The United Football League (UFL) announced on Thursday that the Birmingham Stallions and the Houston Gamblers will not be part of the 2027 season as part of its strategic market realignment and long-term growth strategy.
Two new markets will be added for the 2027 season, with two more teams joining the league in 2028, including Oklahoma City. The UFL’s goal is to have 12 teams by 2030, but with strong interest from prospective markets and league momentum, that timeline may be accelerated to 2029.
“Departing a market is never easy, and this decision is not a reflection of the dedication shown by players, coaches, fans, local partners, or civic leaders in Birmingham or Houston. We are grateful for their passion, commitment, and support, which have helped shape the continued evolution of the UFL,” said UFL Co-Owner Mike Repole. “My mission is to build a league that is not only sustainable today, but also successful and thriving for decades to come. Building a spring football league has required discipline and difficult decisions, which have been guided by our clear long-term vision. Every market evaluation begins with the same three principles I have said since day one – the right market, the right-sized venue, and a passionate fan base.”
The Birmingham Stallions were the longest modern-day spring football team, returning to action in 2022 under the USFL, playing all of its games at Protective Stadium. The Stallions won two USFL championships before the USFL and XFL merged into the UFL, where they won the first UFL championship over the San Antonio Brahmas with a 25-0 win.
“With Birmingham, this decision was 100% due to the wrong sized venue. I appreciate the passion of the fans and respect the history of the Birmingham Stallions. It was clearly my decision that with the wrong sized venue spring football could not succeed in Birmingham,” said Repole. “Even on opening day, when 16,000 Stallions fans showed up, the energy, passion, and game atmosphere was not felt due to the size of the venue. We’ve been transparent with local mayors and city leadership that we’d love to return as soon as the right stadium solution becomes available, and we are willing to participate in accelerating those efforts.”
This year, the Stallions underwent change with Mike Repole in charge, with new uniforms and A.J. McCarron as the new head coach. The team averaged 8,248 fans. They started the season with over 18,000 fans, but attendance quickly declined to 4,705. They did rebound in their last two home games with 4,824 in Week 8, and 5,253 in Week 10. The Stallions finished 4-6, missing the playoffs for the first time.
The Houston Gamblers also made their long-awaited return in 2022 with the USFL, playing their games at Protective Stadium in 2022 and Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in 2023. When the USFL and XFL merged in 2024, the Houston Gamblers were rebranded as the Houston Roughnecks. They played their games at Rice Stadium in 2024 and TDECU Stadium in 2025.
Unfortunately, the Roughnecks were not able to recapture their magic from 2020, averaging 7,056 fans in 2024 and 5,712 in 2025. In the short 2020 XFL season, the Roughnecks averaged 18,230 fans.
“Houston played an important role in reestablishing modern spring football, and we’re grateful to the fans, partners, and community who supported the Roughnecks and Gamblers. Houston is a great sports city, and Shell Energy Stadium has been an outstanding partner and venue,” said Repole. “The reality is that we did not give this market the consistency it deserved. Between venue changes, team-name changes, and different approaches, we made it difficult to build lasting momentum.”
This year, the Roughnecks were rebranded back to the Gamblers and moved to Shell Energy Stadium. The Gamblers finished the season 4-6, averaging 5,683 fans. In their first home game of the season, they had 7,744 fans before attendance declined. However, in their final home game of the season, they had 6,217 fans. The two new markets will be announced at a later date.
