COLUMBUS, Ohio — Spring professional football is officially coming to Ohio at last.
The United Football League announced multiple new teams that will begin play in the 2026 season.
One of them is called the Columbus Aviators. They will play at Historic Crew Stadium.
The league will stay at eight teams as it did a year ago. But the Aviators along with new franchises in the Louisville Kings and Orlando Storm will replace teams in Michigan, Memphis and San Antonio.
“Today marks an important step forward for the United Football League,” Mike Repole, co-owner of the United Football League, said in a statement. “Columbus, Louisville, and Orlando are true football cities with deep sports roots. We’re proud to bring professional football to these communities – in energetic, fan-driven stadiums built to create an authentic gameday experience and strengthen the foundation of this league for years to come.”
A new coach and uniform design will be unveiled in the future.
The three teams will join the reigning champion Birmingham Stallions, Dallas Renegades, DC Defenders, Houston Roughnecks — now known as the Gamblers —and the St. Louis Battlehawks for the 2026 season.
The upcoming season will begin on March 27, 2026, with the full 43-game schedule to be released at a later date.
2026 will be the third full season for the UFL, which was created from a merger of the XFL and USFL.