UFL Returns to Orlando for Round Two in 2026

Orlando will be one of three new markets getting a UFL team for the 2026 season, the league announced today. 

The Orlando Storm, Columbus Aviators and Louisville Kings will debut in spring 2026, joining the other five teams in the UFL. 

“We wanted markets that were either college towns or had one or two or no professional sports teams that were big cities and big sports cities,” UFL co-owner Mike Repole said about the choices of markets, according to USA Today’s Jacob Camenker.

The Storm, Kings and Aviators are replacing the Memphis Showboats, Michigan Panthers and San Antonio Brahmas, who each played in the league the last two seasons.

Players on those replaced teams now enter a dispersal draft, where the three succeeding teams can draft from that pool, along with the rest of the league. Those who aren’t drafted then become free agents and can get signed by any team in the league. 

The Storm will host their home games at Inter&Co Stadium in downtown Orlando, the same home of Orlando City SC (MLS) and the Orlando Pride (NWSL). 

This isn’t the first time Orlando has had a spring football team (or the second or third or fourth). Before the UFL’s second stint from 2009-2012 came to an end, Orlando had the Florida Tuskers, who played in the league for two seasons from 2009-2010. Orlando’s most recent season having spring football was the Orlando Guardians in the XFL in 2023 after rebranding from the New York Guardians. They were disbanded when the XFL combined with the USFL into what is now the UFL in 2024. Orlando had two other teams since 1985, the Orlando Rage (XFL, 2001) and the Orlando Renegades (USFL, 1985), which Lee Corso coached. 

The UFL stated that the full 43-game schedule would be announced at a later date, but the Storm and Inter&Co Stadium announced that season ticket holders for the Orlando City SC and Orlando Pride get first dibs.

The season kicks off on Friday, March 27.

Category: Football, Orlando City SC, USFL