The Arlington Renegades are a professional American football team based in Arlington, Texas. The Renegades compete in the United Football League (UFL) as a member of the XFL Conference. The team was founded as the Dallas Renegades by Vince McMahon's Alpha Entertainment and are owned-and-operated by Dwayne Johnson's Alpha Acquico and Fox Corporation. The Renegades play their home games at Choctaw Stadium. In 2023, The Renegades had a regular season record of 4-6 and were 2-0 in the playoffs, and were crowned XFL Champions. They were a part of the UFL merger in 2024, and started the 2024 season against the USFL Champion Birmingham Stallions.

Arlington Renegades
Current season
Established December 5, 2018; 6 years ago (2018-12-05)
Play in Choctaw Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
League/conference affiliations
XFL (2020–2023)
  • West Division (2020)
  • South Division (2023)

United Football League (2024–present)

  • XFL Conference (2024–present)
Current uniform
Team colorsLight blue, black, red[1]
     
Personnel
Owner(s)Fox Corporation (50%), Dany Garcia, Dwayne Johnson, RedBird Capital Partners (50%)
Head coachBob Stoops
Team history
  • Dallas Renegades (2020–2023)
  • Arlington Renegades (2023–present)
Championships
League championships (1)
Conference championships (0)
Division championships (0)
Playoff appearances (1)
Home stadium(s)

History

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Dallas (2020, McMahon era)

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Logo as the Dallas Renegades in 2020. The bandit logo was retained as a secondary logo in 2023.
 
Dallas in action against New York in 2020

On December 5, 2018, Dallas was announced as one of eight cities that would join the newly reformed XFL, as well as Seattle, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Tampa Bay, and Washington, DC.[2] On February 7, 2019, Bob Stoops, the longtime head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners football team, was hired as the Dallas team's head coach. Stoops was the XFL's first head coaching hire.[3][4] On April 23, 2019, Stoops named Chris Woods as his defensive coordinator.[5] On May 16, 2019, Stoops named Hal Mumme as his offensive coordinator.[6] The team name and logo were revealed on August 21, 2019, as well as the teams uniforms on December 3, 2019.[7]

On October 15, 2019, The Renegades announced their first player in team history, being assigned former NFL quarterback Landry Jones.[8]

Dallas lost their first game, against the St. Louis BattleHawks, by a 15–9 final. Kicker Austin MacGinnis tallied all of the Renegade points via field goals, but Dallas' failure to reach the end zone came back to haunt them, as St. Louis scored nine unanswered fourth quarter points to erase a slim deficit. Linebacker Tegray Scales had 13 Dallas tackles, three for a loss. The Renegades picked up their first win on the road, a 25–18 triumph over the Los Angeles Wildcats. Running back Cameron Artis-Payne reached the end zone three times on two touchdowns and a one-point conversion. His final score, a 17-yard scoring run in the penultimate minute, was the final blow in a fourth quarter that saw the two teams combined for 34 points. Another road victory awaited the Renegades in Week 3, as they topped the Seattle Dragons 24–12. Two MacGinnis field goals sandwiched a 65-yard touchdown pass from Landry Jones to Donald Parham in a fourth quarter that saw Dallas break a 12–12 tie. Parham reached the end zone twice over the afternoon. The XFL announced that the remainder of the 2020 XFL season had been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The team finished with a 2–3 record. On April 10, 2020, the XFL suspended operations, with all employees, players and staff terminated.[citation needed]

Arlington (2023–present, Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia era)

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Logo as the Arlington Renegades in 2023.
 
Renegades QB Luis Perez leading the team versus Houston in 2023.

On August 3, 2020, it was reported that a consortium led by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Dany Garcia, and Gerry Cardinale (through Cardinale's fund RedBird Capital Partners) purchased the XFL for $15 million just hours before an auction could take place; the purchase received court approval on August 7, 2020.[9][10] The XFL hired Bob Stoops as a Head Coach on April 13, 2022, with the expectation that he would be coaching Dallas.[11] On July 24, 2022, the return of a Dallas XFL franchise was confirmed, this time being known as "Arlington" instead of "Dallas", as well as the hiring of Bob Stoops.[12] On October 31, 2022, the XFL officially announced that the Renegades name would be returning, with a brand new logo. The team went 4–6 in the 2023 season, but made the playoffs as the second team in the South Division. After beating the Houston Roughnecks in the South Division playoff game, it won the 2023 XFL Championship Game over the 10–1 D.C. Defenders by a score of 35–26.

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.[13] 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.[14] The merger would also require regulatory approval.[15] In October 2023 the XFL filed a trademark application for the name "United Football League".[16] 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.[17] The merger was made official on December 31, 2023.[18]

Current roster

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Players

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Arlington Renegades roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

  • 27 Devin Darrington
  • 17 Dae Dae Hunter
  • -- Ike Irabor

Wide receivers

  • 89 Juwan Manigo
  • -- Todd Simmons
  • 13 Caleb Vander Esch
  • 11 LuJuan Winningham

Tight ends

  • 87 Seth Green
Offensive linemen
  • 69 Noah Henderson T
  • 66 Jake Lacina C
  • -- Griffin McDowell T
  • 65 Marcus Minor G

Defensive linemen

  • -- Kyon Barrs DT
  • -- Marquise Greenwood DT
  • 48 Tomasi Laulile DT
  • 97 La'Ron Stokes DE
Linebackers
  • -- Vincent DiLeo II ILB
  • -- Caleb Johnson OLB
  • 50 Willie Taylor III OLB

Defensive backs

  • 23 Tenny Adewusi SS
  • 26 Cedric Anderson CB
  • 24 Darren Evans CB
  • 29 James Jones IV FS
  • -- Kyler McMichael CB
  • -- Jayden Price CB

Special teams

  • 37 Jonathan Garibay K
  • 49 Antonio Ortiz LS
Reserve lists




Roster updated December 20, 2024

67 active

Staff

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Arlington Renegades staff
Front office
  • Director of team operations – Matt McMillen
  • General manager – Rick Mueller
Head coach
Offensive coaches
 
Defensive coaches
Team operations
  • Quality control – Matt McMillan
  • Equipment Manager – Blake Kuenzi
  • Video Manager – Chris Crooks

Player history

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Current NFL Players

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Season Pos Name NFL Team
2020 TE Donald Parham Denver Broncos
2020 LS Christian Kuntz Pittsburgh Steelers
2020 S Micah Abernathy Atlanta Falcons
2023 DT Bruce Hector New York Jets
2024 DT Jalen Redmond Minnesota Vikings

Notable players

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Season Pos Name NFL Team
2020 RB Lance Dunbar Former Dallas Cowboys Running Back
2020 QB Landry Jones Former Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback, 2013 4th Round Pick
2023 S Rahim Moore Former Denver Broncos Safety, 2011 2nd Round Pick
2023 CB Cre'Von LeBlanc Former Philadelphia Eagles Cornerback
2023–present P Marquette King Former Oakland Raiders Punter
2024–present DE Vic Beasley Former Atlanta Falcons Linebacker, 2015 1st Round Pick, 2016 Pro Bowler
2025–present LB Reuben Foster Former San Francisco 49ers Linebacker, 2017 1st Round Pick

Coach history

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Head coach history

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# Name Term Regular season Playoffs Awards
GC W L Win % GC W L
Dallas/Arlington Renegades
1 Bob Stoops 2020, 2023–present 25 9 16 .360 2 2 0 *2023 XFL Champions

Offensive coordinator history

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# Name Term Regular season Playoffs Awards
GC W L Win % GC W L
Dallas Renegades
1 Hal Mumme 2020 5 2 3 .400
Arlington Renegades
2 Jonathan Hayes 2023 10 4 6 .400 2 2 0 *2023 XFL Champions; co-coordinator with Chuck Long in 2023
3 Chuck Long 2023–present 20 7 13 .350 2 2 0 *2023 XFL Champions co-coordinator with Jonanthan Hayes in 2023

Defensive coordinator history

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# Name Term Regular season Playoffs Awards
GC W L Win % GC W L
Dallas Renegades
1 Chris Woods 2020 5 2 3 .400
Arlington Renegades
2 Tim Lewis 2023 10 4 6 .400 2 2 0 *2023 XFL Champions; co-coordinator with Jay Hayes in 2023
3 Jay Hayes 2023–present 20 7 13 .350 2 2 0 *2023 XFL Champions; co-coordinator with Tim Lewis in 2023

Championships

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The Renegades have won one XFL Championship and one South Division Championship, both in 2023.

Year Coach XFL Championship Game Stadium Location Opponent Score MVP Record
2023 Bob Stoops 2023 Alamodome San Antonio, Texas DC Defenders 35–26 Luis Perez 4–6
Total XFL championships won: 1

South Division Championship Games

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Year Coach Stadium Location Opponent Score Record
2023 Bob Stoops TDECU Stadium Houston, Texas Houston Roughnecks 26–11 4–6
Total South Division championship games won: 1

Rivalries

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San Antonio Brahmas

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The Renegades are in-state conference rivals with the San Antonio Brahmas. The teams currently hold a split series.

Houston Roughnecks

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The Renegades are also in-state out-of-conference rivals with the Houston Roughnecks. Games between the former XFL team of the same name and the Renegades were marketed as the Texas Throwdown.[19]

DC Defenders

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The Renegades and Defenders have met three times, DC leads the series 2-1. The two were scheduled to meet in Week 6 of the 2020 XFL season, but the league ceased operations one week before the game due to COVID-19 concerns. The first official meeting of the two teams occurred during Week 9 of the 2023 XFL regular season at Audi Field. DC won the game 28-26 when the game ended in overtime after Jordan Ta'amu completed a pass to wide receiver Josh Hammond for the sole 2 point play scored by either team. This however, would not be the last meeting of the season for the two out-of-division rivals. After successfully winning the XFL South Division title as underdogs, the Renegades found themselves up against the XFL North Division Champion DC Defenders once again in the 2023 XFL Championship Game at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Arlington quickly found itself with a 17-0 lead with 4:54 left in the second quarter. By the end of the game, Renegades Quarterback Luis Perez would throw for 288 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Renegades would finish the game never trailing DC, winning the game 35-26 and their first XFL title in franchise history. This would also mark the first win over Jordan Ta'amu for the franchise as well, reaching this feat on the third meeting of the quarterback and the Renegades franchise.

St. Louis Battlehawks

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The two teams have met three times, with St. Louis winning all meetings in the series. The team, then the Dallas Renegades, first met the Battlehawks in each franchises inaugural game during the Week 1 of the 2020 XFL season. The game was played at Globe Life Park (Now Choctaw Stadium). St. Louis would win the 15-9 on the back of future familiar Renegades foe Jordan Ta'amu. The teams met for the second time during Week 4 of the 2023 XFL season, this time at The Dome at America's Center in St. Louis, falling short to the Battlehawks once again.

Franchise matchup history

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Team Record Pct.
Los Angeles Wildcats 1–0 1.000
Memphis Showboats 1–0 1.000
Vegas Vipers 1–0 1.000
Orlando Guardians 2–1 .667
DC Defenders 2–2 .500
Seattle Sea Dragons 1–1 .500
Houston Roughnecks (2020) 1–3 .250
San Antonio Brahmas 1–3 .250
St. Louis Battlehawks 1–3 .250
Birmingham Stallions 0–1 .000
Houston Roughnecks (2024) 0–1 .000
Michigan Panthers 0–1 .000
  • Defunct teams in light gray.

Records

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All-time Renegades leaders
Leader Player Record Years with Renegades
Passing Yards Luis Perez 2,825 passing yards 2023–present
Passing Touchdowns Luis Perez 16 passing touchdowns 2023–present
Rushing Yards De'Veon Smith 722 rushing yards 2023–present
Rushing Touchdowns De'Veon Smith 10 rushing touchdowns 2023–present
Receiving Yards Sal Cannella 860 receiving yards 2023–present
Receiving Touchdowns Sal Cannella 6 receiving touchdowns 2023–present
Receptions Sal Cannella 88 receptions 2023–present
Tackles Donald Payne 118 tackles 2023–present
Sacks Will Clarke 6.0 sacks 2023–present
Interceptions Joe Powell 6 interceptions 2023–present
Coaching wins Bob Stoops 9 wins 2020, 2023–present

Market overview

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The Renegades and the NFL's Dallas Cowboys are currently the two professional outdoor football teams that play in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Dallas was previously home to the NFL's Dallas Texans in 1952 and the American Football League's Dallas Texans from 1960 to 1962. Other outdoor professional outdoor football teams included the Dallas Rockets and Fort Worth Braves of the Texas Football League which folded midway through the 1971 season. The metro area has been represented by numerous indoor teams, such as the Arena Football League's Dallas Texans, Fort Worth Cavalry, Dallas Desperados and Dallas Vigilantes, and the Allen Wranglers and Texas Revolution. It entered a relatively crowded sports market to share with the NHL Dallas Stars, NBA Dallas Mavericks, WNBA Dallas Wings, MLB Texas Rangers, MLS FC Dallas, NLL Panther City Lacrosse Club, and MLR Dallas Jackals

References

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  1. ^ "Dallas Renegades' uniforms, helmet". XFL.com (Press release). December 3, 2019. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  2. ^ "XFL picks Houston as an inaugural city, announces stadiums". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  3. ^ Crosby, Jack (February 6, 2019). "Report: Ex-Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops will join Dallas XFL franchise as coach, general manager". CBS Sports. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  4. ^ "Bob Stoops will coach the Dallas XFL team". WFAA. February 6, 2019. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  5. ^ "Stoops Names Chris Woods Defensive Coordinator For XFL Dallas". April 23, 2019. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  6. ^ "Bob Stoops hires Hal Mumme as OC for Dallas XFL team". May 16, 2019. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
  7. ^ Spedden, Zach (August 21, 2019). "XFL Team Names and Logos Unveiled". Football Stadium Digest. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  8. ^ Florio, Mike (October 15, 2019). "XFL announces its eight allocated quarterbacks". ProFootballTalk. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  9. ^ "THE ROCK BUYS THE XFL FOR $15 MILLION". RingsideNews.com. August 2, 2020. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  10. ^ Kerr, Jeff (August 2, 2020). "Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson buys XFL for $15 million with partners RedBird Capital and Dany Garcia". CBSSports.com. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  11. ^ "XFL Announces Head Coaches: Reggie Barlow, Anthony Becht, Terrell Buckley, Jim Haslett, Wade Phillips, Bob Stoops, Hines Ward and Rod Woodson". www.xfl.com. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  12. ^ "XFL UNVEILS TEAM MARKETS AND VENUES: ARLINGTON, HOUSTON, ORLANDO, LAS VEGAS, SAN ANTONIO, SEATTLE, ST. LOUIS, WASHINGTON D.C." www.xfl.com. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  13. ^ Baysinger, Tim; Primack, Dan; Fischer, Sara (September 19, 2023). "Scoop: Football leagues XFL and USFL in merger talks". Axios. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  14. ^ TSN ca Staff (September 28, 2023). "XFL, United States Football League announce intention to merge". TSN. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  15. ^ Schad, Tom (September 28, 2023). "XFL, USFL confirm intention to merge into single spring football league". USA Today. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  16. ^ Moyle, Nick (October 18, 2023). "XFL files trademark applications for 'United Football League' and 'UFL'". San Antonio Express-News.
  17. ^ "We are pleased to have completed the antitrust review process in connection with the proposed merger of the XFL and USFL and intend to play a combined season this spring kicking off on Saturday, March 30. We are now finalizing terms of the definitive agreement and will share more about this new League in the coming weeks". Instagram.
  18. ^ "USFL, XFL announce merger, formation of new spring football league: The UFL". Yahoo Sports. December 31, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  19. ^ [email protected], Suzanne Halliburton /. "XFL's first rivalry? Houston vs. Dallas is a 'Texas throwdown'". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
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