The UFL is reportedly relocating four teams for the 2026 season according to James Larsen of Pro Football Newsroom on Tuesday night. The teams that are rumored to be relocating are the Michigan Panthers, Birmingham Stallions, Houston Roughnecks, and the Memphis Showboats, all of whom are in the USFL Conference.
Larsen continued his report by saying the new cities that are getting teams are Boise, Idaho, Columbus, Ohio, Florida (Orlando or Tampa Bay), and Kentucky (Louisville/Lexington).
The UFL has been making sweeping changes for the 2026 season, including letting go of dozens of full-timers across marketing teams, PR, ticketing sales, etc. That included Birmingham, Michigan, Houston, and Memphis.
Michigan was the only team to see an increase in attendance during the 2025 season. They saw a 43% increase compared to the previous year. The other teams saw declines in attendance. Overall, the UFL saw a 5% decrease in attendance and 20% in TV viewership.
Shortly after Larsen’s report, a UFL Spokesperson released a statement saying, “The League office is in the planning stages for next season and beyond. At this point, we have nothing to report on any unauthorized speculation.”
Larsen mentions in the report that the UFL is expected to make an announcement as soon as either this week or maybe on Wednesday. A couple of other notes that Larsen reported on X (formerly Twitter) are that the Arlington Renegades are expected to be rebranded as the Texas Renegades, and the UFL is ending the USFL and XFL brands.
