United Football League born out of USFL-XFL merger, 1st matchup revealed

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Details of the USFL and XFL merger were announced Sunday on "FOX NFL Sunday" ahead of the first swath of afternoon NFL games.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Dany Garcia, two of the top executives for the XFL, said the new spring football league will be called the United Football League.

"After an incredible two seasons that the USFL has had and an incredible XFL season last year, the USFL and XFL are merging to create the United Football League, the UFL," Garcia said.

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The Birmingham Stallions celebrate after they won the USFL Championship Game at Tom Benson Hall Of Fame Stadium on July 1, 2023, in Canton, Ohio. (Andy Lyons/USFL/Getty Images for USFL)

The inaugural UFL season begins on March 30 between the USFL champion Birmingham Stallions and the XFL champions Arlington Renegades.

"We wanted to join forces for a few reasons," Johnson said. "I think, number one, to grow the game of football and it’s a game that we all love. And create opportunities for players as we all know first hand how important that is and also, deliver for the fans.

"Think about it, this is 30 years in spring football of starting and stopping and starting and stopping. This merger between USFL and XFL, it feels like we got a shot to establish that spring football is here to stay."

The Rock said fans should expect a hard-nosed, intense and passionate football from the players in the league. Garcia added that both leagues shared a common vision – "unleashing the dreams that football makes possible."

The league announced that former XFL CEO and president Russ Brandon will serve as UFL president and Daryl