They were preceded in 1974 by the WFL's Jacksonville Sharks, though the two teams had separate ownership and identities.
While head coach Charlie Tate and a few players returned from the Sharks, the Express had new owners (local businessman Earl Knabb along with several minor partners) and a mostly new front office staff.
The team's biggest player acquisitions were quarterback George Mira, who had been co-MVP of the 1974 WFL championship game with Birmingham and had been a college All-American with the in-state Miami Hurricanes, and Tommy Reamon, who had led the WFL in rushing in 1974 with the Florida Blazers.
However, the WFL had lost their television contract right before the 1975 season, putting the entire league in serious financial difficulty.
The Express had compiled a 6–5 record when the WFL folded in October 1975, 11 games into a planned 20-game schedule.