UFL Expands to Oklahoma City for 2028 Season

The United Football League (UFL) said Thursday it will expand into Oklahoma City, adding a new franchise that is scheduled to begin play in the 2028 season. League officials framed the move as the first of two expansion markets planned over the next two years, as the UFL works toward a stated goal of reaching 16 teams by 2035.

UFL President and CEO Russ Brandon confirmed the Oklahoma City expansion and described the city as a timely fit for a new team. The announcement sets a clear timeline for the league’s next phase, with Oklahoma City positioned as an early step in a longer runway of growth rather than an immediate, near-term addition.

The team is expected to play at the MAPS 4 Multipurpose Stadium , a venue currently under construction in downtown Oklahoma City. Officials said the stadium will seat approximately 10,000 spectators for football, a capacity that aligns with the UFL’s approach of emphasizing smaller, more intimate game-day settings.

Beyond the venue details, the league tied the expansion to its broader strategic targets. The UFL said Oklahoma City is the first of two new markets it intends to add over the next two years, while keeping the second location undisclosed for now. Further announcements are expected as the league continues to move toward its 2035 team-count objective.

UFL co-owner Mike Repole has described a long-term growth vision that would bring the league to a size equivalent to half of the National Football League (NFL) within the next decade. The Oklahoma City decision, as presented by the league, is intended to support that trajectory by pairing expansion with a stadium plan designed around the UFL’s preferred scale for attendance and atmosphere.

For Oklahoma City, the announcement links a new professional sports tenant to a downtown stadium project that is still being built. For the UFL, it adds a defined future market while leaving key unknowns in place, including the identity and timing details of the second expansion market and how quickly the league will progress from its current footprint toward the 16-team target.