I figured I'd start a thread for anyone else excited for the 2026 UFL season. I believe the QB draft is today, and I'm looking forward to getting out to a few Kings games this season as time allows.

I had thought for a long time that soccer venues were the perfect fit for this league, and I'm glad to see the league finally shares that vision. I'm also encouraged to see more teams in non-NFL cities that will really value their presence. I think this is going to be really good for Louisville to be a part of.

Looking forward to chatting with other UFL fans this season. Hope to see you in #OurKingdom.

I’ll be attending a Columbus Aviators game this season.

I’d love to see the UFL be successful long term. I’d like to see the teams stabilize and stop moving around. I’d love to see the league become strong enough to where they are expanding to 10, 12, or beyond.

(02-11-2026 05:58 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  I’ll be attending a Columbus Aviators game this season.

I’d love to see the UFL be successful long term. I’d like to see the teams stabilize and stop moving around. I’d love to see the league become strong enough to where they are expanding to 10, 12, or beyond.

Agreed. I've been hurt before so many times on the concept of spring football starting from UFL (2009 - Technically fall but still part of the alt-football universe), AAF, XFL (2020), USFL (2022), XFL (2023), and now the UFL. But at least this feels like it at least has a chance of suceeding. Hope they can expand to the Northeast soon so I can catch a game IRL and get my friends into it.

I'm also glad that current iteration of the UFL now actually has a vision and a plan under Mike Repole (new investor in the league who was a co-founder of Glaceau and Bodyarmor, and current owner of NOBULL and Junkless). Whether or not it succeeds is to be seen of course, but I can see the logic:

- playing games in smaller modern soccer stadiums to enhance TV product and gameplay experience,

- moving teams to overlooked pro markets like Louisville, Columbus, and Orlando that have good track records of sports support,

- taking pages from minor league baseball with theme nights and giveways to boost attendance and engagement with fans and local corporate sponsors

- hiring coaches that may be inexperienced (but most have hired experienced assistants that are already familiar with the league) but locally relevant.

- Regionally allocating some players to teams based on where they played in college.

Cautiously optimistic, but I like what I'm seeing so far.

Unfortunately it takes a lot of time and money to get a professional league off the ground, and the NFL, the biggest benefactor of a spring league to develop talent, won’t pay.

Finding players and coaches with local ties is a great way to build roots in the communities.

I hope the USL makes its way back to San Antonio and Memphis and if they can’t get a deal with the Alamo Dome then maybe the MLS stadium in Austin is the solution.

I also think the AAF had the right idea planting teams in SLC and San Diego and the UFL needs to go back to these places.

(02-25-2026 10:26 AM)Cruhawk Wrote:  

(02-11-2026 05:58 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  I’ll be attending a Columbus Aviators game this season.

I’d love to see the UFL be successful long term. I’d like to see the teams stabilize and stop moving around. I’d love to see the league become strong enough to where they are expanding to 10, 12, or beyond.

Agreed. I've been hurt before so many times on the concept of spring football starting from UFL (2009 - Technically fall but still part of the alt-football universe), AAF, XFL (2020), USFL (2022), XFL (2023), and now the UFL. But at least this feels like it at least has a chance of suceeding. Hope they can expand to the Northeast soon so I can catch a game IRL and get my friends into it.

I'm also glad that current iteration of the UFL now actually has a vision and a plan under Mike Repole (new investor in the league who was a co-founder of Glaceau and Bodyarmor, and current owner of NOBULL and Junkless). Whether or not it succeeds is to be seen of course, but I can see the logic:

- playing games in smaller modern soccer stadiums to enhance TV product and gameplay experience,

- moving teams to overlooked pro markets like Louisville, Columbus, and Orlando that have good track records of sports support,

- taking pages from minor league baseball with theme nights and giveways to boost attendance and engagement with fans and local corporate sponsors

- hiring coaches that may be inexperienced (but most have hired experienced assistants that are already familiar with the league) but locally relevant.

- Regionally allocating some players to teams based on where they played in college.

Cautiously optimistic, but I like what I'm seeing so far.

I agree, particularly on the new markets and the stadiums.

Obviously I'm biased here, but cities like Louisville that are right on the fringe of being major league sized markets but don't have a team are exactly the kind of place where a team in the UFL can really mean something.

And the soccer stadiums are almost too obvious. If you think about Triple-A baseball stadiums these days, and we have a nice one here, they really are major league quality just with a smaller capacity. If you envision what the equivalent would look like in football, the picture in your mind looks an awful lot like the soccer-specific stadiums that so many cities have built. There's never been a better time for spring football to at least have a fighting chance of working.

I'm looking forward to season one here in Louisville under Louisville native and former Cardinal QB Chris Redman. Go Kings!

Just bought some tickets to go check out the Kings hosting the Stallions on Friday night. Here's hoping the predicted bad weather gets through before game time in Louisville.

Let's go Kings!

(03-23-2026 10:20 AM)eku05 Wrote:  Just bought some tickets to go check out the Kings hosting the Stallions on Friday night. Here's hoping the predicted bad weather gets through before game time in Louisville.

Let's go Kings!

Given that I moved from Louisville, have been a Stallions fan, and now live in Florida (although Orlando is quite the hike from P'cola) I practically have my own division of the league now.

Have fun and enjoy the game. Hopefully Lynn Family Stadium management has figured out to get traffic out of the Gold Lot more efficiently, but pack your patience if you're parking there.

Game Day! I'm looking forward to being part of what is being reported as a sold out Lynn Family Stadium. I'll be in the endzone "supporters section" AKA General Admission.

Fox is digitally adding art to the end zones during live shots, but it doesn't show up on replays.

That game was garbage.

(03-27-2026 08:20 PM)chargeradio Wrote:  Fox is digitally adding art to the end zones during live shots, but it doesn't show up on replays.

I noticed that on the jumbotron in the stadium as well. I wish we could have actual end zone branding, but I get that it's probably part of the agreement with Louisville City FC/Racing Louisville that allows us to use the stadium. If so, it's worth the tradeoff.

(03-29-2026 10:56 AM)eku05 Wrote:  

(03-27-2026 08:20 PM)chargeradio Wrote:  Fox is digitally adding art to the end zones during live shots, but it doesn't show up on replays.

I noticed that on the jumbotron in the stadium as well. I wish we could have actual end zone branding, but I get that it's probably part of the agreement with Louisville City FC/Racing Louisville that allows us to use the stadium. If so, it's worth the tradeoff.

From what I read from a member of Lou City's office on Reddit, the grounds crew used more permanent paint for the field markings for this game due to forecasted rain. Normally they plan to use chalk to do the field markings, which should be easier to remove when doing football to soccer conversions.

I’m pumped to be going to the first ever Columbus Aviators home game tonight. Hoping for a good match up

(04-03-2026 01:09 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  I’m pumped to be going to the first ever Columbus Aviators home game tonight. Hoping for a good match up

I know that you didn't get the game result you were looking for (just like us), but you had a nearly identical sized crowd that looked pumped to be there. We're off to a great start as a league this season I think. I'm looking forward to watching tonight as the Kings face former Louisville Cardinal QB Jack Plummer down in Orlando.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but in the UFL, I'm actually a Dallas Renegades fan. I just couldn't get into either the Roughnecks or the Gamblers. I feel like I'm betraying my Houston-area upbringing. lol

(04-04-2026 10:55 AM)eku05 Wrote:  

(04-03-2026 01:09 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  I’m pumped to be going to the first ever Columbus Aviators home game tonight. Hoping for a good match up

I know that you didn't get the game result you were looking for (just like us), but you had a nearly identical sized crowd that looked pumped to be there. We're off to a great start as a league this season I think. I'm looking forward to watching tonight as the Kings face former Louisville Cardinal QB Jack Plummer down in Orlando.

The Aviators executed poorly on both sides of the ball but the offense was particularly awful. Folks were calling for the 3rd string QB most of the game. DC made a lot of mistakes that kept Columbus in it for a while but the game soon got away from them and folks started leaving in droves. Getting destroyed in your home opener is not a good look when trying to build a fan base. Fans were pretty loud and passionate when the Aviators still had a chance. I was most surprised by how much merch I saw. The first 5,000 got free t-shirts but there were plenty of hats and shirts out there that people paid for.

Until there’s a demand for all those empty upper deck seats, I’d love to see them invite some of the big area high school bands to keep things lively.

I’d love to see the UFL be successful and eventually expand. They should concentrate on the biggest American markets without the NFL:

Hartford
Raleigh
Orlando
Memphis (I think a return once the Liberty Bowl is coming)
San Antonio
Salt Lake City
Portland
San Diego
Sacramento

There’s probably some football crazy NFL markets (Atlanta?) who could support a spring team too.

(04-05-2026 10:20 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  I’d love to see the UFL be successful and eventually expand. They should concentrate on the biggest American markets without the NFL:

Hartford
Raleigh
Orlando
Memphis (I think a return once the Liberty Bowl is coming)
San Antonio
Salt Lake City
Portland
San Diego
Sacramento

There’s probably some football crazy NFL markets (Atlanta?) who could support a spring team too.

Atlanta at least would have a reasonable venue in Center Parc (Georgia State), although I've heard rumblings of a possible USL team coming to greater Atlanta that might get closer to the 15,000-seat sweet spot.

(04-05-2026 10:20 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  I’d love to see the UFL be successful and eventually expand. They should concentrate on the biggest American markets without the NFL:

Hartford
Raleigh
Orlando
Memphis (I think a return once the Liberty Bowl is coming)
San Antonio
Salt Lake City
Portland
San Diego
Sacramento

There’s probably some football crazy NFL markets (Atlanta?) who could support a spring team too.

Orlando currently has a team. Most of the rest of those make sense. I think especially San Diego needs a team.

But right now it's not just about markets. They're concentrating on cities that fit the bill and have an appropriately sized stadium (probably a soccer stadium in most cases). Some of these cities have a good facility, and some of them don't.

But I don't think playing in the Liberty Bowl is in the cards. That doesn't really fit the facility profile of what they're looking for right now.

I'm just glad the stadium formerly known as the Edward Jones Dome is still getting some use, hosting the Battlehawks.