The UFL is going to relocate one of its existing franchise to Columbus, Ohio, ahead of its 2026 season.
New league co-owner Mike Repole told USA TODAY Sports about the relocation in a recent interview.
“We’re excited about Columbus as a market,” Repole said. “We know how good Ohio State is and how big football is in Columbus. We’re excited about the local businesses in Columbus and the fan base.”
Repole did not disclose which of the league’s eight existing teams would be relocated to play in Columbus. However, he did communicate that at least two of the UFL’s eight franchise will be moved ahead of the league’s third season.
“There will definitely be two new locations next year,” Repole said. “And within the next 30 days, there could be up to four.”
Why UFL is playing in Columbus
Repole noted Columbus was an ideal location for a UFL franchise because it has already shown it can support professional sports franchises — the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets and Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew — and also has a strong football culture as the home of Ohio State.
But perhaps more importantly, Columbus sports what Repole believes is an ideal venue for a UFL franchise: Historic Crew Stadium, the former home of Columbus Crew and current home of their MLS Next Pro affiliate.
Historic Crew Stadium was built in 1999 and has a seating capacity of 19,968. Repole opined playing in arenas of that size could help the UFL improve the in-stadium experience, which has suffered amid the league’s struggle to fill larger venues.
“Outside of pro football and college football, there aren’t too many sports that can draw 50,000 to 100,000 at a game,” Repole explained. “NBA arenas are 18,000. NHL arenas are 17,000.”
Repole expressed hope that the crowd in Columbus could end up being similar to the one the DC Defenders have been able to draw at Audi Field, the 20,000-seat home of DC United.
“That’s a good venue,” Repole said of Audi Field. “We draw 12,000 in a [20,000-seat] arena. There’s a fan base. It looks great.”
That’s why Repole, and the greater UFL ownership group, are confident putting a team in Columbus will work.
“When the team was able to agree on a deal with the Columbus market, it was really a no-brainer,” Repole said. “We’re really excited about the Columbus market.”
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Repole did not provide details about which UFL franchises might be moved ahead of the league’s third season. However, he did confirm the league would not be expanding.
“We’re gonna play with eight teams,” he said. “We’re gonna have eight teams. We’re gonna have eight names. We’re gonna have eight venues. We might even stay in a city and change the venue. I mean, right now, everything is on the table.”
Repole further explained the league would not hesitate to make changes it believes will be best for the league’s long-term future.
“In all honesty, maybe a city – we’re not right for the city,” Repole said. “And we’re OK with that, because we know that there are other cities and venues that we are right for.”
Repole also detailed 31 cities filed “an application for the potential to have a UFL team.” Columbus was one of the 31, but the other 30 have yet to be identified.
There is no hard deadline for the UFL to decide on where its teams will play in 2025, but Repole expressed his hope the league will have a set plan for 2026 by mid-September.
“We’re going to speak to all the markets,” Repole said. “Nothing is signed, sealed or delivered, except Columbus.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UFL to relocate existing franchise to Columbus for 2026 season
