{"id":52397,"date":"2024-04-12T13:48:33","date_gmt":"2024-04-12T13:48:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2024\/04\/12\/army-enlists-united-football-league-to-tackle-recruiting\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T04:18:52","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T04:18:52","slug":"army-enlists-united-football-league-to-tackle-recruiting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2024\/04\/12\/army-enlists-united-football-league-to-tackle-recruiting\/","title":{"rendered":"Army enlists United Football League to tackle recruiting"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Army announced it is partnering with the United Football League, a budding alternative to the National Football League, as the service looks to score a touchdown on recruitment after fumbling to reach its goals<\/a> in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The UFL<\/a>, formed from a merger of the United States Football League and the XFL, kicked off its inaugural season in March. With eight teams spanning from San Antonio, Texas, to Detroit, Michigan, the two conferences of footballers are set to play a 10-game regular season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the sponsorship, an Army logo will be featured on all game-day jerseys and at the 50-yard line, according to a statement<\/a> earlier this month from the league. Recruiters will also be present at various games, Col. Dave Butler, an Army spokesman, told Military Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis deal was initially met with a good deal of skepticism. Over the past 15 months we\u2019ve decreased the cost and increased the value to the Army,\u201d Butler said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLike the Army\u2019s other high-profile, national partnerships, the UFL partnership allows the Army to engage with a wider audience on different platforms for Americans to learn about the possibilities of Army service,\u201d Laura DeFrancisco, from the Army\u2019s corporate marketing office, told Military Times in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the Army seeks to reach the end zone on its end-strength numbers, officials and leaders recognize the young spring sports league could provide an opportunity to attract potential soldiers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The current one-year deal, worth around $9 million, a person familiar with the matter told Military Times, will offer the Army a regular chance to cast its message across a wide net thanks to broadcast partners like Fox and Disney.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur reach is pretty broad,\u201d Russ Brandon, UFL\u2019s president and CEO, told Military Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\t