The 2025 UFL regular season ended over the weekend and now the scene shifts to the playoffs this weekend. In the XFL Conference, it will be the St. Louis Battlehawks against the D.C. Defenders, and the USFL Conference will feature a rematch between the Birmingham Stallions and the Michigan Panthers.
This has been the only time that both conferences have been mentioned all season. However, that could change next year. Pro Football Newsroom reporter James Larsen tweeted that the league is talking about ditching the USFL and XFL brands while bringing back the North/South Divisions in 2026.
Another indication of the league ditching the USFL and XFL names is the UFL Shop released merchandise of the Conference Championship matchups. On both of the shirts, they do not show the logos of the XFL and the USFL.
Since the merger, the UFL has done very little to keep the USFL and XFL brands alive even with the interconference matchups. In 2024, the league attempted to promote the interconference matchups when they had the USFL champion Birmingham Stallions battle the XFL champion Arlington Renegades.
While the interconference battles were nice in the beginning, it has since faded and they just feel like another game. To put it in perspective, fans of the XFL or the USFL would talk smack about which conference is better. This year, you didn’t see much of it as people were more talking about marketing and the empty seats at the stadiums.
The networks have barely mentioned the USFL and XFL. The broadcasters only mentioned them when they were showing the standings and the graphic would show both the XFL and USFL logos. Other than that, those leagues were a distant memory.
Heading into 2026, I think the UFL should ditch both brands and go with an American Conference and a National Conference. In addition, they should create a North Division and a South Division.
To paint a picture of what it would look like, the South Division would feature Houston, Birmingham, Memphis, Arlington, and San Antonio, while the North Division would have D.C., St. Louis, Michigan, and two unknown teams.
A couple of weeks ago, UFL News Hub reporter Mark Perry mentioned that the UFL updated its trademarks to the Philadelphia Stars, New Jersey Generals, Tampa Bay Bandits, and the Oakland Invaders. James Larsen went further reporting that there is a tentative scheduled announcement of expansion in the UFL Championship game on June 14th. Out of those four teams, it would make sense to revive the Philadelphia Stars and New Jersey Generals for the North Division.
The benefit of having a North and South Division is creating new rivalries. I think Birmingham could have a nice rivalry with Arlington, Memphis could have a rivalry with San Antonio, and the battle of the three Texas teams unless Houston relocates this offseason.
On the other side, St. Louis and D.C. is the best rivalry in the UFL. Adding Michigan, along with reviving Philadelphia and New Jersey would create some exciting rivalries. If the UFL goes with this list in 2026, they also set themselves up to create another set of divisions for 2027.
For example, if they revive Tampa Bay for 2027, they could create a southeast division with Birmingham and Memphis, while the South would have Houston, Arlington, and San Antonio.
For the North division, Columbus has been rumored for quite some time as a possible expansion team. There is also the possibility that Pittsburgh could be brought back. If the UFL went to Columbus or return to Pittsburgh, they could have an East Division with Philly, New Jersey, and D.C., while the North would have Michigan, St. Louis, and Columbus or Pittsburgh.
Creating these divisions would also allow the league, if they wanted to, relocate the North teams to another city as a second hub, while the South stays in Arlington. This was something fans saw back in The Spring League and USFL days. I don’t think they would do this but you never know with the UFL.
In conclusion, getting away from the USFL and XFL brands is a smart move. Creating new rivalries should be a priority for the UFL that could help generate interest and maybe help drive ticket sales depending on whether marketing improves next season.
As fans of this league, we need to put tribalism to bed and focus on the future with the hopes that the UFL will be around for a long time. If the UFL owners can get their act together, maybe, just maybe, there might be better days ahead.
