UFL Announces New Kentucky Franchise, Louisville Kings

Professional spring football is coming to the Commonwealth. This spring, the Louisville Kings will suit up in the United Football League.

As the UFL prepares for its third season of spring football, which would tie the 1980s version of the USFL as the nation’s longest-running spring football league, it’s making some big changes. The league took away franchises in San Antonio, Memphis, and Detroit. They have been replaced by the Columbus Aviators, Orlando Storm, and the Louisville Kings.

The city of Louisville has hosted plenty of failed professional sports franchises over the years — the Louisville RiverFrogs and Icehawks in the 90s, and the Kentucky Colonels in the 70s — but this is the city’s first foray into professional football. Will it work? They have checked a couple of the right boxes.

A New Reign Begins 👑

👉 https://t.co/FpoddF2K3A pic.twitter.com/6BIYh037uM

— Louisville Kings (@UFLKings) October 7, 2025

Where The Louisville Kings will Play

When reports surfaced of a potential UFL to Louisville, there was one big question: Where are they going to play? Lynn Family Stadium is the perfect capacity and setting for a football game, but the soccer stadium has resisted hosting non-soccer events on the pitch. They’re actually relinquishing some control and letting the Louisville Kings play at the Butchertown stadium that overlooks Downtown Louisville. That’s a win for the franchise.

A Big Benefactor

If you want to know the why behind the addition of the Louisville Kings, look no further than league ownership. Mike Repole recently invested in the league and became the director of UFL’s business operations.

Repole became a billionaire in the beverage industry, creating Vitaminwater and Smartwater before upping the ante even further with BodyArmor. He’s turned those profits into a horse racing empire. He’s the most outspoken owner in the industry, and he’s had some pretty darn good horses. Three times Repole has had the Kentucky Derby favorite, but has yet to secure a win on the First Saturday in May. However, he’s had plenty of Breeders’ Cup Champions over the years.

Even though he’s based out of New York and a prominent booster of Rick Pitino’s St. John’s program, Repole spends quite a bit of time buying horses and watching them race in Kentucky. Once he got into the UFL, it only made sense for him to set up a horse-themed franchise in Louisville.

Will Timing Help or Hurt the Louisville Kings and the UFL?

The 2025 UFL season kicked off on March 28 and ended on June 1. If you’ve never been in the city of Louisville during the month of April, there’s a lot going on.

The first weekend of the UFL season is during the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Everyone’s attention will (hopefully) still be on college basketball. A few weeks later, folks will be paying attention to the horses at Churchill Downs, not the horses at Lynn Family Stadium.

Will the buzz of other events around Louisville get people out of their houses to watch spring football, or will it be moved to the back burner? That answer to that question ultimately will determine the Louisville Kings’ success in the UFL.