Jake Leonard 
In February 2023, Ambush Sports contributor Mike Guardiola presented his views on the potential cities that could earn that expansion nod for what was at the time the XFL. Since then, the XFL and USFL merged to become the United Football League (UFL).
Now, as we enter 2025, there are many potential options for expansion, and all options should be explorable, including the two unrelated versions of the UFL which ran from 1961 to 1964 under George T. Gareff and 2009 to 2012 under Bill Hambrecht. That also doesn’t mean that former XFL and USFL cities should not be considered.
Without any further ado, here are 20 cities that should be in deep consideration (or at least given another opportunity):
20 markets the UFL should consider for league expansion
20. Charleston, West Virginia
Believe it or not, West Virginia had a professional football team: the Charleston Rockets. The Rockets existed as a professional team from 1964 until they suspended operations in 1969.
The team started in Gareff’s UFL, which was in its final season in 1964. After the UFL dissolved its operations, the Rockets became a charter franchise in the Continental Football League (COFL) and played four seasons until they suspended team operations following an ownership change in January 1969.
In its five-year existence, the Rockets went 11-3 in the UFL, 38-15 in the COFL, and 49-18 overall. An undefeated 14-0 season in 1965 not only secured them a divisional title in the Western Division but also the league championship.
The Rockets played at Laidley Field during its entire existence. However, the original facility was torn down and completely rebuilt by the Kanawha County School District in 1979. The newer facility seats 18,500, but their record attendance to date was a University of Charleston football game against the University of Virginia’s College at Wise.
Charleston invested over $1.5 million into the facility in 2003 when the school district faced fiscal struggles to maintain the facility. The investment was part of a joint venture between the school district and the University of Charleston.
Perhaps a return to professional football could be a good thing not only for the local economy in Charleston but for the state of West Virginia as a whole.
19. Las Vegas, Nevada
Hold on – don’t criticize this recommendation too harshly. Yes, the XFL had a rough go in Sin City when the league relocated the Vipers from Tampa Bay. It only seemed like a reasonable business decision since Vegas was part of the original XFL with the Las Vegas Outlaws.
What hurt the Vipers wasn’t just the unsuitable facilities at Cashman Field, a former Minor League Baseball stadium. It was also the logistical nightmare the UFL had in securing a lease with more suitable facilities, ala Allegiant Stadium, the current home of the Las Vegas Raiders and the UNLV Rebels football teams. Why the XFL didn’t fight to keep the Vipers in 2024 was ultimately left to attendance, which was poor.
Las Vegas, much like Charleston, also had a franchise in the UFL, but this time during the Hambrecht era.
The Las Vegas Locomotives played at Sam Boyd Stadium for all four seasons.
Considering the UFL’s relationship with the NFL, perhaps it’s time to give Sin City another opportunity. If the Raiders are unwilling to work with the league, perhaps a deal with UNLV could help reopen Sam Boyd for a UFL expansion team, since the stadium has been closed to the public since 2020.
18. Sacramento, California
Sacramento will be one of several West Coast cities on this list, mostly due to their previous stint in professional football.
They had a team in Hambrecht’s UFL, the Mountain Lions. Early in the team’s history, the team would play in San Francisco and San Jose when it was known as the California Redwoods before relocating to Sacramento and Cal State Sacramento.
The team would launch in 2009 with venture capitalist Paul Pelosi serving as majority owner. Financial problems would result in the Mountain Lions folding its operations in the middle of the 2012 season.
17. Portland, Oregon
To Mike’s point, Portland has a lot of potential with a metropolitan population of roughly 2.5 million. The city is home to the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers and Major League Soccer’s Portland Timbers.
Not only could the Timbers share their stadium with a potential UFL franchise, but given that Seattle is given another nod down the road, it would create an instant rivalry. That hasn’t been a thing in the NBA since the Seattle SuperSonics got its unfortunate relocation to Oklahoma City in 2008. However, the MLS rivalry between the Portland Timbers and the Seattle Sounders is absolute fire.
At the same time, the UFL could channel the fan bases of both the University of Oregon and Oregon State University.
16. Salt Lake City, Utah
SLC is a city that doesn’t immediately come to mind when it comes to professional football, but they sure love their basketball with the NBA’s Utah Jazz.
The Utah/Utah State college rivalry game is a must-attend for football fans near and far.
In addition to that, the city has an MLS franchise in Real Salt Lake and as of earlier this year, is home to the NHL’s Utah Hockey Club, which was formerly known as the Arizona Coyotes.
15. San Diego, California
San Diego has suffered blow after blow in recent years with the (Super)Chargers abandoning them for Los Angeles and their shared facility with the Los Angeles Rams. Sadly, it’s not the only major loss in professional football for the city.
San Diego was home to the Fleet in the incredibly mismanaged Alliance of American Football. The Fleet was barely given a chance, only playing for eight weeks before the league went bankrupt.
Jerry Kurz, former Commissioner and founding father of the Arena Football League (AFL), bought the intellectual property of the bankrupted league in 2019 for $455,000, beating out bids made by the revived XFL.
The AFL dissolved for a third time at the end of the 2024 season with the remaining teams being charter founding members of Arena Football One (AF1).
Could Kurz be behind a potential return to professional football, whether it’s with the UFL or AF1? It would certainly be interesting to find out.
14. Chicago, Illinois
While it’s preferable to avoid any cities with an active NFL franchise, Chicago is worth considering as they are seeking a move to the suburbs (at least check, Arlington Heights, 45 minutes northwest of their current home at Soldier Field).
Chicago was home to the Chicago Rush in the AFL from 2001 to 2013. Initially returning in 2025, the revival was cut short as the AFL ceased operations with its surviving eight teams making the jump to AF1.
The Rush is currently under the ownership of Grammy Award-nominated music producer Ernest “Tuo” Clark, so who knows what is in store for the Windy City come 2026. Could the Rush be capable of evolving from arena football to playing on the gridiron at Soldier Field?
13. Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Why not consider Canada, even when it seems like the future is always uncertain with the Canadian Football League (CFL)? A few years ago, there was even a discussion of an acquisition and merger of the CFL into the XFL. It was only one of the contributing factors why the relaunch of the XFL post-Vince McMahon was delayed after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the sports world in 2020.
The market eclipses nearly every single metropolitan area in population (except New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago) at 6.7 million.
A potential UFL franchise will be able to choose between the Rogers Centre and BMO Field as its home field.
Toronto has seen success in professional football over the years, including the predecessor to the Buffalo Bills and the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts.
There is a rabid fanbase with the NBA’s Toronto Raptors and the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs, but the city is also known for its professional wrestling as well.
12. Seattle, Washington
Disappointed that I didn’t rank it higher?
Seattle had the Sea Dragons in the XFL from 2020 to 2023. Struggles with attendance during the 2023 season could have become a contributing factor in the UFL not keeping their franchise active post-merger. However, Seattle is a good market that sold well along the likes of the St. Louis Battlehawks and the DC Defenders.
Lumen Field, home of the NFL’s Seahawks and MLS’ Seattle Sounders, sounds like the obvious choice to field a UFL team, considering that was the home field for the Sea Dragons.
Seattle is also home to the MLB’s Mariners, the NHL’s Kraken, the WNBA’s Storm, and the NWSL’s Reign FC.
It would go without saying that Seattle got hosed by the XFL/USFL merger, so 2026 sounds like a perfect time to make things right to football fans in the Emerald City.
11. Los Angeles, California
There are valid arguments why a certain state shouldn’t have too many franchises. That argument is already prevalent with the Houston Roughnecks (merger of USFL’s Houston Gamblers staff and personnel with the social media powerhouse of the XFL’s Houston Roughnecks), the Arlington Renegades, and the San Antonio Brahmas. That is why I am not going to present a Texas recommendation.
Based on those criteria, Los Angeles will be my next to final recommendation for California.
L.A. is already a huge football city with UCLA, the NFL’s Rams and Chargers (although St. Louis and San Diego got screwed over), but in the XFL, the Wildcats hardly got a chance when they were part of the league’s revival in 2020.
10. Literally anywhere (Guardians)
Anyone who’s followed the XFL for any amount of time remembers the Guardians. In 2019, McMahon and his company Alpha Entertainment established the team as the New York Guardians for the 2020 revival.
The New York Guardians played only one season in the revived league at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. before being relocated to Orlando for the 2023 season.
Even in Orlando, things weren’t going well at Camping World Stadium. Their 1-9 record certainly did not help matters.
So why not give the Guardians another chance, even if they don’t return to New York or Orlando? The Guardians should work anywhere in North America.
9. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia has been without a major-level professional football team since 1931, but the closest thing they had to the real thing without being the NFL was the Philadelphia Stars in the 2022 revival of the United States Football League (USFL).
The City of Brotherly Love is a spirited sports community with the Phillies (MLB), Eagles (NFL), 76ers (NBA), Flyers (NHL), and Philadelphia Union (MLS).
It also knows the heartbreak of losing teams to relocation. In 1954, Philadelphia lost the Athletics to a relocation to Kansas City. 12 years later in 1967, the Athletics was uprooted from Kansas City to Oakland, California. In 2028, the Athletics will officially be relocated to Las Vegas, much like the Raiders did in 2020. Until then, the Athletics will play their games in West Sacramento.
Which brings me to my next suggestion…
8. Oakland, California
Final California recommendation, I promise.
The city and its sports fans have been through enough with the loss of their Raiders in 2020 to Las Vegas and the eventual relocation of the Athletics to the same in 2028.
The biggest barrier to entry will likely be the city government, which was one of the key factors why the Raiders and Athletics fled from town because the city doesn’t want to invest in their current athletic facilities.
But it doesn’t hurt to try…
7. Hartford (or Stamford), Connecticut
Hartford was home to the Hartford Colonials during the Hambrecht era of the UFL, but sadly, it only lasted for two seasons.
The 40,000-seat Rentschler Field at UConn would be the perfect venue for a New England-based UFL franchise.
Just over an hour southwest of Hartford is the economic metropolis of Stamford. Home to sports entities like World Wrestling Entertainment and NBC Sports Group, there is a lot of opportunity for the city with a population of 135,470.
While there are no facilities to accommodate a football team in Stamford, the ongoing Harbor Point redevelopment could very well be an opportunity to build a football stadium.
6. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
For a city known for the Pirates (MLB), Steelers (NFL), and Penguins (NHL), Pittsburgh seems to be the perfect place to hold another football franchise.
They had just that in the USFL with the Pittsburgh Maulers. Much like the Philadelphia Stars, their hopes of being part of the merged UFL came to an end.
Home to the University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University, and Robert Morris University, it is home to many of the greatest rivalry games involving the three universities.
Similar to Toronto and Seattle, Pittsburgh is home to many notable professional wrestlers such as Kurt Angle, Bruno Sammartino, Shane Douglas, Corey Graves, and more notably of All Elite Wrestling fame, Britt Baker.
Why not take advantage of an already great sports community?
5. East Rutherford, New Jersey
You may or may not recognize East Rutherford, but you may know MetLife Stadium, the home of the New York Giants and New York Jets.
East Rutherford was the headquarters of the New Jersey Generals of the USFL, but they never got the opportunity to play at MetLife in their own market, rather playing both seasons in Canton, Ohio at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
The Generals met the same fate as Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, Seattle, Orlando, and Las Vegas as a result of the merger of the XFL and USFL that formed the UFL in losing their franchise.
4. Orlando, Florida
It would be sufficient to state that Orlando has gotten hosed over the years when it comes to professional football.
Orlando has been home to several professional football teams, starting with the Orlando Panthers in the COFL in the 1960s. The Florida Blazers of the World Football League were in Orlando for a single season in 1974 before being relocated to San Antonio the following season.
The City Beautiful was the beneficiary to a relocated team in the 1980s version of the USFL, when the Washington Federals were relocated to Orlando to become the Orlando Renegades in 1985. Before they could play any games in the 1986 season, the league folded.
Orlando had a charter team in the World League of American Football in 1991 and 1992 but was dropped when the league engaged in a reorganization in 1995.
In the new millennium, the XFL established the Orlando Rage, which only saw one season of action before the league folded.
In 2009, Orlando was one of several launch markets in the Hambrecht era of the UFL with the Florida Tuskers. After two seasons, the team relocated to Virginia to become the Virginia Destroyers.
In 2010, a women’s indoor football league, the Lingerie Football League (now known as Legends Football League) established a team in Orlando with the Orlando Fantasy.
The final two forays in professional football came in 2019 and 2023 respectively with the AAF’s Orlando Apollos and the XFL’s Guardians, which were relocated from East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The city of just over 307,000 people is also home to Orlando City SC (MLS), Orlando Magic (NBA), Orlando Pride (NWSL), and the University of South Florida.
3. Virginia Beach, Virginia
Believe it or not, Virginia Beach was a benefactor to a relocated team (see Orlando) when the UFL’s Florida Tuskers was moved from Orlando.
The Virginia Destroyers played in the Virginia Beach Sportsplex for one season before the Hambrecht era of the UFL was pushed to the brink of dissolution.
If for some reason the Sportsplex will not suffice (6,000 seats with the ability to expand to 17,000), the UFL franchise may have to go to nearby Norfolk to Old Dominion University (S.B. Ballard Stadium holds 21,944) or Norfolk State University (Price Stadium holds 30,000).
2. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach is more commonly known as the “Golf Capital of the World”, but what if it could be known for football?
The city hosts a minor-league baseball team, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, which plays in the Carolina League and is a farm franchise for the Chicago Cubs.
Coastal Carolina University in nearby Conway is also an option to consider for a stadium for a potential UFL franchise to play in. Brooks Stadium has a capacity of 21,000.
1. Omaha, Nebraska
The first city you hear about football in any capacity awaiting a comeback in pro football just happens to be in the Midwestern United States: Omaha, Nebraska.
There is no shortage of sports action in Omaha, being home to Creighton University and the University of Nebraska at Omaha. The Storm Chasers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals, are seven-time MiLB champions in the International League.
Omaha is also home to the Lancers (USHL), Beef (National Arena League), Union Omaha (USL League One), and the Supernovas (Pro Volleyball Federation).
In addition, Omaha has been home to the NCAA College World Series since 1950, played at Charles Schwab Field since 2011.
The Omaha Nighthawks in the UFL played at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in 2010 before moving to the then-named TD Ameritrade Park in 2011 and played there until the league’s dissolution in 2012.
Charles Schwab Park holds a 24,000 capacity, much like the former Rosenblatt Stadium. With a recorded track record of selling out the entire venue for many games during the team’s existence, it makes the most sense to bring the Nighthawks from the dead and invite them to the UFL.
