- Seasons
This page summarises key United Football League Playoffs and highlights for all seasons since 2024, the UFL's inaugural season, up to and including the 2026 UFL season, its 3rd season.
This page summarises key United Football League Playoffs and highlights for all seasons from 2024-present, the UFL's merger of both the United States Football League (2022-2023) and XFL (2023).
2027 UFL season
Since 2026, the charter members in the inaugural 2024 season which continue to play in the league are St. Louis Battlehawks, DC Defenders, and Dallas Renegades, all of which came from the XFL, and three expansion teams Columbus Aviators, Louisville Kings, and Orlando Storm. None of the remaining USFL teams (Birmingham Stallions and Houston Gamblers) have survived.
Birmingham were looking to move from Protective Stadium, where they were playing lease free, and chose Hoover Metropolitan Stadium but this was rejected by the city and one of the reasons why Birmingham were dropped from the league. Houston had instability from annual stadium changes and the substitution of the successful XFL Roughnecks with the Gamblers as well as consistently having attendance among the UFL's worst attendance despite moving from the larger Rice Stadium and TDECU Stadium to the smaller Shell Energy Stadium in 2026.
Despite the recent changes experienced by the league, interest from potential expansion cities remains stronger than expected and that investor Mike Repole announced that he has moved the league's expansion timetable up so that in addition to the two replacements for Birmingham and Houston, and the additions of Oklahoma City and the undecided tenth team in 2028, the 11th and 12th franchises could be added as soon as the 2029 season instead of 2030.
Playoffs
2026 Season
Champion: Louisville
Runner‑Up: DC
Playoff Teams: DC, Louisville, Orlando and St.Louis
Notes
Louisville won their very first UFL Championship in their inaugural season.
Due to schedule conflicts at Inter&Co Stadium, and with other stadiums in the immediate Orlando area also unavailable, the Orlando Storm were forced to find another venue to host their home game; after it was initially announced that the game would be held at a neutral site (in Columbus), the Storm announced on June 1 that Daytona Municipal Stadium had agreed to host the Storm's playoff game.
UFL has three new teams in 2026 for its third year - Columbus Aviators, Louisville Kings, and Orlando Storm - who replace the Michigan Panthers, Memphis Showboats, and San Antonio Brahmas. Two other teams changed names with Houston Roughnecks returning to the Gamblers identity (used in the USFL from 2022-2023); and the Arlington Renegades becoming the Dallas Renegades. New team helmets were introduced for the 2026 UFL Season.
Conferences were abolished to be a league of 8 teams with no divisions and Playoffs were adjusted to be played by the top 4 in the league with the winners playing in the United Bowl.
2025 Season
Champion: DC Defenders
Runner‑Up: Michigan Panthers
Playoff Teams: Birmingham, Michigan, St.Louis and DC
Notes
DC won their very first UFL Championship.
2024 Season
Champion: Birmingham Stallions
Runner‑Up: San Antonio Brahmas
Playoff Teams: Birmingham, Michigan, St.Louis and San Antonio
Notes
Birmingham won their 1st UFL Championship and 3rd overall since playing in the USFL (2022-2023).