The XFL and the USFL, two competing spring football leagues, will merge operations. Few details are available, from the new league's start date to its name, but the initial obvious takeaway is that both leagues need one another as ally, rather than competition, in order to survive.
The USFL was the first out of the gate, beginning operations in 2022 and becoming the first spring football league in nearly four decades to have a second season. While the league boasted eight teams aligned with specific cities, it played all of its debut-season games in Birmingham, Ala. A slow rollout to other cities, including Memphis; Detroit; and Canton, Ohio began earlier this year.
The XFL began operations in February 2023, shortly after the Super Bowl. It began with a much larger geogrpahic footprint than the USFL, with its eight teams spread out over multiple locations, including Seattle, Orlando, Washington D.C., St. Louis and three cities in Texas. Spring leagues have struggled with a range of challenges. Both the USFL and XFL initially operated under different ownership, the USFL in the early 1980s and the XFL in the early 2000s. A 2019 league known as the Alliance of American Football folded before even finishing out its first season, and a second version of the XFL fell prey to the pandemic.
So far, the latest iterations of the XFL and the USFL have avoided that fate. Buoyed by both broadcast agreements and the rise of legalized gambling, both spring leagues were able to finish out their seasons with complete schedules and championship games, a feat which other spring leagues haven't been able to accomplish.
As for what the new league could be called — trademark lawyer Mike Kondoudis revealed on Twitter that the USFL recently filed 22 trademark applications for"NSFL" and"National Spring Football League." Th trademarks would cover everything from broadcasting to merchandise.The September 22 filings indicate plans to use the names of its developmental league for:
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