The Rock Announces XFL, USFL Merger to Create UFL; New League Debuts March 30

The XFL and USFL announced Sunday they're merging to form the United Football League.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson broke the news Sunday on Fox, confirming the new league will kick off March 30, and expressed his hope the joint venture will mean stability for the long-term future of a spring football competition.

Front Office Sports' Eric Fisher reported in December the USFL was folding four of its franchises, with the Birmingham Stallions, Houston Gamblers, Memphis Showboats and Michigan Panthers expected to survive. It was unclear at the time which of the XFL's eight teams would be culled.

The first game of the 2024 season will pit each league's champion against one another. The Arlington Renegades (XFL) will take on the Birmingham Stallions (USFL).

The XFL and USFL first announced in September they intended to merge pending regulatory approval.

Johnson's comments allude to the longstanding difficulty in making spring football part of the sports calendar.

The XFL and USFL are both reboots of failed attempts, with the latter coming the closest in creating a spring foil to the NFL but lasted only three seasons.

The XFL's return with Johnson at the helm drove home the financial realities of launching such a project. Forbes' Jabari Young reported in June the league "lost an estimated $60 million in 2023."

Pooling together the resources of the XFL and USFL could be the path to sustainability, but plenty of fans will remain skeptical.