The United Football League announced Wednesday that it will relocate two teams to Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and Colorado Springs for the 2027 season. The league will play its games at Centreville Bank Stadium, marking the return of professional football outside the NFL to New England as part of an ongoing expansion toward a ten-team footprint by 2028.
Relocating Franchises to New England and Colorado
Spring professional football is shifting its geography. The United Football League confirmed that teams previously based in Houston and Birmingham will move ahead of the 2027 campaign, setting up operations in Rhode Island and Colorado. The move establishes the league’s first territory in the Northeast and the West, stepping away from its largely southeastern roots where no prior franchises operated north of Columbus, Ohio, or west of Dallas.
Formed by the merger of the XFL and the United States Football League, the UFL launched in 2024, becoming the latest league to counterbalance the NFL by making a play for spring football. Houston and Birmingham are out, while Pawtucket and Colorado Springs are in. The spring league reiterated the plan to expand to 10 teams in 2028, with Utah and Oklahoma joining the operation.
The Rhode Island franchise is slated to begin its inaugural home slate on Friday, April 2, 2027, playing at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket. Meanwhile, the Colorado team will kick off its schedule on Sunday, April 11, 2027, at Weidner Field in Colorado Springs. Subsequent expansion is already locked in for 2028, with teams heading to Sandy, Utah, and Oklahoma City.
Targeting Intimate Soccer Stadiums for Sellout Crowds
Rather than leasing massive NFL facilities, the league is leaning heavily into smaller, soccer-specific venues designed to guarantee high-energy atmospheres. UFL co-owner Mike Repole outlined the strategy behind targeting communities outside major metropolitan hubs.
“Everything I’ve been saying about this league, it’s really about the right market. It’s the right fan base, and then it’s the right venue. And you have to check all three,” Mike Repole, UFL co-owner and the entrepreneur behind Vitaminwater and Smartwater, told the Globe. “When I look at New England, I see the right market. I see the right fan base, and then with Centreville Stadium in Pawtucket … it’s a new state of the art, 10,000-[seat] stadium.”
Centreville Bank Stadium, which opened along the Seekonk River in 2025 as part of the Tidewater Landing development, seats 10,500 spectators and serves as the primary home for the USL’s Rhode Island FC. In Colorado, the team will utilize Weidner Field, which holds an 8,000-seat capacity and hosts the USL’s Colorado Springs Switchbacks. Both venues operate under multiyear rental agreements secured by the league. In 2028, the Utah team will play at America First Field (20,000), home of the MLS’ Real Salt Lake and NWSL’s Utah Royals.
Rebranding Predecessor Franchises and Building Local Ties
The incoming clubs will break entirely from their predecessors. The relocated franchises will not keep the existing names, colors, or logos that date back to the original USFL era under the Gamblers and Stallions monikers. Full brand identities, including new team names and logos for the Rhode Island and Colorado outfits, are scheduled for public unveiling on October 18.
Paul Byrne, the general manager of Centreville Bank Stadium, noted that the venue’s versatility played a major role in securing the partnership. Beyond soccer, the stadium has hosted rugby, lacrosse, and college football, including a matchup between Brown University and Harvard University.
Photo: bostonglobe.com
Byrne said he believes the venue’s intimate setting and its ability to turn over for different sports were big factors in attracting the league, adding that the stadium was built to be versatile and the hope is to continue to push the venue as much as possible.
League leadership views the Ocean State as a proven market for athletic engagement, pointing to the 50-year run of the Pawtucket Red Sox and the strong local turnout for Rhode Island FC. While the team names and brand kits change next month, league officials indicated that the rosters and coaching staffs from the former Houston and Birmingham operations could be assigned to the new market teams as preparations for the 2027 season accelerate.
Daniel Richardson is the Editor-in-Chief of Archysport, where he leads the editorial team and oversees all published content across nine sport verticals. With over 15 years in sports journalism, Daniel has reported from the FIFA World Cup, the Olympic Games, NFL Super Bowls, NBA Finals, and Grand Slam tennis tournaments. He previously served as Senior Sports Editor at Reuters and holds a Master's degree in Journalism from Columbia University. Recognized by the Sports Journalists' Association for excellence in reporting, Daniel is a member of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS). His editorial philosophy centers on accuracy, depth, and fair coverage — ensuring every story published on Archysport meets the highest standards of sports journalism.
