Are Expansion Talks Happening Too Soon For UFL?
Image via X @USFLShowboats
Everyone’s favorite UFL topic is back on display: expansion.
Before Saturday’s Arlington Renegades-San Antonio Brahmas game, questions were asked to UFL co-owner Dany Garcia and league president Russ Brandon about potential expansion and how the process was going. While specifics weren’t mentioned, as they are in the RFP process, Garcia said they are working meticulously with other cities, but don’t have any benchmarks the league needs to hit for expansion to occur.
”It's less about a threshold and more about process and alignment. The ecosystem of football, which is the most amazing thing I've ever experienced, is a living, breathing thing. It's really about making sure the processes are in place, the partnerships are in place. You never want to run too early so that you can run right. That takes time. I would say less about milestones and more about the correct and the right amount of information and questions answered.”
Well, a whole new can of worms opened up with a recent article written by CT Insider staff writer Mark Jaffee. On Wednesday, Jaffee published a profile piece on UFL Director of Football Operations David Dykeman, which provided some additional context into what expansion could look like for the league.
“I think expansion is always on the table. We are in great markets and if we look at areas that we feel we can support a team and wants a team, it is something we will consider. We will be announcing later this year a ninth and 10th team for expansion in the 2026 season. Overall, we are in a great place and I am super confident that we will be able to continue to put a great product on the field.”
Jaffee did mention that he and Dykeman spoke recently on the phone, which could indicate that this conversation happened before the season started.
With that being said, Week 1 of the UFL season showed some improvement that needs to be made. UFL insider Mike Mitchell shared the attendance numbers and viewership numbers from the opening week. Here is what they looked like:
Week 1 TV Ratings
St.Louis-Houston (FOX): 690,000 (Peak viewership 844,000)
San Antonio-Arlington (FOX): 584,000 (Peak 673,000)
Michigan-Memphis (ESPN): 569,000 (Peak 746,000)
Birmingham-DC (ESPN): 395,000 (Peak 460,000)
Week 1 Attendance
Houston: 7,124
Arlington: 10,114
Memphis: 4,373
DC: 12,254
We love to talk about expansion because it showcases growth within the league, and it’s something new to look forward to, rather than the same eight teams playing each other. Allow me to be the Negative Nancy about this: expansion shouldn’t be considered in 2026.
Yes, one week of data for attendance and viewership is way too premature to hit the panic button on the league falling apart. There are aspects to the opening weekend to consider: the opening weekend for MLB, college basketball tournaments, and more—plenty of competition to go up against.
With that being said (a phrase I’m sure all UFL fans just “love” to read in this article), these numbers are down from what the UFL did last year. To draw a comparison, here are the average numbers for Week 1 in 2024 to Week 1 of 2025:
Week 1 2024
Attendance: 11,480
TV Ratings: 1.05 million
Week 1 2025
Attendance: 8,466
TV Ratings: 560,000
These are steep drops that could indicate what the rest of the season could look like. So what do these numbers have to do with expansion?
There are struggling markets in Houston and Memphis right now that, if improvement isn’t made, might have to consider eliminating them from the league. The goal of the league is to increase attendance in each market, and typically these numbers peak at the beginning of the season. D.C. outdid Memphis and Houston combined in attendance in Week 1. That’s troublesome.
Unless the UFL has two markets to replace Memphis and Houston with two additional cities, expansion seems like the least concerning topic at the moment. Adding new markets is not a bad idea, but evaluating the current UFL markets first is essential to determine which ones will work and which ones won’t before adding two more teams to the league.
If I were running the UFL, I would monitor Houston and Memphis for the rest of the season. If they can’t attract at least 8,000 in attendance for just one game, they would need to be replaced. Bring on two new markets that will have their owners, helping the league cut down on costs so they can afford to support just six teams. The individual owners of the two new markets can then handle the finances of their respective teams. Additionally, I would hold off on expansion for one more year until I could see growth from all eight markets in attendance, and then take the plunge for expansion in 2027.
Other UFL fans will feel differently about it, but this is a marathon, not a sprint. Let’s optimize the current markets before adding two to four expansion teams in the next two years.
