The UFL returns next month, for the second season after the XFL/USFL merger. And the spring league is committed to the Memphis market, even if the Memphis market might not yet be committed to the UFL.
Via Jonah Dylan of the Memphis Commercial Appeal, UFL executives have reiterated their belief in Memphis as the host city for the Showboats.
“We just take it one season at a time,” UFL executive vice president of football operations Daryl Johnston said. “I think you’re going to see a result of the time and energy that was put into it this offseason. We’ve got great people on the ground. And it’s just a question of a little bit more publicity and knowledge of the Showboats being here, and that’s something that we face in all the markets. And spring is a challenging platform.”
Memphis averaged 6,900 fans for its 2024 home games. St. Louis drew more than 34,000 per game, on average.
“It’s a historical market, obviously,” UFL president president/CEO Russ Brandon said. “The Showboats have tremendous history here in Memphis. As we came together with the merger, obviously Memphis was a key market as part of legacy USFL. And we’ve just continued to look at building it.”
Memphis isn’t the only challenge. Johnston pointed out that the Birmingham Stallions have won three championships in a row, but the lower bowl for their home games isn’t filled on a consistent basis.
There’s nothing wrong with giving the current markets time to grow, especially since there’s no guarantee that a new market would perform better. The UFL works in St. Louis because: (1) they love football; (2) the NFL took their football away; and (3) supporting the UFL operates as a middle finger to the team that left town.
That’s why it makes sense to look at other markets the NFL has abandoned or ignored. It’s not just a matter of finding major population centers. It’s about places where the UFL will resonate, for whatever reason.
TV and gambling will be primary revenue streams for the UFL. Still, to get people to choose to turn on their televisions and watch, it’s helpful for those folks to see that people who live near the venues find the games sufficiently compelling to devote the time and money necessary to show up.
Patience is required, for now. Eventually, it might take creativity to arrange the teams in a way that makes every game feel like a big deal. Especially if/when the UFL expands beyond eight teams.
