The Birmingham Stallions’ remarkable championship dynasty faces its greatest challenge this offseason – and it’s not on the field. New UFL CO-Owner and Business Director Mike Repole has thrown down the gauntlet to Birmingham fans, demanding 5,000 season ticket deposits to prove the three-time champion franchise deserves to stay in the Magic City for the 2026 season.
The Ultimatum That Shook Birmingham
In a bold Friday night social media post that sent shockwaves through the UFL community, Repole acknowledged the passionate #SaveTheStallions movement that has generated over 2,000 petition signatures and countless social media posts.
But his message was clear: virtual support won’t save the franchise, season tickets sales will.
There’s been a lot of buzz about which cities will host
@TheUFL teams in 2026. The interest has been huge — and we’ve seen #SaveTheStallions everywhere.
I love the passion!!!!!But here’s the truth: hashtags and petitions don’t fill stadiums.
The Birmingham Stallions are one of the league’s most historic franchises, but they’ve seen a massive drop in attendance.
For the United Football League, that is not sustainable.
We’ll do our part with better marketing and a stronger local focus, but the future of the Stallions comes down to you.
If you want the team, kindly show up.
Our goal next year is 15k fans per game.
Let’s get to 5k season ticket deposits this week and I’ll see you all for the 1st game of the year!!!!!
LFG!!!!! ❤️💪
Get your season tickets.
Be heard. 👇
http://SavetheStallions.com
Political Drama Adds New Wrinkle
The situation took an unexpected turn Saturday when Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, facing an election in just 10 days, declared on social media that the Stallions were staying put. Repole’s swift response poured cold water on the mayor’s announcement, clarifying that no final decision had been made and playfully challenging Woodfin to personally purchase 4,500 tickets if he wanted to guarantee the team’s future.
The exchange highlighted both the political stakes involved and Repole’s determination to base decisions on hard numbers rather than promises. His invitation to connect with Woodfin next week, along with a pointed reference to St. Louis drawing 26,000 fans per Battlehawks game, underscored the competitive reality facing Birmingham.
The Numbers Tell a Troubling Story
The Stallions’ attendance has been on a concerning downward trajectory despite their on-field success. After averaging 10,260 fans during the UFL’s inaugural 2024 season, attendance dropped to 9,149 per game at Protective Stadium in 2025 – a decline that Repole characterized as “a massive drop” and “not sustainable.”
This attendance struggle stands in stark contrast to the team’s unparalleled success on the field. The Stallions captured USFL championships in 2022 and 2023, won the first UFL title in 2024, and reached the semifinals in 2025. They’ve become the gold standard of spring football, yet their home crowds have dwindled.
Relocation Storm Clouds Gathering
UFL News Hub first reported last month that the league planned to relocate up to four franchises before the 2026 season, with the entire USFL Conference – Birmingham, Houston, Memphis, and Michigan – potentially on the chopping block. The league initially responded to these reports with a measured statement about being “in the planning stages” without confirming the speculation.
However, when Repole joined the ownership group on July 31 through his private-equity firm Impact Capital, he confirmed that at least two franchises would indeed relocate, with Columbus, Ohio, already identified as one destination for a relocated team.
Repole’s vision for the league emphasizes creating better atmospheres in smaller, fuller stadiums rather than playing in NFL venues where 10,000 fans can feel like an empty house. His colorful description of current games – “You can hear a pin drop when someone runs 80 yards” – captures the challenge facing not just Birmingham but the entire league.
A Franchise Worth Fighting For
The Stallions represent more than just another sports franchise to Birmingham. Since the USFL’s 2022 restart when the entire league played its regular season in the city, Birmingham has been synonymous with spring football excellence. The team’s championship pedigree and historic significance make them what Repole himself called “one of the league’s most historic franchises.”
The UFL has promised improved marketing and stronger local focus, acknowledging their role in building attendance. But ultimately, Repole’s message is unmistakable: the league can only do so much. Birmingham must prove it wants and will support professional football.
The Clock Is Ticking
As of Saturday morning, Repole reported receiving 500 new season ticket requests – a promising start but still far from the 5,000 target. The business director’s engagement with local officials and businesses, including a tongue-in-cheek suggestion that Perry’s Steakhouse buy season tickets as employee Christmas bonuses, shows he’s pulling out all stops to keep the team viable in Birmingham.
The parallels Repole draws are telling. He compares the Stallions to the NFL’s Green Bay Packers – a small-market team that belongs in its community. But unlike Green Bay’s legendary support, Birmingham hasn’t yet proven it can sustain a professional football franchise in the modern sports economy.
To be fair, it seems there is attendance headwind for all professional sports leagues since COVID. This does not help a league trying to get on its own footing.
Looking Ahead
This 5,000 season ticket number is something we have been hearing about over the last several months. Sources tell UFL News Hub that season ticket renewals are down from what they were last season across the board. There are a lot of unknows within the front office with this new business team coming into place.
We have heard from our sources the UFL had given away a lot of tickets last season, more then ever before to put it nicely. Hence, the focus on getting guaranteed money for the 2026 season from each of the 8 UFL teams.
The league is holding out hope that Michigan, Houston and Birmingham can build some excitement and get the team to that 5,000 level. The league looks to push its new marketing strategy starting in September. We are hearing their might be some deadline in early December on where the four bubble teams will play in 2026.
Of course this all is a fluid situation, nothing is set in stone.
For Stallions fans, the message couldn’t be simpler: If you want to save your team, buy a ticket. Not tomorrow, not next season – now. Because in the business of professional sports, love for the game means nothing without fans in the seats.
To secure season tickets and help save the Stallions, visit savethestallions.com.
8 Comments
by Ken Granito
Again, happy to have Mike Repole onboard as opposed to what management previously looked like, but we need to discuss what is actually being quoted. Repole is quoted as saying that that the change going from 10k fans average to 9k is a “massive drop” and “not sustainable” tells me how little Repole knows about the business he just got into. To fix this product he really needs to start watching tape with a person that knows NFL football and is NOT affiliated with the UFL. They need to watch how the Stallions were officiated in a state of keeping their opponents in the game. This reached a high point of the Showboats beating the Stallions because the officiating especially on the Offensive tackles was SO poor. By the end of the game they were doing anything they wanted and not drawing a flag. My girlfriend that it was insane. Then you include the Mother’s Day game where 5k people came and if you listened, everytime the people in the booth even started to talk they were booed vehemently. If you don’t know that this is a problem in how you treated the Stallions, you will be no hope to this league, other than your funds. If you are the man to fix this you will build back the situation, look at the first Memphis game then watch the Mother’s Day game. You cannot feed someone $h1t and expect them to come back to your restaurant. If you really want to fix the league, you need to look at St. Louis. Look into Anthony Becht. He was given a HC job after 8 whole games as a TE coach. He was given that job, because he played in the NFL and for no other reason. He had good records his first two seasons with the Battlehawks largely because they had the best Quarterback in the league. He had a problem with AJ McCarron so he cut him. McCarron was not allowed to sign with another team as that might hurt the Battlehawks making the playoffs. The Battlehawks were 2-2 and it was looking as though they might not host a playoff game. The league needing to something about that were helped by officiating and in the booth. Games with Arlington and the Panthers were most notably fixed by the league. Michigan outgained St. Louis by more than 100 yards. Sometimes it happens that way, but this game was fixed as was the Renegades game including a call that wiped out a Renegades touchdown, that broke every booth review the UFL has to take the Renegades points off the board. On top of that Becht would not employ a veteran QB as it became clear he is out of his depth with a veteran that knows what he is doing. If you are not goin to put the best product on the field in your best market, just get out of the league. Instead of making recommendations based on what people are telling you, do your own research. The UFL is not real. It’s actually awful the way the league was handled in 2025. If you are going to get rid of Birmngham you should get rid or Arlington, first. Also, please reswarch this. If you want any real and unbiased help, I would be happy to help you with that. I can help you double your fanbase and I won’t even ask to be paid.
by Gary Winter
Ken,
I assume the line offering “unbiased help” was just your way of being funny. It worked too. For an unbiased guy you sure make a lot of assumptions and spew negatives about a league you seem to feel compelled to attack on a semi-regular basis. Who would pay you for these long winded diatribes about league cheating, preventing players from playing just to protect a bad coach and insure that the Championship is given to St. Louis. It seems, in your need to hurt the league with your mostly unsubstantiated BS you just don’t like this league. Good for you. We all need some sort of release from our lives. Maybe you should start watching the WNBA! They really have an official problem nearly every game. That seems like it could make your day.
by Ken Granito
Because you can’t grasp the notion….this is an unbiased report.
by Johnny the Angry Fuzzball
Repole just screwed up royally.
You can’t demand people buy tickets for an event that you can’t guarantee will be happening. The first iteration of the threat was reasonable: we’ll give you a chance to prove yourself, but if you don’t, we’re leaving.
Now he’s threatening to leave before the season even after having sold season tickets. Will the fans get their money back? Doubtful.
If I’m Woodfin, I’m getting on the phone with AF1, the IFL, anything and putting the heat back on Repole. Either guarantee the 2026 season you’ve already collected money for, or WE’LL kick YOU out. The UFL has already soured its relationship with Birmingham enough, and this antagonistic threat Repole is pulling is making it worse.
by Jasper
Five thousand fans in a 47,000 seat stadium is the exact look on television that Mike says he wants the league to avoid. He’s just throwing out a number that’ll never happen as an excuse for moving the Stallions.
by 4th&long
He doesn’t need an excuse to move the team. The mayor is an idiot stating the team is staying w/o doing a damn thing. As is the BJCC that runs the stadium like crap. We hear high prices and slow speeds for concessions.
We keep hearing that the UFL wants good partners in their stadiums/cities. Birm isn’t doing enough by far and unlike a Houston or Detroit they have no major league (NHL, NFL, MLB, NBA) teams… and never will. USFL/UFL was a gift from God and if they blow it, look in the mirror metro Birmingham and Mayor.
by 4th&long
The mayor is an idiot. He should have said “BUY BUY BUY TICKETS. We can save the Stallions but we all have to do our part, and I’m looking at you the people of Birm Metro Area. Time to make it happen. Go out and BUY now.”
Instead he not only takes his foot off the gas to buy, he applies the brakes. F##kg IDIOT.
And then…
After MR tweet, followed by Mayor Woodfin declaring Stallions staying tweet, MR responds and says nope not yet… and I’m glad he called him out. These pols are useless! What’s he doing to keep the Stallions – apparently nothing based on this exchange
MR called his Bluff in the open… he did say “we’ve got 500 new season ticket requests” but also “Now, about the rumor that the Stallions are “definitely” staying in Birmingham???
Not true. ”
MR has Balz and doesn’t give a c##p, he called out the mayor. Apparently keeping the Stallions is a campaign issue, at least for some. The mayor is an AH for saying he the Stallions were staying, and he got called out. Good, now do something mayor.
And then MR talks about the Hoover Met in suburban Birm 15min away as an option… He’s literally telling the mayor “your city isn’t doing enough”. Has the mayor even appeared on TV/Radio/PressConf etc and talked to the people directly? Has he picked up a phone and called the UFL and MR? Do nothing… get nothing mayor.
by 4th&long
Also Mark.
Absolutely NO surprise they gave away tickets. Their pricing is ridiculous in cities like Houston – $100 for one side mid field? Get a grip. And No disount for season over single tickets, no rain delay guarantees or at least credits. Why not?
Why is a 5 game season ticket not priced for 4? Give a freaking incentive to go all in with 5. Weather is a factor. In the humid cities, rain rain rain delays. If over an hour they should get a refund or credit, yes costly, but it takes the fear of buying season tix away.
IMO, they need those 3 domes. No rain delays and better for TV and fans.
And lets face it Arlington isn’t lighting up attendance either. And Houston Roughnecks aren’t a USFL brand or priced city. The negatives at the start of the season, 2 name coaches bailing (Whisenhunt/ Wade P), CBA issues, Strike talk, Rock going MIA. All that Took a toll. Now new cities and new billionaire ownership is a shot in the arm and its time to LFG!