When Mike Repole walked into the United Football League (UFL) almost a year ago, he came in with some bold ideas. One of those that came to fruition: re-drafting the entire league. At the time, it seemed crazy. Actually, even right now, it still seems a little crazy!
However, being a little crazy is exactly what has defined the UFL this year, and it’s why the brand is seeing an uptick in relevancy under the new regime.
With six new Head Coaches entering the UFL’s fold for the 2026 season, shaking up the rosters made sense in the long run. Heck, considering Anthony Becht moved to Orlando – we only had one coach return to his respective team, with Shannon Harris remaining in DC with the Defenders.
“I tell you, when they broke these rosters up, and decided to go about it this way, it took a lot of our talent away. These guys, if you look at it, all the players we had on other teams are making big-time plays, or leading on that team in some way, shape, or form.” – Defenders HC Shannon Harris
Fast forward to week ten, and Mike Repole’s vision has paid off in dividends. First and foremost, the removal of conferences (which we went in-depth about a few weeks ago) has resulted in a very competitive playoff race. Pair that up with the re-drafted rosters which spread talent out relatively evenly across the board – and it has resulted in some outstanding football from week in to week out.
The standings, and final scores, have reflected exactly that. Heading into week nine, all eight teams still statistically had a chance to make the postseason. Now, with one week left to play, there is still a fight for the third and fourth seeds.
“I feel like every time I turn a game on that isn’t one of ours, it’s really fun to watch. The scores are really close. Two weeks ago, everyone felt like us, DC, and St. Louis were going to clinch the same weekend. If you were just picking teams, and looked at it on paper, you thought that we were all going to win. Two didn’t, and one did. I think that’s what is great. It forces you to be on it every week. People think that ‘Oh, it’s St. Louis…it’s Coach Becht’s team, they should be good’. That’s not really how it works. You have to have a clear cut plan, and you have to get guys to go out there and execute every single week.” – Storm HC Anthony Becht
The Houston Gamblers are a great example of an organization that was widely regarded as one of the “lower-tier” teams in the UFL, that still showed plenty of promise. In week seven, they came up just one point short against the now 7-2 Orlando Storm, and the following week, they defeated the now 6-3 St. Louis Battlehawks in The Dome. Even though they have struggled to finish ball games – this team is just as good as anyone. They were so close almost every weekend, but just couldn’t find ways to come out on the winning side in close affairs.
“It’s unreal. There’s so much parity. You look at Houston, their skill players on offense, and their defensive front, their secondary…they’re talented. It’s a play here, a play there. Explosive plays that can change the outcome of the game. They’re all coming down to the fourth quarter, lots of one score games. I think Orlando beat Houston 24-23, they could have easily won that game. I look at Columbus, they’re a good football team despite their record. Dallas, who started 3-0, it’s shocking that they’ve lost six in a row.” – Battlehawks HC Ricky Proehl
From top to bottom, the UFL has been competitive all year. Take, for example, week four. The Dallas Renegades (3-0) lost to the Columbus Aviators, who were 0-3 up until that point. Week six brought more twists as the 1-4 Birmingham Stallions knocked off the 4-1 Orlando Storm, on the road, to begin their late surge towards the playoffs. They are now fighting for their lives at 4-5 – but they still have a chance to dance in the postseason.
The Louisville Kings are another clear demonstration of this exact notion. They have plenty of playmakers and quality talent – but it took a few weeks for the show to come together under first-time Head Coach Chris Redman. After an 0-3 start, Louisville has won five of their last six games. This is a team that is capable of beating anyone in the playoffs, barring that they make it there.
“The first three to four weeks, especially the new coaches, new teams – they had to figure it out. But the parity has been incredible.” – Anthony Becht
Even a team like the Renegades, who have lost six in a row, haven’t been completely out of it. They lost to Orlando by one score in week eight, and held a one point lead in the fourth quarter over Louisville this past weekend. The losing teams in the UFL don’t lack talent – they’ve simply lacked execution.
“You’ve got to come to play every week. I think it’s great for the league, for viewers, and for fans. The talent level is so close. It comes down to discipline, not being given taunting penalties, retaliation penalties. I don’t get mad at our guys for dropping balls, or missing tackles. Jumping offsides, holding penalty…but when you have a penalty that is ill-advised, that’s when I lose my cool. Because you’re letting down the team, and you need to control your emotion. That’s what loses ball games.” – Ricky Proehl
Mike Repole wanted close games that kept fans on the edges of their seats until the final minutes, and he’s gotten exactly that. Every matchup hasn’t been perfect, to be clear. But – does any league in existence see 100% of their games as extremely competitive? No, they do not.
“The league itself, it’s gone to a whole other level. When it comes down to the teams, the competition, it’s second to none. With Repole being in the ownership group, he’s like a double shot of espresso to the league. He’s done a great job of bringing attention and energy back to the UFL. The players feed off of what he does, and what he brings to the league.” – Shannon Harris
There’s plenty that the UFL needs to address this offseason, but the product has been especially good this year. Quarterback play has left a bit to be desired, and the UFL could use a headlining running back or two, but overall – it’s looked solid.
As the UFL turns the corner into week 10 and the playoffs to follow, these final games should be outstanding. All five teams left in the race are stacked with talent – everyone who makes the postseason will have a chance to earn the Championship trophy.
The UFL’s slate of action kicks off this Friday, as the St. Louis Battlehawks host the Dallas Renegades at 8pm ET on FOX.
What are your thoughts on the excitement in the UFL this year? Do you think the league has fair level of play from team to team? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
