The United Football League announced on Thursday the addition of entrepreneur Mike Repole to the ownership group that includes Fox, ESPN, Redbird Capital, Dany Garcia, and Dwayne Johnson. Repole, through his private equity firm, Impact Capital, will run the league’s business operations.
“The UFL is thrilled to welcome a visionary like Mike Repole to our ownership group,” said Brandon. “Mike’s entrepreneurial accomplishments are extraordinary, and his dynamic leadership will immediately elevate the league’s business and brand trajectory.”
Mike Repole is 56 years old and is from New York City. He graduated from St. John’s University in 1991. He co-founded Glaceau (maker of Vitaminwater), Smartwater, and BodyArmor SuperDrink. He sold those companies to Coca-Cola for a combined amount of $9.7 billion ($4.1 billion for Glaceau and $5.6 billion for BodyArmor).
Repole is currently the majority owner of NoBull, a high-performance footwear and apparel company backed by seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, the owner of Junkless, a better-for-you snacking brand, and founder of Repole Stable, which is a horse racing team that has won six championships and multiple Breeders’ Cup and Belmont Stakes winners.
“Football has clearly established itself as America’s most popular sport, with tremendous momentum and demand,” said Repole. “There’s no better time than now to build a strong, sustainable spring league that unites players, teams, and fans. I’m honored to join the United Football League’s ownership group as we work to create something truly lasting and game-changing.”
In an interview with ESPN’s Kevin Siefert, Repole confirmed the following.
- Columbus, Ohio, will be one of the relocated teams. They will either play at Historic Crew Stadium or Lower.com Field. No other new markets have been confirmed.
- Two teams will be moved and possibly four for 2026. Birmingham and Michigan have 30 days to figure out venue issues, or they will be relocated.
- No expansion for 2026, the league will remain at eight teams.
- League prefers smaller stadiums (20,000 or less) with a goal of getting 10-15 thousand fans at the games.
Repole added that teams will continue to practice in Arlington, Texas. In the short term, there is a possibility that teams will spend two to three days in their home markets. The long-term goal is for them to practice in their cities full-time in the coming years. He also wants to get the league to 16 teams in the next ten years.
The UFL will enter its third season under the USFL/XFL merger. They will become the first league since the original USFL (1983-85) to play three seasons. The D.C. Defenders won the UFL Championship last month over the Michigan Panthers 58-34.
