Official: 4 of 8 USFL teams to survive merger with XFL

[GDAWG]

Keeping Arlington is going to be a mistake because nobody is going to attend a Renegades home game in Mid May when the temperature is 100. San Antonio has a dome, so that would not be a problem. It could also be a problem in Houston if NRG proves too expensive for the league. Night games are the only options for Renegades and Gamblers to avoid a mid afternoon summer heat.

Your point is valid. Too bad climate was not part of how decisions will be made. If it was, then Seattle has great weather at that time of the year. Aside from this topic, I don't understand how these owners make decisions. I do not believe they have the right leadership in place.

XFL has a naming rights deal in place with Arlington supposedly paying millions over X number of years. That included the hub being in Arlington. Also DFW-AR is the 5th largest TV market. Also Texas is biz friendly. That's the driver for Arlington.

The season starts on March 30th and assuming a 10 week reg season, 5 weeks will be played in March-April. That compares to XFL 2023 with reg season having 5 weeks in last week March and April. Plus Houston had the playoff game last week April. So 50% of reg season is similar.

Also there are now 3 dome stadiums out of 8 to avoid playing outside in unfavorable conditions. I'm sure that was a factor with TV weather delays in Memphis last year as well as heat in Birm/Memphis and Tx.

And don't forget late afternoon and night games to mitigate the temps.

I will say, Houston with no stadium that we are aware, was one I thought they may have replaced (ie weather) with a Canton or north east team... but then again they could not get Philly or NJ in time.

The merged league is about cost savings, max revenue and most of all TV. So I get it but...

They could still keep the Renegades in the area, just not in Arlington. If the merged league keeps Darryl Johnston around, in a few years he could try to convince the Dallas Cowboys to host the Renegades at the Star in Frisco. Sure, it's only 12,000 seats, but playing inside avoids the extreme Texas heat.

[GDAWG]

[4th&long]

https://pfnewsroom.com/news/details-on- ... er-drafts/

>> Now, Houston is still unconfirmed when it comes to the overall branding. It is set to be the Gamblers staff and players, but it could still fall under the Roughnecks brand.

As for the XFL, this all but confirms what we’ve been hearing for the last month. The four XFL teams in the merged league include:

Arlington Renegades
DC Defenders
San Antonio Brahmas
St. Louis Battlehawks

This means that the remaining four XFL teams will be dissolved:

Houston Roughnecks
Orlando Guardians
Seattle Sea Dragons
Vegas Vipers

The new league, rumored to be named the UFL (United Football League), will only feature eight total teams. This is a major cutdown from the 16 teams we had between both the USFL and XFL. <<

Still nothing official... as many of us thought, they leaked abit but waiting till post Holiday to announce.

[GDAWG]

https://pfnewsroom.com/news/details-on- ... er-drafts/

>> Now, Houston is still unconfirmed when it comes to the overall branding. It is set to be the Gamblers staff and players, but it could still fall under the Roughnecks brand.

As for the XFL, this all but confirms what we’ve been hearing for the last month. The four XFL teams in the merged league include:

Arlington Renegades
DC Defenders
San Antonio Brahmas
St. Louis Battlehawks

This means that the remaining four XFL teams will be dissolved:

Houston Roughnecks
Orlando Guardians
Seattle Sea Dragons
Vegas Vipers

The new league, rumored to be named the UFL (United Football League), will only feature eight total teams. This is a major cutdown from the 16 teams we had between both the USFL and XFL. <<

Still nothing official... as many of us thought, they leaked abit but waiting till post Holiday to announce.

There have been people very critical of the fact that three teams are in Texas in an 8 team league and that it's always the same three Texas cities (DFW, Houston and San Antonio) and instead wonder why Austin and El Paso get no love from Spring Football.

[johnnyangryfuzzball]

There have been people very critical of the fact that three teams are in Texas in an 8 team league and that it's always the same three Texas cities (DFW, Houston and San Antonio) and instead wonder why Austin and El Paso get no love from Spring Football.

Because Houston, San Antonio and Dallas-Fort Worth are the three largest metro areas in Texas.

Austin didn't get any major professional team until MLS showed up a few years ago... and for all practical reasons, any football (gridiron) team is going to have to share the same stadium, since there's no way Darrel K Royal is going to host a league like that. Or maybe try to shoehorn into a high school stadium; there are a few of decent size there.

And El Paso? Metro area population less than 0.9 million? Gimme a break. Birmingham, the smallest market in the USFL, has 300k more than that.

[GDAWG]

There have been people very critical of the fact that three teams are in Texas in an 8 team league and that it's always the same three Texas cities (DFW, Houston and San Antonio) and instead wonder why Austin and El Paso get no love from Spring Football.

Because Houston, San Antonio and Dallas-Fort Worth are the three largest metro areas in Texas.

Austin didn't get any major professional team until MLS showed up a few years ago... and for all practical reasons, any football (gridiron) team is going to have to share the same stadium, since there's no way Darrel K Royal is going to host a league like that. Or maybe try to shoehorn into a high school stadium; there are a few of decent size there.

And El Paso? Metro area population less than 0.9 million? Gimme a break. Birmingham, the smallest market in the USFL, has 300k more than that.

El Paso Metro includes the Mexican City of Cuidad Juarez, which has 2.1 million itself. The combined area is 2.7 million people. A spring league wanting to put a team in El Paso could easily use them and San Diego (Tijuana) to try to get Mexicans from across the border to attend games without placing teams or games in Mexico City and Monterrey.

[GregParks]

There have been people very critical of the fact that three teams are in Texas in an 8 team league and that it's always the same three Texas cities (DFW, Houston and San Antonio) and instead wonder why Austin and El Paso get no love from Spring Football.

Because Houston, San Antonio and Dallas-Fort Worth are the three largest metro areas in Texas.

Austin didn't get any major professional team until MLS showed up a few years ago... and for all practical reasons, any football (gridiron) team is going to have to share the same stadium, since there's no way Darrel K Royal is going to host a league like that. Or maybe try to shoehorn into a high school stadium; there are a few of decent size there.

And El Paso? Metro area population less than 0.9 million? Gimme a break. Birmingham, the smallest market in the USFL, has 300k more than that.

El Paso Metro includes the Mexican City of Cuidad Juarez, which has 2.1 million itself. The combined area is 2.7 million people. A spring league wanting to put a team in El Paso could easily use them and San Diego (Tijuana) to try to get Mexicans from across the border to attend games without placing teams or games in Mexico City and Monterrey.

I'd support that...if we're talking years down the line. Right now, this league needs to go to established locales where they have an idea of how much support they'll get. The first year of a merged league isn't time for ifs and hopes.

[johnnyangryfuzzball]

There have been people very critical of the fact that three teams are in Texas in an 8 team league and that it's always the same three Texas cities (DFW, Houston and San Antonio) and instead wonder why Austin and El Paso get no love from Spring Football.

Because Houston, San Antonio and Dallas-Fort Worth are the three largest metro areas in Texas.

Austin didn't get any major professional team until MLS showed up a few years ago... and for all practical reasons, any football (gridiron) team is going to have to share the same stadium, since there's no way Darrel K Royal is going to host a league like that. Or maybe try to shoehorn into a high school stadium; there are a few of decent size there.

And El Paso? Metro area population less than 0.9 million? Gimme a break. Birmingham, the smallest market in the USFL, has 300k more than that.

El Paso Metro includes the Mexican City of Cuidad Juarez, which has 2.1 million itself. The combined area is 2.7 million people. A spring league wanting to put a team in El Paso could easily use them and San Diego (Tijuana) to try to get Mexicans from across the border to attend games without placing teams or games in Mexico City and Monterrey.

There's just one problem with that idea, and it's that Mexicans, in general, don't make as much money as even a typical working-class American. Even if we disregard the hot potato that is the U.S./Mexico border, you have to remember that Mexico is, in general, quite poor.

[4th&long]

Based on news from 11/30 and seemingly further rumored this week.

Rank Market TV Homes Share
5 Dallas-Fort Worth 3,041,540 2.46% 2.46%
7 Houston 2,666,330 2.15% 2.15%
8 Washington-Hagerstown 2,617,350 2.11% 2.11%
14 Detroit 1,937,250 1.57% 1.57%
24 Saint Louis 1,255,160 1.01% 1.01%
31 San Antonio 1,059,540 0.86% 0.86%
45 Birmingham-Anniston-Tuscaloosa 766,220 0.62% 0.62%
52 Memphis 644,360 0.52% 0.52%

The new league has the 2nd lowest TV Mkt size of the leagues so far at 11.3% - (AAF, XFL 2020 & 2023, USFL 2022 & 2023), only AAF was lower at 9.2% (note there are slight changes each yr by Nielsen Mkt size).

Thats a bit concerning to me for a league looking for high TV ratings. I do like the overall focus on controlling cost and squeezing reveune where they can (e.g. The XFL contract with Arlington is a paying one for naming the Renegades AR vs Dallas, hubbing and branding there was always likely). Centralizing in Central and Eastern time zone (77% of USA population). Travel costs s/b lower than XFL. I really like the 3 domes to avoid adverse weather delays. I'm a tad more hopeful on the naming... how the divisions /conferences are looking to be named and the how the will utilize theym both and "United" FL - its risky but could be some fun.