The U-League was founded in 2011 by ten co-workers at a particular civil engineering firm based in Northern Virginia. After fifteen years, eight of the original ten franchise owners are still members of the league, with a ninth active owner having joined in 2013. The stability of the league has been its greatest strength, as the complex nature of the league and its structure which encourages team-building over multiple years, requires a group which is in it for the lang haul.

The league traces its origins all the way back to 2001 when a league with the same name formed, started by the founding Commissioner of the current league. While that incarnation of the league only lasted until 2004 before folding, its unique rules that put Owners more in the role of General Manager than a typical fantasy football league, such as player allocation via auction, player salaries, player contracts, signing bonuses, and salary cap penalties were the inspiration for the present league. Now entering its sixteenth season, the U-League prides itself on being different from your standard fantasy football league and giving its members more of an immersive experience than a standard re-draft or even keeper league. Deep into its second decade of existence, the league continues to innovate and strives to be the world's greatest fantasy football league.