Key Points
- Eight Teams in the Merge: Birmingham Stallions, Houston Gamblers, Memphis Showboats, Michigan Panthers, Arlington Renegades, DC Defenders, San Antonio Brahmas, and St. Louis Battlehawks continue in the merged league.
- Player Allocation Strategy: The merger introduces a three-phase player allocation process, including protections and a dispersal draft.
- New Operational Model: The merged league adopts the XFL’s hub style, streamlining operations and logistics.
Birmingham Stallions Linebacker Scooby Wright recently shared insights about the merged XFL-USFL leagues and their plans for players. He shared screens shots from the text message he got from the USFLPA to its players. Today Pro Football Talk reported that the USFLPA told its players details about the 2024 season.
A pivotal dispersal draft is scheduled for mid-January, amidst various activities leading up to it. The XFL-USFL league, launching on March 30, 2024, is expected to feature eight teams, reshaping the landscape of Spring football.
Expected 8 Teams In 2024
In the newly formed league, the landscape of teams is set for a significant reshuffle. Four franchises from the USFL will continue their journey: Birmingham Stallions, Houston Gamblers, Memphis Showboats, and Michigan Panthers. However, the merger will not include four other USFL teams: New Orleans Breakers, New Jersey Generals, Philadelphia Stars, and Pittsburgh Maulers.
From the XFL’s side, four markets rumored to be integrated into the new league: Arlington Renegades, DC Defenders, San Antonio Brahmas, and St. Louis Battlehawks. Conversely, four existing XFL franchises will not be part of this new era: Vegas Vipers, Seattle Sea Dragons, Houston Roughnecks, and Orlando Guardians. We know from sources that Roughneck and Sea Dragons players have been told to look for new teams.
This reorganization reflects a significant shift in the Spring football landscape, marking the beginning of a new chapter for the Spring football.
3 Phase Player Allocation
The transition from 16 to 8 teams involves a three-phase player allocation process.
Player Allocation Phase 1: Each remaining USFL team will identify up to 42 “protected” USFL Contract Players from their roster. These players will be notified of their status within a set timeframe.
Player Allocation Phase 2: Teams can then claim up to 20 additional “protected” players from non-surviving USFL teams. Procedures may be in place for handling multiple claims for the same player.
Dispersal Draft Phase 3: A Dispersal Draft will include all USFL players not “protected” in the earlier phases. Non-contracted players who have previously participated in the USFL or other leagues joining in 2024 must sign with the league before the draft.
New HC For Memphis Showboats
The Memphis Showboats are finalizing their coaching staff after Todd Haley’s departure. The identity of the new head coach remains a topic of interest and speculation in the football community.
New League will use the XFL Hub Style
Scooby Wright indicated that the merged league will adopt the XFL’s hub style, differing from the USFL’s approach. The XFL hub style centralizes operations and training in Arlington Texas. With players flying to games in home markets. A contrast to the USFL’s more city hub model that saw shared locations between two teams. The XFL model saves money as staff, permits, housing are all in one location.
XFL-USFL Dispersal Draft
The upcoming dispersal draft, rumored for mid-January, we assume follows the XFL’s June announcement of expanding team rosters from 51 to 90 players. This expansion accommodates the influx of talent in the off-season, a strategic move that raises questions about roster strategies leading up to the draft now that the leagues have merged.
According to the player allocation phases a total of 62 players will be part of USFL rosters heading into the mid-January dispersal draft. The player pool will also include NFL players cut at the end of the NFL season January 7th.
The XFL-USFL merger brings significant changes, including an eight-team league launching in March 2024 and a major player allocation process. The Memphis Showboats have a new head coach, while the league adopts the XFL’s centralized hub style. With the dispersal draft approaching and rosters expanding, anticipation builds, especially with rumors of a major announcement expected by December 21st.
