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The UFL is considering expansion in the future, but they will be keeping things status quo for its 2025 season.
The spring league is keeping the same structure it has in the past. It will feature eight teams divided into two divisions playing in a 10-week, 40-game season.
What are the UFL teams for 2025? Here's what to know about the league's structure and the notable personnel on each team.
The UFL will field eight teams during the 2025 season. They are separated into two divisions, the USFL and XFL divisions.
Below is a look at how the league will shape up in 2025:
These eight teams are the same ones that competed in the UFL's first season as a unified spring league. There were no new additions nor relocations for the 2025 campaign.
UFL CHAMPIONSHIP ODDS: Birmingham Stallions favored to four-peat
Here's what to know about each of the UFL's eight teams for 2025, including their coaches, key players and where they play.
Stoops is entering his fourth spring league season and third consecutively in Arlington. He has posted a 9-16 record across his previous three campaigns but led Arlington to an XFL championship in 2023.
The Renegades will be led by Perez, a veteran spring-league quarterback who completed 67% of his passes for 2,310 yards, 18 touchdowns and four interceptions last season. He will be assisted by Ballage, a running back with NFL experience, and Vaughns, his top pass-catcher from last season.
Odom is entering his first season in Arlington. He won the USFL's Defensive Player of the Year award in 2022 after logging 12.5 sacks with the Houston Gamblers (now the Roughnecks).
Holtz has led the Stallions to championships in each of his three seasons in charge of the team, posting a 26-4 combined regular-season record and a 6-0 mark in the postseason.
The Stallions have the best quarterback room in the league. Corral, a 2022 third-round pick by the Carolina Panthers, is battling McGough, the 2023 league MVP who played receiver for the Green Bay Packers last season, for the top quarterback job. Those two will be ahead of recent signing Cookus, who was one of the top signal-callers league-wide during the inaugural USFL season in 2022.
Marable, Cain and Sternberger are all multi-year UFL starters and will help shape Birmingham's offense into one of the most feared units in the league.
BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS: How team is using Alex McGough after NFL position switch
Reggie Barlow was initially supposed to coach the Defenders for a third season after posting a 13-7 record in his previous two seasons. However, he left the team on the eve of the season to take the head coaching job at Tennessee State, which opened the door for Harris, who has no previous head coaching experience, to serve as the team's interim coach.
Ta'amu has been a spring-league quarterback for three organizations and was named the XFL's Offensive Player of the Year in 2023. He was flanked by Smith, who earned an All-XFL nod during that season, and the two figure to be a dynamic rushing attack with Rowland, a 5-8 veteran receiver, serving as one of the team's top targets.
Baker and Joseph will look to win roles in the Defenders' secondary. Baker was a first-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019 while Joseph was a second-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in 2021.
Johnson is in his third season in charge of the Roughnecks and has posted a 6-14 record in two seasons with the team. That included a 1-9 record from last season.
Henderson is considered the favorite to be Houston's starting quarterback, with Johnson praising his accuracy and anticipation in a phone interview with USA TODAY. At the same time, Merritt is expected to be the team's top running back after he played just two games last season.
Meanwhile, Hall is a fast, productive receiver who will be a significant downfield threat for Houston.
Ken Whisenhunt was originally expected to be the lone new arrival to the UFL's coaching ranks in 2025. However, he stepped away from his post for "personal reasons" on eve of the season, the league announced, and handed the reins to offensive line coach Jim Turner, who has no previous head coaching experience.
Memphis' quarterback situation is in flux after the releases of Cookus and Quinten Dormady. That could open the door for Perry, a UFL veteran who started several games for the Michigan Panthers last season.
Also on the roster are Melifonwu, who was a second-round pick in the 2017 NFL draft and won Super Bowl 53 with the New England Patriots, and Alec Lindstrom, whose older brother Chris has been an All-Pro second-teamer in three consecutive seasons with the Atlanta Falcons.
Nolan is a third-year coach for the Panthers and he has fared well in his role, leading Michigan to an 11-9 record over his first two seasons. He will look to lead his team to a playoff win for the first time, which may require unseating the Stallions.
Etling was the Panthers' primary starter last season. The dual-threat quarterback was a seventh-round pick by the Patriots and won Super Bowl 53 with the team before carving out a niche for himself in Michigan.
The Panthers also have Samson and Kai Nacua, brothers of Puka, on their roster. Kai was an All-UFL contributor at safety last season and tied for the league lead in interceptions with three.
Speaks led the USFL in sacks during the 2023 season with nine.
UFL'S NEW KICKOFF: Why Jake Bates timed rise to Lions stardom perfectly
Phillips is in his third UFL season and second with the Brahmas. He has a 14-6 regular-season record and led the Brahmas to the UFL championship last season, where they lost 25-0 to the Stallions.
Mond is the biggest name on San Antonio's roster. The former Texas A&M star was a third-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2021 NFL draft but never found his footing. He will look to do so in San Antonio, just like Williams, who was a second-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft.
De La Haye is better known as "Deestroying" and is a prominent YouTuber turned UFL kicker. He played for the Brahmas last season but missed most of the year after suffering an injury early in the season.
Becht is now in his third season in charge of the Battlehawks and has led the team to back-to-back 7-3 seasons. He is still searching for his first postseason win.
St. Louis moved on from quarterback AJ McCarron during the offseason and could turn to Duggan, who led TCU to a national championship game appearance in 2023, as a replacement in his first UFL season. Butler, a veteran UFL star, and Mims, a former second-round pick by the New York Jets, will provide the Battlehawks quarterback with plenty of size and athleticism at the outside receiver positions.
Blankenship is a kicker with NFL experience with the Indianapolis Colts and high-level college experience with the Georgia Bulldogs. If he can perform well, he could be granted a chance to fight for a job in the NFL once again.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UFL teams 2025: Coaches, key players, stadiums, more to know
Continue reading...
The spring league is keeping the same structure it has in the past. It will feature eight teams divided into two divisions playing in a 10-week, 40-game season.
What are the UFL teams for 2025? Here's what to know about the league's structure and the notable personnel on each team.
How many UFL teams are there in 2025?
The UFL will field eight teams during the 2025 season. They are separated into two divisions, the USFL and XFL divisions.
Below is a look at how the league will shape up in 2025:
USFL division
- Birmingham Stallions
- Houston Roughnecks
- Memphis Showboats
- Michigan Panthers
XFL division
- Arlington Renegades
- D.C. Defenders
- San Antonio Brahmas
- St. Louis Battlehawks
These eight teams are the same ones that competed in the UFL's first season as a unified spring league. There were no new additions nor relocations for the 2025 campaign.
UFL CHAMPIONSHIP ODDS: Birmingham Stallions favored to four-peat
UFL teams 2025: Coaches, key players, more to know
Here's what to know about each of the UFL's eight teams for 2025, including their coaches, key players and where they play.
Arlington Renegades
- Stadium: Choctaw Stadium, Arlington, Texas
- Coach: Bob Stoops
- Key players: QB Luis Perez, RB Kalen Ballage, WR Tyler Vaughns, DE Chris Odom
Stoops is entering his fourth spring league season and third consecutively in Arlington. He has posted a 9-16 record across his previous three campaigns but led Arlington to an XFL championship in 2023.
The Renegades will be led by Perez, a veteran spring-league quarterback who completed 67% of his passes for 2,310 yards, 18 touchdowns and four interceptions last season. He will be assisted by Ballage, a running back with NFL experience, and Vaughns, his top pass-catcher from last season.
Odom is entering his first season in Arlington. He won the USFL's Defensive Player of the Year award in 2022 after logging 12.5 sacks with the Houston Gamblers (now the Roughnecks).
Birmingham Stallions
- Stadium: Protective Stadium, Birmingham, Ala.
- Coach: Skip Holtz
- Key players: QB Matt Corral, QB Alex McGough, QB Case Cookus, RB C.J. Marable, WR Deon Cain, TE Jace Sternberger
Holtz has led the Stallions to championships in each of his three seasons in charge of the team, posting a 26-4 combined regular-season record and a 6-0 mark in the postseason.
The Stallions have the best quarterback room in the league. Corral, a 2022 third-round pick by the Carolina Panthers, is battling McGough, the 2023 league MVP who played receiver for the Green Bay Packers last season, for the top quarterback job. Those two will be ahead of recent signing Cookus, who was one of the top signal-callers league-wide during the inaugural USFL season in 2022.
Marable, Cain and Sternberger are all multi-year UFL starters and will help shape Birmingham's offense into one of the most feared units in the league.
BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS: How team is using Alex McGough after NFL position switch
D.C. Defenders
- Stadium: Audi Field, Washington, D.C.
- Coach: Shannon Harris (interim)
- Key players: QB Jordan Ta'amu, RB Abram Smith, CB Deandre Baker, CB Kelvin Joseph, WR Chris Rowland
Reggie Barlow was initially supposed to coach the Defenders for a third season after posting a 13-7 record in his previous two seasons. However, he left the team on the eve of the season to take the head coaching job at Tennessee State, which opened the door for Harris, who has no previous head coaching experience, to serve as the team's interim coach.
Ta'amu has been a spring-league quarterback for three organizations and was named the XFL's Offensive Player of the Year in 2023. He was flanked by Smith, who earned an All-XFL nod during that season, and the two figure to be a dynamic rushing attack with Rowland, a 5-8 veteran receiver, serving as one of the team's top targets.
Baker and Joseph will look to win roles in the Defenders' secondary. Baker was a first-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019 while Joseph was a second-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in 2021.
Houston Roughnecks
- Stadium: Space City Financial Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Coach: CJ Johnson
- Key players: QB Nolan Henderson, RB Kirk Merritt, WR Justin Hall
Johnson is in his third season in charge of the Roughnecks and has posted a 6-14 record in two seasons with the team. That included a 1-9 record from last season.
Henderson is considered the favorite to be Houston's starting quarterback, with Johnson praising his accuracy and anticipation in a phone interview with USA TODAY. At the same time, Merritt is expected to be the team's top running back after he played just two games last season.
Meanwhile, Hall is a fast, productive receiver who will be a significant downfield threat for Houston.
Memphis Showboats
- Stadium: Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, Memphis, Tenn.
- Coach: Jim Turner
- Key players: QB E.J. Perry, S Obi Melifonwu, OL Alec Lindstrom
Ken Whisenhunt was originally expected to be the lone new arrival to the UFL's coaching ranks in 2025. However, he stepped away from his post for "personal reasons" on eve of the season, the league announced, and handed the reins to offensive line coach Jim Turner, who has no previous head coaching experience.
Memphis' quarterback situation is in flux after the releases of Cookus and Quinten Dormady. That could open the door for Perry, a UFL veteran who started several games for the Michigan Panthers last season.
Also on the roster are Melifonwu, who was a second-round pick in the 2017 NFL draft and won Super Bowl 53 with the New England Patriots, and Alec Lindstrom, whose older brother Chris has been an All-Pro second-teamer in three consecutive seasons with the Atlanta Falcons.
Michigan Panthers
- Stadium: Ford Field, Detroit, Mich.
- Coach: Mike Nolan
- Key players: QB Danny Etling, WR Samson Nacua, S Kai Nacua, DE Breeland Speaks
Nolan is a third-year coach for the Panthers and he has fared well in his role, leading Michigan to an 11-9 record over his first two seasons. He will look to lead his team to a playoff win for the first time, which may require unseating the Stallions.
Etling was the Panthers' primary starter last season. The dual-threat quarterback was a seventh-round pick by the Patriots and won Super Bowl 53 with the team before carving out a niche for himself in Michigan.
The Panthers also have Samson and Kai Nacua, brothers of Puka, on their roster. Kai was an All-UFL contributor at safety last season and tied for the league lead in interceptions with three.
Speaks led the USFL in sacks during the 2023 season with nine.
UFL'S NEW KICKOFF: Why Jake Bates timed rise to Lions stardom perfectly
San Antonio Brahmas
- Stadium: Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas
- Coach: Wade Phillips
- Key players: QB Kellen Mond, CB Greedy Williams, K Donald De La Haye
Phillips is in his third UFL season and second with the Brahmas. He has a 14-6 regular-season record and led the Brahmas to the UFL championship last season, where they lost 25-0 to the Stallions.
Mond is the biggest name on San Antonio's roster. The former Texas A&M star was a third-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2021 NFL draft but never found his footing. He will look to do so in San Antonio, just like Williams, who was a second-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft.
De La Haye is better known as "Deestroying" and is a prominent YouTuber turned UFL kicker. He played for the Brahmas last season but missed most of the year after suffering an injury early in the season.
St. Louis Battlehawks
- Stadium: The Dome at America’s Center, St. Louis, Mo.
- Coach: Anthony Becht
- Key players: QB Max Duggan, WR Hakeem Butler, WR Denzel Mims, K Rodrigo Blankenship
Becht is now in his third season in charge of the Battlehawks and has led the team to back-to-back 7-3 seasons. He is still searching for his first postseason win.
St. Louis moved on from quarterback AJ McCarron during the offseason and could turn to Duggan, who led TCU to a national championship game appearance in 2023, as a replacement in his first UFL season. Butler, a veteran UFL star, and Mims, a former second-round pick by the New York Jets, will provide the Battlehawks quarterback with plenty of size and athleticism at the outside receiver positions.
Blankenship is a kicker with NFL experience with the Indianapolis Colts and high-level college experience with the Georgia Bulldogs. If he can perform well, he could be granted a chance to fight for a job in the NFL once again.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UFL teams 2025: Coaches, key players, stadiums, more to know
Continue reading...
