Last year, it was the USFL. This year, it’s the USFL and XFL. Next year, it will be a trifecta.
The Arena Football League has announced that it is returning in 2024, under new ownership.
“We are elated to come out of hibernation and make this announcement official,” AFL president Anthony Rossi said. “Our objective when we acquired the AFL was to bring back a storied brand that deserved to be revived and showcased again, globally. We envisioned executing on the old saying ‘Bigger and Better,’ but this time, we want to incorporate the components of a modern-day business -- streaming, betting, technology, virtual reality, and immerse fan engagement mixed with good old-fashioned ironman football.”
The announcement says that the league will have 16 teams, and that it will play a 10-game season.
The AFL originally launched in 1987. The 2009 season was canceled due to financial issues that resulted in bankruptcy. The league rebooted, with an L.A.-based franchise owned by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of KISS.
Later in the decade, the league shrank to as few as four teams. In 2019, the league’s final season, the AFL had six franchises.
