Spring soccer is right here to remain, however the Seattle Sea Dragons received’t be coming again any time quickly.
Following the completion of its inaugural season, the United Soccer League, which merged the USFL and XFL collectively, will return the 2025 season. A report from FOX Sports activities’ Eric Williams signifies that, “Whereas there was discuss of growth, 12 months 2 will function all eight groups returning to their residence markets because the league works to refine issues through the offseason and construct a greater product in 2025.”
In different phrases, in case you wished Seattle to get again into the spring leagues, it’s not taking place. The UFL consisted solely of groups within the Central and Japanese Time Zones, together with three Texas-based groups in San Antonio, Arlington, and Houston.
Tv viewership for the UFL was greater than each the USFL and XFL in 2023, though attendance was closely skewed by the presence of the St. Louis Battlehawks, who averaged over 34,000 followers of their residence video games.
In an interview with Williams, UFL head of soccer operations Daryl Johnston had this to say about constructing residence markets:
“With our residence markets, we’ve obtained to construct that belief there — that we’re not going to depart or [that] the league isn’t going to fold,” Johnston mentioned. “We’ve obtained a pair cities that traditionally have been part of spring soccer, they’ve dedicated to a group and that group has left. … We’ve nonetheless obtained some belief to construct in our residence markets. …
“I feel we have been promoting tickets for the house opener in Houston seven days in and out Michigan seven days out. Final yr was getting the merger accomplished, getting all the pieces in place after which placing the season collectively. This yr, we’ve already been planning for season two of the UFL 9 months out.”
Whereas nobody goes to confuse the UFL with the NFL when it comes to product high quality (significantly offensive line and quarterback play), it’s a place the place gamers can nonetheless play the sport they love at knowledgeable stage. As of June 21, a complete of 12 UFL gamers have signed or are reportedly have signed contracts with NFL groups.
