Report: XFL, USFL in merger talks
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The XFL and United States Football League (USFL) are in advanced talks about a merger, Axios's Sara Fischer reports.
Because the deal would be a merger and not an absorption, regulatory approval would be required.
Both the XFL and USFL are reboots of previous incarnations.
The USFL was originally launched as an NFL competitor in 1983 and featured multiple future Pro Football Hall of Famers including Jim Kelly, Reggie White and Steve Young, but ceased operations in 1986.
It was relaunched in 2022 and has operated with eight teams for the past two years. The current incarnation of the USFL is owned by Fox Sports.
The original XFL launched in 2001 as a venture of then-World Wrestling Federation owner Vince McMahon and operated for a single season, backed by NBC. McMahon attempted a relaunch in 2020 that was aborted midseason due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. He would go on to sell the league's assets to former WWF star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who relaunched the eight-team league this past February.
"We will not comment on rumors and speculation," the XFL told Fischer in a statement. Fox Sports did not return a request for comment.