ARLINGTON, TX – October 16, 2026 – Oklahoma is known for many things, but football is near the top of the list. Few states are as closely tied to the sport as Oklahoma. For more than a century, football has helped define the state’s identity, and in 2028, Oklahoma will welcome its newest professional football team as the United Football League continues to expand.
On September 23, 2026, the UFL announced plans to expand to 10 teams in 2028, with Oklahoma among the two new markets. The expansion will mark another milestone for the league as it continues to grow its footprint across the country.
Although the team’s branding has yet to be revealed, the franchise will play at the future MAPS 4 Multipurpose Stadium, currently under construction in downtown Oklahoma City. The $121 million sports and entertainment venue will feature 10,000 seats and sit south of Bricktown, east of the OKC Convention Center, and near Interstate 40. In addition to hosting the UFL’s newest franchise, the stadium will serve as the home of OKC United of the United Soccer League.
With professional football set to return to Oklahoma in 2028, the story of football in the state stretches back more than 100 years, to a time before Oklahoma was even a state.
The Oklahoma City Terrors faced Oklahoma City High School in what is generally regarded as the first organized football game in what would become the state of Oklahoma.
In 1895, the University of Oklahoma played its first college football game. On December 14, the Sooners faced Oklahoma City University’s predecessor program and suffered a 34-0 defeat. Six years later, in 1901, Oklahoma A&M established its football program. The school continued competing under that name until 1957, when it became Oklahoma State University, home of the Cowboys.
Today, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State stand among the nation’s most prominent college football programs. The Sooners have claimed seven national championships, while the Cowboys have captured one, helping establish the state as a destination for college football fans for generations.
But while Oklahoma has enjoyed decades of success at the college level, establishing a lasting professional football presence has proved far more difficult. The NFL never established a franchise in Oklahoma, but several professional leagues attempted to bring football to the state. The Oklahoma City Chiefs emerged in 1932, followed by the Tulsa Oilers of the Texas Professional Football League in 1966. The Tulsa Knights arrived in 1974 as members of the Mid-American Football League, and the Tulsa Thunder took the field in 1982 in the American Football Association.
The Oklahoma Outlaws followed in 1984 as members of the original United States Football League, offering perhaps the state’s most notable attempt at establishing a professional football team.
The Outlaws made headlines by signing quarterback Doug Williams away from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Williams would go on to make history with Washington, becoming the first Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl and earning MVP honors in Super Bowl XXII. He was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Despite averaging more than 21,000 fans per game during the 1984 season, the Outlaws could not establish a lasting foothold. The USFL folded after the 1985 season, bringing the franchise’s run to an end after they briefly merged with Arizona.
Professional football returned to Oklahoma in 2000 when the Arena Football League introduced the Oklahoma Wranglers. However, their run lasted just two seasons, adding another chapter to the state’s history of short-lived professional teams.
For all the success Oklahoma has experienced on Saturdays, a sustainable professional football franchise has remained elusive. The UFL hopes to change that. In the spring of 2028, the league will expand to 10 teams, bringing professional football back to Oklahoma and giving the state a new team to call its own.
More than a century after football first took root in Oklahoma, the sport is preparing to write its next chapter in the Sooner State.