As reported by Variety, Hollywood superstar Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia revealed big plans for the new United Football League. The pro football league which will launch in spring 2024, is the product of a merger between the XFL and USFL leagues, respectively.
While on an appearance during Fox’s NFL on Fox network, the Fast and Furious actor and Garcia asserted the UFL will kick off the inaugural season on March 30, 2024. The first game will debut a face-off between the Arlington Renegades and Birmingham Stallions. Interestingly, those are the past champs from both merged leagues. Expect more updates on teams, markets, and all that exciting new sports league stuff.
In 2022, Johnson and Garcia resuscitated the XFL with co-owners RedBird Capital Partners. They competed directly with the USFL for National Football League attention in the off-season. In the second season, they secured a joint broadcast deal with Fox and NBC. Fox held a minority stake in the XFL. The release from New Year’s Eve highlighted five partners with the UFL, which included heavy hitters Johnson, Garcia, and RedBird Capital’s Gerry Cardinale, plus Fox Sports, headed by CEO Erik Shanks and last season’s XFL broadcast partner ESPN, fronted by chairman Jimmy Pitaro.
The President and CEO of the UFL will be Russ Brandon, who held the same post at the XFL. Football operations will be run by Daryl Johnston, formerly the President of Football Operations of the USFL. The new promotional logo gives insight into how the games will be seen on ABC, ESPN, FOX, and FS1.
“We wanted to join forces for a few reasons,” Johnson said on Fox. “No. 1, to grow the game of football — it’s a game we all love — and to create opportunities for players … and also to deliver for the fans. He added “If you think about it, this is 30 years of spring football starting and stopping, starting and stopping,” he added, “so with this merger … it feels like we’ve got a shot to establish that spring football is here to stay.”
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