman are the four. These, plus the last team in Florida, leave very little for the final UFL Florida team.

Pennsylvania Phantoms, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, BASD Stadium, NFL affiliate Philadelphia Eagles. Hear me out on this one. Bethlehem is part of the Allentown metro. BASD Stadium is a 16,000-seat stadium with a video board and two grandstands. This is the second team's name that isn’t from a former USFL, XFL, etc. team; instead, it is from hockey. The Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL. The Eagles are only an hour away from Bethlehem. Regional rights for the Phantoms are not great. Temple, Delaware, Lehigh, Villanova, and Penn. 

Portland Sea Dragons, Portland, Oregon, Providence Park, NFL affiliate Seattle Seahawks. The Sea Dragons fly again over the skies of the Pacific Northwest after the XFL-USFL merger. Their lair is that of the Portland Timbers, the 25,218-seat Providence Park. Seattle, being the former home of the Sea Dragons and the only other team in the PNW, would be proud to be there for Portland. There is too much that makes sense for Portland to have UFL for them not to do so. Don’t be surprised if, in the UFL expansion, we see the Sea Dragons. Regional rights make the Sea Dragons an immediate threat. Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, Washington State, Portland State, and Eastern Washington.

Providence Steam Rollers, Providence, Rhode Island, Centreville Bank Stadium, NFL affiliate New England Patriots. The revival of a former NFL team in the SteamRoller of Providence. Playing at the newly remodeled Centreville Bank Stadium. The Steam Rollers would be able to play in front of 10,500 fans. The Patriots, being from Massachusetts, make a logical choice to watch a dynasty grow. Regional rights include Boston College, UMass, Rhode Island, Brown, Holy Cross, Bryant, and Harvard, to name just a few.

Raleigh Navigators Cary, North Carolina Wake Med Stadium NFL affiliate Carolina Panthers. A city named after British explorer Sir Walter Raleigh deserves a team with a fitting name. The Navigators. Raleigh is a fast-growing metro, gaining 10 percent of the population from the last census. While there are plenty of college football stadiums around the Raleigh-Durham metro, the 10,000-seat Wake Med Stadium is much more in line with what the UFL is looking for. By nature of being the only team in North Carolina, the Panthers get to help guide the Navigators. Regional rights set the Navigators on the right course with NC State, Duke, UNC, Wake Forest, App State, and Charlotte, amongst others.

Richmond Defenders Richmond, Virginia, Clairborne Stadium NFL affiliate Washington Commanders. The Defenders move from DC to Richmond in what is a move out of convenience for the UFL. I shouldn’t need to explain why the Commanders would be the parent of the Defenders, but if you didn't know, it's because the Defenders are currently in DC. The 8,700-seat Claiborne Stadium, which is the home to the University of Richmond Spiders, is the most suitable in the Richmond metro, as City Stadium is in no condition to host pro football. Regional right gets a little split on this one due to another team later on this list. So, UVA, Liberty, James Madison, VMI, Howard, Georgetown, and Richmond come on down.

Rochester Knights Rochester, New York Sahlen Stadium NFL affiliate Buffalo Bills. The only team in New York gets the only UFL team in New York. Rochester is another surprisingly large city with a large metro. The Knights' name, while yes, could be seen as an homage to the movie The Natural, is actually the name of an old WLAF team. The New York/New Jersey Knights played from 1991 to 1992. The ill-fated Knights of the 90’s played in New Jersey, but these Knights fight for Rochester. Their Castle is that of the 13,768 Saleh Stadium. Primarily a soccer stadium, but as we have seen in the past, it can be easily converted for football use. Regional rights are Syracuse, Buffalo, Albany, Colgate, and Cornell.

Sacramento Surge, Sacramento, California, Hornet Stadium, NFL affiliate San Francisco 49ers. Fear not, Nor Cal, you get an UFL team as well with your 9ers being the only real choice for an affiliate. The Surge was a WLAF team back in the day that played at Hornet Stadium. This makes sense as the 21,195-seat stadium is the largest in Sacramento. The Surge gets the best end of the California regional rights. With Stanford, Cal, San Jose State, UC Davis, and Sacramento State. The Surge very well could be the real deal coming out of the gate. 

Saint Louis Battlehawks, Saint Louis, Missouri, The Dome, NFL affiliate Chicago Bears. The UFL team that most of the B-Card have seen in person and have rooted for. While many might be shocked that the Chiefs, who are across the state from the Battlehawks, are not the parent. Unless you are from Missouri and understand how much Kansas City and Saint Louis hate each other. Seriously, it is a real issue for both cities and the state as a whole. So, Chicago, congrats, you get quite possibly the most passionate fan base in the UFL. It would be criminal to move the Battlehawks from The Dome. The Battlehawks average over 30,000 fans per game. Moving their game anywhere else would seem like giving in to the man that the city of Saint Louis hates, Stan Kroenke. Which is not an option, trust and believe. Regional rights are a good chunk of schools in Missouri, Illinois, Northwestern, Northern Illinois, and a bunch of FCS schools. That gives the Battlehawks more than enough to soar into the UFL and rise above the rest.

San Antonio Gunslingers, San Antonio, Texas, Alamo Stadium, NFL affiliate Dallas Cowboys. “We're the Gunslingers, from San Antonio. We're the Gunslingers, on the road or at home. Remember the Alamo, for such as we are known. We're the Gunslingers, from San Antonio.” Such a great song, and I do mean song because it's an actual song from the USFL Gunslingers of the 80’s. Dallas gets San Antonio because I don’t know why not Cowboys Gunslingers, same vibe, right? Now, the one thing people may raise an eyebrow over is that it’s the 18,500-seat Alamo Stadium and not the Alamodome, which seats 64,000. The reasoning behind this is similar to the others; the UFL is looking for smaller venues for their teams as opposed to the biggest available. Attendance figures support that Alamo Stadium is more appropriate to host the UFL. Regional rights for the Gunslingers are as follows: Texas Tech, SMU, TCU, UTSA, Texas State, North Texas, UTEP, and the other FCS Texas schools.

San Diego Fleet San Diego California Snap Dragon Stadium NFL affiliate Los Angeles Chargers. Yes, I know, I know, having the Chargers, the team that left San Diego burning, being the affiliate might seem a little off-putting. However, I do have a method to my madness for this one. Many people in San Diego still love the Chargers, and they would still support a pro football team in San Diego. The Fleet name comes from the AAF team that spent a cup of coffee in San Diego before the league went up in smoke. They drew pretty well to the old “Q” and, with a stable financial backing for the UFL San Diego, hopefully, would show the same support that a Saint Louis has for the Battlehawks. SnapDragon Stadium is the current home for SDSU and the former “Q”. It has been revamped and modernized, seating 35,000, and hosts several different sports. Regional rights include UCLA, San Diego State, and San Diego.

Sarasota Vipers, Sarasota, Florida, Premier Sport Campus, NFL affiliate Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The biggest flaw in my research was trying to find a suitable stadium and city for Tampa. Sarasota, while being a separate metro area from Tampa, is still close enough to be within driving distance. The downside is that Sarasota has no football stadiums to speak of. Sure, there are high school stadiums, but not ones that are pro football worthy. Ed Smith Stadium is an 8,500-seat stadium, but it is used by the MLB for spring training. Leaving us with the only option of the Premier Sports Campus. Which current has its stadium that seats 3,500 but could be expanded to 4,500-5,000 or more with some renovations. The Vipers' name is from the Tampa Bay Vipers, who played in the XFL 2020 season before moving to Vegas and playing in the worst stadium ever. Hopefully, these Vipers fare better in that regard. Regional rights go to Florida State, USF, and Florida A&M.

Tulsa Twisters, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Skelly Field, NFL affiliate Denver Broncos. Blowing into the UFL is the Twisters of Tulsa. While there might not be any love in Oklahoma, there definitely is a passion for football. Tulsa, being a rival with the Oklahoma City Outlaws, San Antonio Gunslingers, and Austin Renegades, seems like it was meant to be. The Twisters' name, while beyond the facts, is based on two movies. It is based on Oklahoma being in Tornado Alley and the alliteration with Tulsa. Skelly Field was the home to the 1984 Oklahoma Outlaws of the USFL. And now the 30,000 will be home to not only the Golden Hurricane, but the Twisters of Tulsa. While criticized in 1984 for how the stadium looked, the 2008 renovations vastly improved any doubts about Skelly Field being suitable for high-level football. Denver gets Tulsa much in the way that Kansas City got Oklahoma City. I ran out of cities with metros that fit what I was looking for in Colorado. Tulsa is much bigger than Colorado Springs. Regional rights make the Twister an instant contender. Oklahoma State, Colorado, Tulsa, Colorado State, Missouri State, and Air Force. Missouri State is closer to Tulsa than it is to KC. Some truly damaging winds are whipping in Tulsa, with the roster to be constructed from those schools.

Utah Rattlers Salt Lake City Utah American First Field NFL affiliate Las Vegas Raiders. Let’s get the name out of the way first. No, I didn't get this name from the Arizona Rattlers. No, I don’t care if you think it doesn’t make sense for Utah. The name is cool, and the other pro football teams from Utah were the Stallions, who we can’t use that name because of Birmingham, the Pioneers which is bland, the Blaze, which is meh, the Argonauts which makes no damn sense, Catzz, Warriors, Saints, Screaming Eagles, and Blitz are not good professional football team names for Utah. However, there was a team called the Utah Rattlers in the National Arena League. So, the Utah Rattlers are the name chosen. There was also the Express, but I am pocketing that name for something else completely for the channel. American First Field seats 20,213 and is home to Real Salt Lake of the MLS. Salt Lake City is the only real choice of host city for Utah, as it is by far the largest metro in Utah. The Raiders get Utah because, much like in the article from almost 4 years ago, Las Vegas is closer to Salt Lake than Denver is. Regional rights give the Rattlers Utah, BYU, Utah State, UNLV, Nevada, and other Utah FCS schools.

Virginia Breakers, Norfolk, Virginia, SB Ballard Stadium, NFL affiliate Baltimore Ravens. The second team in the Commonwealth. The Breakers are named after the New Orleans/Boston/Portland of the 1980s USFL. Hopefully, they can find more success in Norfolk than they did in the other cities. SB Ballard Stadium is the home of the Old Dominion Monarchs. The 21,994-seat stadium has undergone recent renovations that make it one of the crown jewels of the group of five stadiums. The Norfolk-Virginia Beach metro has been no stranger to pro football. The Virginia Destroyers played in Virginia Beach in the original UFL. Drawing the second best in that version of the UFL behind Omaha. Baltimore gets affiliation rights thanks to Norfolk being closer to the Maryland border than DC. Regional rights: Virginia Tech, Maryland, Old Dominion, Navy, Hampton, William & Mary, and Norfolk St. The sea and Norfolk are stirring, and it could be enough to flood the UFL.

West Virginia Ironmen, Charleston, West Virginia, Laidley Field, NFL affiliate Pittsburgh Steelers. The smallest market in the UFL, Charleston, is the capital and the largest city in West Virginia. To be completely honest, I couldn’t find a metro in the US that made sense for the Steelers to have a minor team in other than one in West Virginia. Laidley Stadium seats 18,500 and is home to the D2 University of Charleston. It has hosted professional football before. Back in 1938, the Pittsburgh Pirates (now Steelers) lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 14-7 in front of a crowd of 7,000 spectators. The Ironmen is a play on the Steelers, as steel is stronger than iron. Regional rights make this team stand out with Pitt, Penn State, West Virginia, and Marshal to name just a few. With the right forge, the UFL might not be able to break them down.

As for how the layout of the UFL would look. Well, I have an idea as to that. Instead of 4 divisions of 4 as the NFL does. We look to shorten the trips for teams and fans for the games. 4 divisions of 5, with two divisions of 6 teams. Split in the East and West. The East, with the Northeast, Southeast, and Rust Belt Divisions, and the West, with the Central, Mountain, and Southwest. 

The Northeast has Hartford Federals, New Jersey Generals, Pennsylvania Phantoms, Providence Steam Rollers, and Rochester Knights. 

The Rust Belt has Richmond Defenders, Columbus Aviators, Dayton Bulldogs, Virginia Breakers, and West Virginia Ironmen. 

The Southeast is the division in the East with six teams. The Southeast has Birmingham Stallions, Carolina Triumph, Fort Lauderdale Bandits, Orlando Storm, Raleigh Navigators, and Sarasota Vipers.

The West counters with the Mountain with California Wildcats, Portland Sea Dragons, Sacramento Surge, San Diego Fleet, and Utah Rattlers. 

The Southwest comes in with the Austin Renegades, San Antonio Gunslingers, Tulsa Twisters, Oklahoma City Outlaws, and New Mexico Stars. 

The Central division has six teams for the west, with the following: Louisville Kings, Memphis Showboats, Michigan Panthers, Milwaukee Maulers, Omaha Wranglers, and Saint Louis Battlehawks.

Some natural rivalries arise from this: Memphis and Louisville, Richmond and Virginia, Columbus and Dayton, Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Austin and San Antonio, the Florida teams, Hartford and Providence, Raleigh and Carolina, the California teams, etc. This is something that has been missing from more recent spring leagues. Hatred for other teams. The thing that draws you in as a fan. A villain for your team’s hero. Rivalry drove sports for years before the dollar, and especially in college sports, it still does. The UFL could definitely benefit from that. So what have we accomplished here? Well, I’m not sure, as this could’ve been nothing more than an avenue for me to let out some ideas that have been rattling around in my head. Let me know in the comments how I could’ve left El Paso,  Boise, and Albany out of the UFL, and that I am an idiot for not having Columbia, South Carolina, in the league.