2024 USFL season

2024 USFL season
LeagueUnited States Football League
SportAmerican football
Number of games43 (40 regular-season games, 3 postseason games) (planned)
Number of teams8 (planned)
TV partner(s)Fox, FS1, NBC, Peacock, USA
Seasons
← 2023

The 2024 USFL season was the planned third season of the United States Football League. The regular season was expected to start March 30, 2024, and to end in June 2024.[1] The postseason was expected to begin in June 2024 and end with the 2024 USFL Championship Game in July 2024.

In September 2023, Axios reported that the XFL was in advanced talks with the USFL to merge the two leagues prior to the start of their 2024 seasons.[2] On September 28, 2023, the USFL and XFL announced their intent to merge.[3] On November 30, 2023, the leagues issued a statement that they "have completed the antitrust review process in connection with the proposed merger of the XFL and USFL and intend to play a combined season this spring kicking off on Saturday, March 30. We are now finalizing terms of the definitive agreement".[4] On December 19, 2023, the USFL informed its players association that four of the league's eight extant teams, including all three teams that played the 2022 and 2023 seasons in their nominal home cities, would play in the combined season in 2024.[5]

The merger was formally announced on Fox NFL Sunday on December 31, 2023,[6] with both leagues cancelling their planned season while surviving teams will play the 2024 season in the newly formed United Football League.[7]

  1. ^ Mark Perry (28 June 2023). "USFL VP Daryl Johnston Announces Return Of Season 3 Of The USFL in 2024, 'We are coming back'". usflnewshub.com. Archived from the original on June 28, 2023. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  2. ^ Baysinger, Tim; Primack, Dan; Fischer, Sara (September 19, 2023). "Scoop: Football leagues XFL and USFL in merger talks". Axios. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  3. ^ TSN ca Staff (2023-09-28). "XFL, United States Football League announce intention to merge". TSN. Retrieved 2023-09-28.
  4. ^ "USFL/XFL Merger Has Cleared Federal Review — Announcement Coming Soon". Pro Football Newsroom. 30 November 2023.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference 4teams was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Russell, Jake (December 31, 2023). "XFL, USFL announce merger to form the United Football League". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  7. ^ "United Football League Set to Launch as the Premier Spring Football League". OurSports Central. 31 December 2023.