Excitement and anticipation have increased for the third season of the United States Football League (USFL) since it announced its plans to merge with XFL. As an avid football fan, you might be eager to know all the facts about the upcoming season, which is expected to be bigger and better than ever before. Prepare yourself for an epic year of sport by finding out what to expect from USFL 2024.
The Schedule
The regular USFL 2024 will kickstart from April 2024 and come to an end in June 2024. The post-season will follow in June 2024, ending in July 2024 with the 2024 USFL Championship Game. As always, football fans are in for another exciting season, as the USFL provides talented players with a shot at entering the NFL. It is a great opportunity for passionate fans in Canada and the United States to put their knowledge to the test, too. For example, football fans are free to place a bet on one or upcoming games to potentially win big.
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The Teams
The USFL training camp roster size is expected to remain the same as the 2023 seasons, as each team will have 58 players. However, the regular season will be slightly different, as there will be 50 players in total: 42 active players and eight inactive. It is a minor difference from the previous season, which had 40 active and ten inactive. Football fans might be delighted to learn that all eight teams are expected to play in their cities during the season, instead of at hubs like the past two seasons.
The Broadcasting Rights
Attention will likely be on the 2024 USFL following its merger with XFL, which is owned by none other than Dwayne Johnson (The Rock). It will combine the two football leagues into one, promising an action-packed spring that will have football fans nationwide switching on their TVs. It is likely Fox, which owns the USFL, and Disney will split the broadcasts for the third season.
Despite losing $60 million during Johnson’s first season ownership with Danny Garcia and Red Bird Capital Partners, this year Forbes reported the league will generate an estimated $100 million in revenue in 2024. Also, Disney reportedly has a $20 million annual broadcast deal with XFL, meaning it will air football games on ABC and ESPN. Therefore, the merger is likely to honor that deal, with broadcasting rights being split between Disney and Fox, with the latter showing games on its channel and NBC.
The Viewing Figures
It is good business sense to merge the XFL and USFL, as each league could potentially double its viewing figures. If you are unfamiliar with the statistics, both leagues attracted more than 60,000 viewers per game during their spring seasons. Also, the USFL’s championship secured 1.2 million viewers, and the XFL championship earned a little more at 1.4 million viewers.
NFL Opportunities
The USFL and XFL are natural paths into the NFL, and news of the merger might cause fans to wonder how it will impact players’ contracts. However, the merged league will continue to be a springboard to the NFL, as USFL players under contract are free to sign a contract with an NFL team until December 23rd, 2023.
One thing is certain, the merger of the USFL and XFL is an exciting time for minor league football, and the 2024 season promises to be bigger, better, and more competitive than ever.
