Michigan Panthers (2022)

The Michigan Panthers were one of eight teams that were officially announced as a USFL franchise on The Herd with Colin Cowherd on November 22, 2021.^[2] On January 27, 2022, it was announced on The Herd with Colin Cowherd that former NFL head coach Jeff Fisher was named the head coach and general manager of the Panthers.^[3]

The Panthers selected Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson with the first overall pick in the 2022 USFL draft.^[4] In the first two games of 2022, the Panthers lost to the Houston Gamblers and New Jersey Generals.^[5][6] On May 1, 2022, the team won their first ever game with a 24–0 win at Protective Stadium against the Pittsburgh Maulers.^[7] Losses resumed after that, the Panthers' only other win of the season was against the Maulers, a 33–21 with the winner assuming the rights to the first overall pick in the 2023 USFL draft.^[8]

In October, 2022, the Panthers hired Steve Kazor as general manager.^[9] After all eight USFL teams played their home games in Birmingham, Alabama, the Panthers moved to the state of Michigan in 2023, announcing Ford Field as their home stadium.^[10] On February 3, 2023, the USFL announced that Fisher had been replaced as head coach by Mike Nolan, citing only "personal reasons."^[11]

In September 2023, Axios reported that the XFL was in advanced talks with the USFL to merge the two leagues prior to the start of their 2024 seasons.^[12] On September 28, 2023, the XFL and USFL announced their intent to merge with details surrounding the merger to be announced at a later date.^[13] The merger would also require regulatory approval.^[14] In October 2023 the XFL filed a trademark application for the name "United Football League".^[15] On November 30, 2023, Garcia announced via her Instagram page that the leagues had received regulatory approval for the merger and were finalizing plans for a "combined season" to begin March 30, 2024.^[16] The merger was made official on December 31, 2023.^[17]

With Ford Field charging a reported $500,000 per game, the Panthers paid the highest stadium rent of any team in the UFL.^[18] This high fee and other conflicts led to worsening relations between the UFL and the stadium, including a delay in the renewal of the Panthers' lease for 2025^[19] and the preemptive decision not to host a playoff game at the stadium even if the Panthers had clinched home field advantage.^[20] Rynearson Stadium, a college football stadium that last hosted professional football games in 1974 with the ill-fated Detroit Wheels and had hosted the Panthers' practices in 2023, was reportedly considered as an alternative but ruled out mainly because of league officials' dislike of the stadium's nontraditional gray turf.^[21] These issues overwhelmed the strong gains that the Panthers had made both on and off the field in 2025 (the team was the only UFL team to see an increase in ticket sales that year^[22]) led to Michigan being included with the rest of the USFL Conference on a list of teams being considered for relocation following the 2025 season, a list that the UFL has not officially confirmed nor denied, calling it "unauthorized speculation."^[18] Incoming co-owner Mike Repole addressed the situation on August 26, confirming that the stadium situation was untenable, but that he had found a potential venue for the team: AlumniFi Field, a soccer-specific stadium that does not yet exist and will not until 2027.^[23] Executives at Eastern Michigan University stated they had never been contacted about the use of Rynearson and would have been willing to host the Panthers in 2026 until AlumniFi Field is completed.^[23]

On October 3, 2025, the UFL officially announced that the team would be discontinued.^[24] However, Repole cited Michigan as a return candidate for 2028 when AlumniFi Field opens.^[25] Players under contract were transferred to the Columbus Aviators;^[26] Mike Nolan was formally fired November 15.^[27] In July 2026, Repole reaffirmed his intent to bring back the Panthers once AlumniFi Field is complete,^[28][29] which is, as of that date, scheduled for early 2028;^[30] such a launch date would lead to the Panthers relaunching along with the Oklahoma City franchise.

As was the case with another UFL market (San Antonio), the Continental Football League announced a replacement franchise for the Panthers, a revival of the 1960s-era Michigan Arrows, which was to begin play in 2026.^[31] Panthers general manager Steve Kazor was to serve as the Arrows' head coach. The Arrows never launched, due to ownership disputes.^[32]