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USFL, XFL in talks to merge for 2024 season: reports

By Ryan Gaydos
Published  September 22, 2023 10:47am EDT
USFL
FOX Business

History of the NFL and how it became the world's richest sports league

The NFL was formed in 1920 when 10 football teams came together in Canton, Ohio, and started the American Professional Football Association (APFA), now known as the NFL.

The USFL and XFL are in talks to merge spring football leagues, according to multiple reports.

The leagues hope to finalize a merger for the 2024 season begins, Axios reported Tuesday. The deal would reportedly need regulatory approval. It is unclear where the broadcasts of the games would go. The USFL appeared on FOX and NBC, while XFL broadcasts have been shown on ESPN and ABC.

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A detailed view of the USFL logo on a football during a game between the New Orleans Breakers and Houston Gamblers at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium on June 18, 2023 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Justin Ford/USFL/Getty Images for USFL / Getty Images)

The XFL had no comment on the merger speculation to Fox News Digital. The USFL referred Fox News Digital to FOX Sports, who declined to comment.

FOX Corp., the parent company of Fox News, owns the USFL. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Dany Garcia and RedBird Capital Partners own the XFL.

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A general view of the XFL logo on the goalpost padding during the second half of the game between the DC Defenders and the Vegas Vipers at Audi Field on March 12, 2023 in Washington, D.C. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

The rebooted USFL has run for two seasons since it returned in 2022. The league used team names from the original league and played in a hub model for the first season. In the second season, the league held contests at several different stadiums, which teams shared for the most part.

The XFL came back in 2023 after it initially rebooted in 2020 before being shut down and sold amid the coronavirus pandemic. Each team played in their own stadiums.

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The Birmingham Stallions celebrate after the Stallions won i the 2023 USFL Championship Game at Tom Benson Hall Of Fame Stadium on July 1, 2023 in Canton, Ohio. (Andy Lyons/USFL/Getty Images for USFL)

Plenty of players have played in either spring league and gone on to make an NFL roster. Former USFL standout KaVontae Turpin was an All-USFL player in 2022 and joined the Dallas Cowboys. He made the Pro Bowl at the end of the 2022 season.

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