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Jun 8, 2025; Birmingham, AL, USA; Michigan Panthers quarterback Bryce Perkins (3) runs the ball against Birmingham Stallions defensive lineman Willie Yarbary (97) during the second half of the USFL conference championship football game at Protective Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

UFL Ditching Four Markets, Moving to New Cities in 2026

Originally posted on UFL on SI | By Anthony Miller | Last updated Jul 25, 2025 9:00 AM ET

Last year’s dip in attendance and ratings forced the UFL to make some swift changes to the league. No one could have imagined these were the changes that were going to be made.

UFL NewsHub’s Mark Perry and Pro Football Newsroom’s James Larsen both reported earlier this week that that the league will relocate all four USFL Conference teams to new markets. Larsen added in a recent article that most of the layoffs occurring over the last week by the UFL were in the Birmingham, Michigan, Houston and Memphis locations.

The USFL Conference was made up of the Birmingham Stallions, Michigan Panthers, Houston Roughnecks and Memphis Showboats. It appears the league is ready for a change of scenery and has found new homes for those teams.

Perry and Larsen have reported that the new locations will be Florida (Orlando or Tampa Bay), Boise, Columbus and Kentucky (Louisville/Lexington). It’s worth noting that the league has released a statement on the reported news to UFL NewsHub insider Mike Mitchell.

"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."

Spokesperson for the UFL has reached out to release a statement on the story first reported by Mark Perry at UFL Newshub.

"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." https://t.co/gyTWzsWmu5
— Mike Mitchell (@ByMikeMitchell) July 23, 2025

What can the reported new locations can do for the UFL entering 2026?

1. Columbus

Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Columbus location comes as no surprise. This has been a location the league has wanted to return to since the USFL held hub games in Canton, Ohio. Columbus has the MLS team, the Crew, who currently play at Lower.com Field, which can seat more than 20,000 fans. The UFL loves soccer stadiums, such as Audi Field, but the difference is that fewer events would occur at Lower.com Field compared to what they face with Audi Field.

2. Boise

Brian Losness-Imagn Images

Boise is the most intriguing location of the four new ones. Albertsons Stadium, home of the Boise State Broncos, can accommodate more than 36,000 fans and is available for use during the offseason. This would help solve the common complaint about a lack of West Coast presence in the UFL.

3. Florida

Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The UFL is going to try Florida once again. It's an intriguing decision after the Orlando Guardians' 2023 season. Orlando was the second-lowest attended team in the XFL, behind only the Vegas Vipers, with an average attendance of 8,931. It’s more about whether the league would take a risk on Orlando again or try its hand in Tampa to potentially bring back the Bandits from the USFL days in 2022.

4. Kentucky

Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Kentucky has been a popular name brought up as a relocation option for the UFL. Whether they decide to go to Louisville or Lexington, that state has been hungry for professional football. Louisville has either Lynn Family Stadium (11,000-plus seats) or L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium (60,000-pus). While Lexington has Kroger Field, which can seat more than 61,000 fans.

It appears the league is trying to find locations where there will be minimal competition with existing venues during the spring. Some within the leadership team in the UFL have made comments about venues like Audi Field and Ford Field, citing their limited availability during the league playoffs last year. They want top priority and want to be the biggest show in town.

All four would potential locations should be able to attract new fans right away. The question arises as to whether the league can implement marketing strategies in those cities more effectively than the USFL teams.

This article first appeared on UFL on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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