2025 UFL season
| 2025 UFL season | |
|---|---|
 | |
| League | United Football League |
| Sport | American football |
| Duration | Regular season: March 28 – June 1 Playoffs: June 7 – 14 |
| Number of games | 43 (40 regular-season games, 3 postseason games) |
| Number of teams | 8 |
| TV partner(s) | ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, Fox, FS1 |
| Draft | |
| Top draft pick | Jason Bean (QB) |
| Picked by | Memphis Showboats |
| 2025 UFL Championship | |
| Venue | TBD |
The 2025 UFL season is the upcoming second season of the United Football League. The Birmingham Stallions are the defending champions where they defeated the San Antonio Brahmas 25–0 in the 2024 UFL Championship Game, the only shutout of the entire season, to win their third consecutive spring football championship, adding to their back-to-back championships in the rebooted USFL.
Offseason
[edit]The UFL exceeded internal expectations for the 2024 season, with Fox Sports executive Eric Shanks commenting that, though the league still lost money, it was "ahead of the expected pace" in terms of achieving self-sustenance, while the league long-term goal is to solicit local investors in an owner-operator arrangement similar to that used by Major League Soccer and the previous United Football League.[1] Later reports suggested that the 2025 season will be the league's last one, if it will not achieve greater commercial success.[2] In November 2024 the UFL announced they are officially initiating team expansion process, and they're welcoming proposals from potential markets interested in spring pro football.[3]
Television viewership rose substantially compared to the previous season as separate leagues, while ticket sales in most cities declined, prompting the league ownership to shift investment toward local ticket sales teams. The inaugural season of the UFL averaged 832,000 viewers per game this season, a 34% increase from the average of 619,000 viewers the USFL and XFL attracted last year, while the championship game on Fox drew the highest viewership with 1.596 million viewers.[1] However, the average attendance dipped from the XFL's 2023 season average of 14,703 to 13,512.[4]
In an interview after the season Head of Football Operations Daryl Johnston said: "With our home markets, we’ve got to build that trust there — that we’re not going to leave or [that] the league isn't going to fold. We’ve got a couple cities that historically have been a part of spring football, they've committed to a team and that team has left. ... We’ve still got some trust to build in our home markets. We are going to be able to dial into the details. We’re going to have a traditional offseason calendar where we can be ahead of the curve instead of being in a position where we have to chase it a little bit".[5] In an October 2024 statement, chairwoman Dany Garcia highlighted two areas of improvement for the league in 2025: the league sought to improve its ties to local markets and to improve the quality of play compared to 2024 for a more "dynamic" on-field product.[6]
77 UFL players signed with the NFL for their 2024 preseason; of those, 21 players were on NFL rosters on opening week including active rosters, practice squads and injured reserve, with two players — Jake Bates and Jalen Redmond — making the 53 roster for week 1.[7] Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah would later praised the UFL for its roll in player development, and said: "Growth opportunities afforded players by the UFL can absolutely lead to better competition on NFL rosters. If players in the UFL ascend through the opportunity with professional organizations and access to continued coaching and structure, that provides us with valuable information to evaluate if those ascending players fit the characteristics we target to bring potential added value and competition to our roster".[8]
Teams
[edit]As one of the conditions for approving the merger of the XFL and USFL, federal regulators were said to have "prefer(red) more opportunities" (eventual expansion teams) than the eight teams that were included in the 2024 season.[9] No such expansion is planned for 2025, nor are any relocations, as Daryl Johnston stated that the ticket sales in most of the poorer-selling markets could be improved by showing stability and following a more "traditional offseason calendar."[10]
On September 13, 2024, the Houston Roughnecks announced that they would be returning to TDECU Stadium for the 2025 season, following renovations to that stadium. The previous incarnation of the Roughnecks had played at TDECU in 2020 and 2023; the current Roughnecks had played the 2024 season at Rice Stadium while TDECU Stadium was being renovated.[11][12] On August it was reported that the Battlehawks will host six games in 2025, taking one home game from the Brahmas, as a result of the Alamodome major event commitments for the months of April, May and June.[13][14] The Brahmas' home schedule is expected to be backloaded with the four home games concentrated toward the end of the 2025 season to minimize scheduling conflicts; league president Russ Brandon stated that it had considered moving the Brahmas to another stadium in the San Antonio metropolitan area but decided against it to avoid "some very complex operational concerns" that would arise by doing so.[15]
The Michigan Panthers' lease on Ford Field expired following the 2024 season, forcing a delay in the sale of season tickets for that team.[16] The league announced a renewal for the 2025 season on October 29, 2024.[17]
| Conference | Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity | First season | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
_logo.png){kind=logo} USFL Conference |
Birmingham Stallions | Birmingham, Alabama | Protective Stadium | 47,100 | 2022 | Skip Holtz |
| Houston Roughnecks | Houston, Texas | TDECU Stadium | 40,000 | 2022 | Curtis Johnson | |
| Memphis Showboats | Memphis, Tennessee | Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium | 50,000 | 2023 | Ken Whisenhunt | |
| Michigan Panthers | Detroit, Michigan | Ford Field | 65,000 | 2022 | Mike Nolan | |
 XFL Conference |
Arlington Renegades | Arlington, Texas | Choctaw Stadium | 25,000 | 2020 | Bob Stoops |
| DC Defenders | Washington, D.C. | Audi Field | 20,000 | 2020 | Reggie Barlow | |
| San Antonio Brahmas | San Antonio, Texas | Alamodome | 64,000 | 2023 | Wade Phillips | |
| St. Louis Battlehawks | St. Louis, Missouri | The Dome at America's Center | 67,277 | 2020 | Anthony Becht |
Players
[edit]Each team carried 64-men rosters to training camp, compere to 75 in the 2024 season, with regular season rosters set at 50 (45 active on game day).[18]
During the 2025 offseason, the UFL hosted seven player showcases across the United States from July to November in St. Louis, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Houston, Orlando, San Diego and Dallas, with selected players bein included in the next UFL Draft.[19]
On September 7, 2024, Memphis Showboats wide receiver Diondre Overton died in a shooting incident.[20]
Unionization
[edit]On August 12, 2024, the United Football League Players Association released a statement announcing that United Steelworkers, which had represented the association (and its predecessor for the USFL), would no longer represent the league's players. The statement also strongly recommended that the players organize under another established union and not affiliate with the United Football Players Association, with which the USW and UFLPA had fallen out in 2023, without a "confidential background check."[21] Despite this warning, on October 12, the UFPA issued a statement claiming the UFL players had ratified an agreement establishing the UFPA as their union, and that the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) had recognized the vote.[22]
Draft
[edit]The 2024 UFL draft ahead of the 2025 season, was held on July 17, 2024. The draft consisted of 10 rounds of players who were eligible for the 2024 NFL draft in April but went undrafted.[23][24] Memphis, winner of the first overall draft pick as a result of its week 10 victory in 2024, chose quarterback Jason Bean with the selection.[25]
Player movement
[edit]The UFL has an allocation process when it comes to these NFL cuts. As each UFL have four designated NFL teams from which to select talent ("first rights"), as long as they signed with the team in the past three years, while former NFL players who didn't sign an NFL contract in the past four years (or more) are considered free agents. Players from the 2022 NFL draft class were free to sign anywhere, at any point.
Each UFL team designated NFL teams:[26]
- Arlington Renegades: Arizona, Cleveland, Dallas, Pittsburgh
- Birmingham Stallions: Atlanta, Carolina, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams
- DC Defenders: Baltimore, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Washington
- Houston Roughnecks: Cincinnati, Houston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas
- Memphis Showboats: Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa Bay, Tennessee
- Michigan Panthers: Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Minnesota
- San Antonio Brahmas: Buffalo, New England, New York Giants, New York Jets
- St. Louis Battlehawks: Denver, New Orleans, San Francisco, Seattle
Free agency
[edit]- On November 6, 2024, the Memphis Showboats signed Ravarius Rivers, the 2024 Indoor Football League Defensive Player of the Year.[27]
- On November 15, 2024, the St. Louis Battlehawks released starting QB A.J. McCarron, after failing to trade him.[28][29]
Trades
[edit]- On November 14, 2024, DB Bryce Thompson was traded from the San Antonio Brahmas to DC Defenders, in return for DE Jalen Harris.
Coaches
[edit]Three of the four coaches who came into the UFL by way of the XFL—Arlington's Bob Stoops, St. Louis's Anthony Becht and DC's Reggie Barlow—are believed to be reaching the end of their guaranteed XFL contracts, and will be subject to new terms that the USFL coaches and all assistants agreed upon in 2024 that were less generous than the 2023 XFL's were.[30] (The lone exception, San Antonio's Wade Phillips, is on the second year of a two-year contract extension he signed prior to the merger.[31]) Stoops, the league's longest-tenured coach and the only remaining coach from the inaugural 2020 XFL season, was noncommittal about returning after the 2024 season, stating he was open to returning for 2025 but that "you never know what the structure is going to look like."[32] Becht announced he had committed to a third season as the Battlehawks' coach in August 2024.[33]
| Team | Departing coach | Incoming coach | Reason for leaving | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis Showboats | John DeFilippo | Ken Whisenhunt | Resigned | DeFilippo had coached the Showboats in 2024 after coaching the contracted New Orleans Breakers in 2023, with a combined record of 9-11 (.450), with his season with the Breakers at 7-3 (.700) and the Showboats at 2-8 (.200). His resignation coincides with the resignation of general manager Dennis Polian.[34][35]
Whisenhunt had spent the 2023 and part of the 2024 seasons as special assistant to head coach Kalen DeBoer at Alabama; he had extensive experience as an offensive coordinator at the college and NFL levels, and two stints as an NFL head coach for the Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans. He was hired along with new general manager Jim Monos September 23, 2024.[36] |
Season structure
[edit]Preseason
[edit]This is the third and final year of the league's agreement with Arlington, Texas, to serve as the league's centralized hub.[37]
Regular season
[edit]The league is divided into two conferences, the USFL Conference and the XFL Conference, each a continuation of its respective league. Each team will play a ten-game schedule with no bye weeks, playing two games against each conference rival (one home and one away) and one game against each team in the other conference, all eight teams playing in their home markets, starting on March 28.[38][10][39][40]
Due to an increase in stadium conflicts with the Alamodome in 2025 compared to previous years, in particular the dome's hosting of the 2025 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Final Four, the San Antonio Brahmas will only host four home games in 2025. Both of the Brahmas' in-division games against the St. Louis Battlehawks will be hosted at The Dome at America's Center in St. Louis, giving the Battlehawks six home games.[41]
Postseason
[edit]The postseason will have four teams, with the top-seeded & runner-up team in each conference playing in the XFL Championship Game and USFL Championship Game, the winners of which will advance to the 2025 UFL Championship Game on June 14, which will be held at a neutral site chosen among the league's eight markets as a reward for strong fan support and attendance.[42] Audi Field, which had been an early favorite for the game, ruled itself out due to schedule conflicts with the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup scheduled to begin play at the stadium that weekend.[43][44]
Media
[edit]Television
[edit]In the United States, the television rights for the UFL are held by Fox and ESPN (which is under its third season of a five-year deal),[45] For season two, one game each week will be contested on Friday night on main Fox in order to accommodate Fox's new IndyCar deal and to fill a notoriously difficult-to-fill void on the Friday schedule left when WWE SmackDown returned to USA Network.[1] There will be 10 Friday night UFL games in total and it will air on Fox.[46] Most of the advertising revenue the networks will collect is being sold as part of bulk agreements with Fox Sports and ESPN Inc. and not as a standalone television series.[1] In September 2024, the league confirmed the 2025 season start date and changes to the TV schedule.[47][48]
References
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- ^ "UFL 2025: Make Or Break Season for Spring Pro Football's Staying Power". SI.com.
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- ^ "UFL 2024: Year 2 evolution to include more innovation, player development". FOXsports.com.
- ^ Miller, Anthony (October 18, 2024). "UFL Co-Owner Dany Garcia Shares Two Things She Wishes to See in 2025 Season". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
- ^ Miller, Anthony (August 28, 2024). "Former All-UFL Kicker Included in Detroit Lions' 53-Man Roster". UFL. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
- ^ "Minnesota Vikings GM: Players From UFL "Lead to Better Competition on NFL Rosters"". SI.com.
- ^ McCann, Michael; Soshnick, Scott (November 30, 2023). "XFL, USFL Merger Approved by Federal Authorities". Sportico.com. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
- ^ a b Williams, Eric (June 18, 2024). "UFL 2024: Year 2 evolution to include more innovation, player development". Fox Sports on MSN.
- ^ Miller, Anthony (September 13, 2024). "Houston Roughnecks to Return to TDECU Stadium for 2025 Season". UFL. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
- ^ Mark Perry (September 12, 2024). "PR: Roughnecks to Play 2025 UFL Season at University of Houston's TDECU Stadium". uflnewshub.com. Archived from the original on September 12, 2024. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
- ^ "Battlehawks To Host Six Games In 2025, Details On Alamodome 2025 Problem". UFL News Hub.
- ^ "San Antonio Brahmas Face Unique 2025 Schedule Amid Alamodome Conflicts". UFL News Hub.
- ^ Luca, Greg (October 5, 2024). "City, UFL see benefits of spring football's continued push in San Antonio". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
- ^ Parks, Greg (October 16, 2024). "As UFL season tickets go on sale, league still struggles with ticketing, venue issues". UFLBoard.com. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
- ^ "MICHIGAN PANTHERS SEASON TICKETS AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE TODAY AT 10 A.M. ET". www.theufl.com. October 29, 2024. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
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- ^ "UFL Player Diondre Overton Dies in Shooting at Age 26". UFL News Hub.
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- ^ Garcia, Art (July 11, 2024). "The 2024 UFL College Draft is Wednesday, with the Memphis Showboats owning the first pick". Sports Illustrated FanNation.
- ^ Laddha, Shreyas (July 17, 2024). "Former Kansas Jayhawks quarterback Jason Bean picked No. 1 overall in UFL draft". Kansas City Star.
- ^ "NFL Cuts To UFL Pipeline: How It All Works". pfnewsroom.com.
- ^ "Memphis Showboats Sign IFL DPOY Ravarius Rivers". pfnewsroom.com.
- ^ "St. Louis Battlehawks Part Ways With QB A.J. McCarron". pfnewsroom.com.
- ^ "Former Battlehawks QB A.J. McCarron criticizes the team's handling of release". Yahoo.
- ^ "UFL Pay Structure for Coaches, Players: What We Know". SI.com. January 12, 2024.
- ^ Mitchell, Mike (August 12, 2024). "Which UFL Coach Will Be Next To Depart?". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ Miller, Anthony (May 30, 2024). "Arlington Renegades Coach Bob Stoops Addresses UFL Future". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
- ^ Florio, Mike (August 9, 2024). "Anthony Becht will spend UFL offseason working Jets games". ProFootballTalk. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
- ^ "Memphis Showboats GM Stepping Down After One Season". Sports Illustrated. August 3, 2024. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
- ^ "John DeFillippo resigns as coach of Memphis Showboats". NBC Sports. August 10, 2024. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
- ^ Dylan, Jonah. "Former Cardinals, Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt hired by Memphis Showboats". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
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- ^ Mark Perry (September 17, 2024). "PR: United Football League (UFL) Returns March 28, Friday Night Games". uflnewshub.com. Archived from the original on September 17, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
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- ^ Perry, Mark (October 13, 2024). "Exclusive: Audi Field Out As UFL Championship Location, Protective Stadium In". Retrieved October 14, 2024.
- ^ Field, Audi (September 28, 2024). "Audi Field Named as a Host Stadium for the Historic FIFA Club World Cup 2025™". Audi Field. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
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