With the USFL and XFL merging, some teams will have to fold. Four former USFL teams have already been informed that they will not be able to continue in the new league, and there are still discussions about which former XFL teams will be shuttered, according to a report from Front Office Sports.
Back in September, the USFL and XFL announced a merger, hoping to form a football league that could thrive outside the NFL season. The newly formed league will feature eight franchises, meaning the USFL and XFL both have to drop half of its teams.
The USFL has already made those decisions with the New Jersey Generals, New Orleans Breakers, Philadelphia Stars and Pittsburgh Maulers coming to an end. The Birmingham Stallions, Houston Gamblers, Memphis Showboats and Michigan Panthers will all be joining the new league.
The XFL, on the other hand, has yet to make a final decision about which of its eight teams will continue operations. The latest iteration of the XFL featured the Arlington Renegades, D.C. Defenders, Houston Roughnecks, Orlando Guardians, San Antonio Brahmas, Seattle Sea Dragons, St. Louis Battlehawks and Vegas Vipers.
The new league is scheduled to make its debut in March 2024, which means the formal announcement of all eight franchises should be coming relatively soon. Once that happens, the biggest question will be whether this league will have the sustainability that other alternative football leagues have lacked.