A new report has revealed the cities expected to be the new home for several relocated UFL teams. And surprisingly, it doesn’t include Oakland, CA.
Although ratings for the UFL actually declined in 2025, the decision-makers for the spring football league believe there are still growth opportunities. The main reason is the league’s success in St. Louis, as they have brought pro football back to undeserved die-hard fans in the city.
That is why, when rumors emerged about the USFL teams Birmingham, Michigan, Houston, and Memphis would be relocated, Oakland was expected to be a destination. The city was the home for the NFL’s Raiders on two occasions. Has a strong sports fan base. And it now has no local teams after the Golden State Warriors relocated to San Francisco, and the Raiders and Athletics are either now in Las Vegas or plan to be soon.
However, a new report from Pro Football Talk on Wednesday claims that the sports-loving town will not be getting a UFL team.
“So much for Oakland, Tampa, Philly, NJ. The new UFL markets reportedly are Boise, Columbus, Florida (likely Orlando), and Kentucky (Louisville/Lexington),” the outlet wrote in a post on X. “Which basically means the USFL portion of the league is dead.”
Why the locations for the relocated UFL teams make sense
Pro Football Talk had speculated about Oakland, Tampa, Philly, and somewhere in New Jersey being the locations for the relocated teams. Obviously, they were way off. However, the four rumored destinations do make sense.
Columbus, OH has been a city that’s been growing for some time and has pro sports teams like MLS’s Columbus Crew and the NHL’s Blue Jackets to go along with Ohio State. Orlando is one of Florida’s biggest cities, but the state’s three NFL teams are located in Miami, Tampa Bay, and Jacksonville.
Boise and Kentucky both have strong fan bases when it comes to the notable college teams in the region. In general, the four cities don’t already have NFL teams in their cities. So, for diehard football fans who don’t want to drive far to see NFL games hours away, they will be able to see pro football in their cities.
