Louisville officially joins UFL as the Louisville Kings; Lynn Family Stadium named home venue

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The United Football League is bringing professional spring football to Louisville.

At 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7, the league announced the Louisville Kings will begin play in spring 2026, calling Lynn Family Stadium their home. Louisville is one of three new UFL markets unveiled for 2026, joining the Columbus Aviators (Historic Crew Stadium) and Orlando Storm (Inter&Co Stadium).

The additions coincide with two rebrands tied to venue moves: the Arlington Renegades will become the Dallas Renegades at Toyota Stadium in Frisco (home of MLS’s FC Dallas), and the Houston Roughnecks will be renamed the Houston Gamblers at Shell Energy Stadium (home of MLS’s Houston Dynamo and NWSL’s Houston Dash).

The addition of Louisville marks a major step in the league’s ongoing realignment — and fulfills months of speculation that the city was a leading candidate to receive a relocated team. 

“Today marks an important step forward for the United Football League,” said Mike Repole, UFL co-owner who leads league business operations through Impact Capital. “Columbus, Louisville, and Orlando are true football cities with deep sports roots… energetic, fan-driven stadiums built to create an authentic gameday experience and strengthen the foundation of this league for years to come.”

Repole joined UFL ownership in July 2025 alongside FOX, RedBird Capital Partners, ESPN, Dany Garcia, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and has championed a strategy of right-sizing into modern soccer venues to improve atmosphere and optics.

“When you have 14,000 fans in an arena that fits 60,000, it looks empty,” Repole told Sports Business Journal earlier this summer. “When you have 14,000 in a place that sits 15,000, it’s standing room only. Changing the optics is very important.”

Who’s in for 2026

Beginning in 2026, the UFL will compete as a single, united eight-team league (no conferences), with the top four advancing to the playoffs after the regular season. The 43-game season kicks off Friday, March 27; head coaches and new uniform designs for all eight teams will be announced later.

Teams & Venues (2026)

• Birmingham Stallions — Protective Stadium
• Columbus Aviators — Historic Crew Stadium
• Dallas Renegades — Toyota Stadium (Frisco, TX)
• DC Defenders — Audi Field
• Houston Gamblers — Shell Energy Stadium
• Louisville Kings — Lynn Family Stadium
• Orlando Storm — Inter&Co Stadium
• St. Louis Battlehawks — The Dome at America’s Center

The three new teams replace the Memphis Showboats, Michigan Panthers, and San Antonio Brahmas, which competed in the league’s first two seasons.

Season ticket deposits for new markets — including Louisville — are now open at theufl.com. Current season-ticket members in Dallas and Houston (markets with venue changes) will receive additional information from the league within 24 hours, and deposits for those clubs are open at theufl.com as well.

Lynn Family Stadium’s capacity (approx. 15,300, expandable beyond 20,000) aligns with the UFL’s push for smaller, energetic venues. Repole has said the league aims to avoid sparsely filled NFL-sized stadiums and “change the optics” around spring football attendance. Background reporting ahead of Tuesday’s announcement consistently pointed to Louisville as a frontrunner because of venue fit, TV interest, and the market’s football culture.

Season ticket deposits for Louisville fans will be available at www.theufl.com.

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