Houston Roughnecks kick off their UFL era on March 31, play 9 weeks of games thereafter

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The Houston Roughnecks have officially existed in two different iterations of the XFL - one in 2020 under a Vince McMahon-led regime and one in 2023 under Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

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Well, the team is about to enter a third new era of its history as Houston kicks off its time in the United Football League on March 31, when the Roughnecks host the Memphis Showboats at Rice Stadium.

On Monday, the brand new league, ushered in by merging the two competing spring football leagues - XFL and United States Football League, unveiled 10-week season schedules for Houston and seven other teams.

Houston joins Memphis, the Michigan Panthers, and the Birmingham Stallions in the USFL Conference, while the Arlington Renegades, the D.C. Defenders, the San Antonio Brahmas, and the St. Louis Battlehawks make up the XFL Conference.

Wait a minute, though. Weren't the Roughnecks an XFL team? Yes, but in the UFL, the team's lineage is drawn from the Houston Gamblers of the USFL. The league chose to give the Gamblers the Roughnecks' identity, arguably the city's more popular one.

SEE MORE: Houston Roughnecks survive XFL merger with USFL, creating the United Football League

Nevertheless, Houston will play 10 straight weeks of football without a bye, ending with a June 2 game in Memphis.

"I can't think of a better way to kick off the 2024 UFL season than at home in Houston, at iconic Rice Stadium, in front of thousands of Houston Roughnecks fans," Roughnecks Head Coach C.J. Johnson said. "I hope all Houstonians will mark their calendars for Sunday, March 31, and join us, as we protect the 'Rig!'"

ABC13 and sister networks, ESPN and ESPN2, will air select UFL games throughout the season. The Houston-Memphis match on March 31 airs at 2 p.m.

The lone ABC13 Roughnecks game airs in Week 3 when they visit the Michigan Panthers at 11 a.m. on Sunday, April 14.

In addition, the Roughnecks announced a single-game ticket presale starting on Tuesday, Feb. 10, with a public sale on Thursday, Feb. 22. You can purchase tickets on the UFL's website.

Full 2024 Roughnecks

All times Central time.

• Week 1: Sunday, March 31, vs. Memphis Showboats, ESPN, 2 p.m.
• Week 2: Sunday, April 7, at D.C. Defenders, 3 p.m.
• Week 3: Sunday, April 14, at Michigan Panthers, ABC13, 11 a.m.
• Week 4: Sunday, April 21, vs. Arlington Renegates, 1 p.m.
• Week 5: Saturday, April 27, vs. Birmingham Stallions, 6 p.m.
• Week 6: Saturday, May 4, at St. Louis Battlehawks, 2 p.m.
• Week 7: Sunday, May 12, vs. San Antonio Brahmas, ESPN, 2 p.m.
• Week 8: Saturday, May 18, at Birmingham Stallions, ESPN2, 7 p.m.
• Week 9: Sunday, May 26, vs. Michigan Panthers, 1:30 p.m.
• Week 10: Sunday, June 2, at Memphis Showboats, 6 p.m.

UFL playoffs schedule

• Conference Championships: Saturday, June 8, on ABC13, and Sunday, June 9
• UFL Championship: Sunday, June 16

SEE ALSO: Houston Roughnecks head coach CJ Johnson visits ABC13 ahead of UFL training camp

The rebranded Houston Roughnecks of the United Football League will kick off their 10-game season in late March. Roughnecks head coach C.J. Johnson stopped by ABC13 to talk about the beginning of a new era.