Overview
- The season opens Friday at 8 p.m. ET on FOX as the Louisville Kings host the Birmingham Stallions at Lynn Family Stadium, with Curt Menefee and Joel Klatt on the call as part of FOX’s tech-heavy UFL Friday slate.
- The 2026 schedule features a 10-week regular season with 40 games followed by a two-week postseason for the eight-team spring league.
- New rules aim to raise scoring, including a four-point field goal from 60 yards or longer, no punts inside the 50 before the two-minute warning, a kickoff from the 30, a one-foot catch rule, and updated conversion options from the 33 (kick for one), the 2 (go for two) and the 8 (go for three).
- The league reshaped its footprint with relocations to Columbus, Louisville and Orlando, and six new head coaches step in, including AJ McCarron in Birmingham, Rick Neuheisel in Dallas and Chris Redman in Louisville.
- Player movement underscores the NFL pipeline, with 12 former Eagles on UFL rosters this week and 66 modern spring-league alumni earning NFL roster or practice-squad spots over the past two seasons.