Since the announcement of the USFL-XFL merger to become the UFL, fans have been clamoring to see what the 2024 schedule will look like. Not much information has been made available to the public, but there are some things we know and expectations for what is to come for the inaugural season.
The only definitive info about the schedule is the first game of the season. The USFL champion Birmingham Stallions will be at the XFL champion Arlington Renegades on March 30 at Choctaw Stadium.
The full regular season schedule is slated to be released Monday.
Looking at possibilities for Week 1, with the venues booked for the St. Louis Battlehawks and D.C. Defenders the same weekend, both could be on the road. D.C. United MLS soccer team plays a home game on March 30, so there is a chance the Defenders could play on March 31, but it would be a quick change for the stadium. St. Louis is hosting the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship the same weekend, so it would appear the Battlehawks should away.
The potential of D.C. and St. Louis, two XFL rivals opening the season on the road, eliminates the possibility of the league rivals since 2020 squaring off in the opening week.
With the USFL champions taking on the XFL champions, the opening weekend could have all matchups with USFL Conference teams facing XFL Conference teams. This would bring out the rivalry of the fan bases to have a better idea of who is in the better league.
It would leave the possibility of a San Antonio Brahmas vs. Houston Roughnecks showdown. Wherever that potential game would be, it would be a short commute for the two teams from the league hub in Arlington.
Don’t be surprised if the Birmingham Stallions are on the road for the first two weeks of the UFL season. Since they are playing in Arlington in Week 1, the next week, their home, Protective Stadium, is hosting a Legion FC soccer game on April 7, which leaves the door open to the Stallions traveling again.
In regards to the opening weekend of the UFL season, three of the league's eight teams, the combination of Birmingham, D.C. and St. Louis are likely to all open their campaigns on the road. This means that three of the league's best-received teams will be off the home slate, potentially decreasing the overall attendance for opening week.
This scenario leaves three of the four remaining league teams (outside of Arlington) – Michigan Panthers, Memphis Showboats, Houston and San Antonio – as likely Week 1 hosts.
Ford Field (Panthers), Liberty Stadium (Showboats), Alamodome (Brahmas) and the newly-adopted Rice Stadium (Roughnecks) are all likely available for opening week action.
On the TV broadcast side, there are some openings for Fox and ABC to broadcast games as the networks will have some competition with the NCAA Basketball Tournament close to the end of its run. ABC or Fox could host the Stallions-Renegades game early at 1:00 p.m. EST, with the second game being right after that at around 4 p.m. EST. Sunday leaves even more possibilities open as the league should push for three games its major networks, with the other options being FS1 or ESPN.
Both leagues last season fared much better in viewership when games were on traditional over-the-air television, such as FOX or ABC. The XFL averaged more than a million viewers in its limited showings on ABC.
A Week 1 prime-time affair on network television, with most families at home, particularly on a Sunday, could help the UFL get off to a good start ratings-wise.
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