Last month, the UFL confirmed previous reporting that games in 2025 would be played on Friday nights in addition to Saturdays and Sundays. This confirmation was made in a press release that also set opening night for March 28, a Friday, which keeps the timing of the season in line with 2024 instead of moving the kickoff up to the week after the Super Bowl, as had been XFL tradition.
The Friday night timeslot gives the UFL a potentially new audience. It’s an audience that, come springtime, will have become accustomed to tuning in at that time and station to get their sports fix. Fox has already begun to feature college football, which will run through the winter, when college basketball takes over. And then, it’ll be the UFL’s turn.
With a season now under the league’s belt – and what will be the fourth season in a row of spring football – the curiosity factor for viewers will be gone. The UFL will need to put its best foot forward right out of the gate. Though the league has likely already determined that first Friday contest, here are three opening night possibilities that would be intriguing ways to start the season.
Birmingham Stallions at San Antonio Brahmas
While the defending champions not getting a home game in week one may be sacrilege to some, Protective Stadium in Birmingham will be hosting Monster Jam on Saturday, March 29, taking it out of the running to host the Friday kickoff game. The UFL led off its inaugural season with USFL Champion vs. XFL Champion and could choose a similar tact this year (in this case, USFL Conference Champion vs. XFL Conference Champion).
Brahmas crowds have generally come across well on TV inside the Alamodome, even if the numbers haven’t always met expectations. Being in a dome could make the crowd seem louder on TV regardless of how many people show up. Getting to bill the opener as a championship rematch, revenge on the mind of the Brahmas, would provide an easy way to advertise this game to the masses.
Birmingham Stallions at St. Louis Battlehawks
In three seasons of the team’s existence, the Battlehawks have never had a week one home game, let alone in a marquee spot like this. What better way to showcase what the UFL is all about (or, more accurately, what the UFL WANTS to be about) than introducing potential new viewers to 30,000-plus inside the Battledome?
The Stallions and Battlehawks developed a bit of a rivalry last year, with a questionable hit knocking St. Louis QB AJ McCarron out of commission for a few weeks. This game may not have the same intrigue if McCarron doesn’t return in 2025, though even a suitable replacement for him could carry on that legacy. In different ways, these two are the model franchises for their respective conferences.
Michigan Panthers at D.C. Defenders
I’m operating under the assumption that the league will want to include a team from both the USFL and XFL Conference in this game so as to not show favoritism, something to which UFL leadership seems very sensitive. The Stallions are the obvious representative from the USFL Conference to open on Friday night, but since they got the first game last year, perhaps the UFL will opt to spotlight a different team from the USFL.
In that case, Michigan would be the most likely team. While San Antonio, St. Louis, or Michigan would all be solid host choices, all three play their home games indoors (provided Michigan returns to Ford Field). A night game outdoors, with the unique atmosphere that comes with it, might be the preference. D.C. would then be the most obvious choice. The intimate, rollicking setting that has developed inside Audi Field would be fun for first-time UFL TV viewers to experience.
It would also work aesthetically, showing fewer empty seats given that even some of the other well-attended stadiums are larger and those swaths of empty seats could drive a certain narrative among viewers about the health of the league. Another TV-based factor: D.C. and Detroit are two of the largest television markets of the league’s eight franchises.
3 thoughts on “Three potential match-ups for the UFL to consider featuring on its first 2025 Friday night kickoff”
Get two bigger markets or St Louis. Keeping with USFL v XFL…
Mich vs DC would fit the bill
Or Arl at Mich
Mich at St L – would be pretty good and the attendance would be good for TV (though attendance hasn’t shown in TV ratings, it may help perception) – Even STL at Mich would work too
I agree with you that it makes sense to have the XFL & USFL conferences play each other in this year’s opener. Having been to DC, even on a day the attendance was not great, it was still good. I like the idea of a night game outside and yes I think DC would be good, but I also like the idea of the Stallions being the home team. If you can also give out the championship rings the same night, maybe right before the game, but televise it. Also do a giveaway. Between the rings, the giveaway this should bring about a good attendance, maybe the best Birmingham will have all season, similar to what the Stallions and Generals did in 2022. Who to play them? That I will leave to the league. Think about this the Stallions 3peated. They did so against the XFL teams, which although last year had the same salary, so many more ex-NFL players were drawn to the XFL due to the larger salaries the year before. Former NFL players were drawn to the Stallions due to the coaching staff and the opportunities that provided not funds. They would have never been able to attract AJ McCarron and others that signed with the XFL for the salaries and the feeling there was a coolness to it. Although more the XFL conference still has more ex-NFL players, experienced coaches are much better wide spread throughout the league and there has become a little more parity when it comes to NFL experience. The Stallions deserve this night. Now the fans need to come out. IF this does not occur, I feel any of these games works, although it would be better if AJ McCarron is at the helm of Battlehawks if the game is in St. Louis.
I agree that a Stallions home game would be a nice reward for their championship victory, but as I stated in the story, the stadium is not available that weekend due to Monster Jam taking place on that Saturday.
Get two bigger markets or St Louis. Keeping with USFL v XFL…
Mich vs DC would fit the bill
Or Arl at Mich
Mich at St L – would be pretty good and the attendance would be good for TV (though attendance hasn’t shown in TV ratings, it may help perception) – Even STL at Mich would work too
Mich at SA not bad either.
I agree with you that it makes sense to have the XFL & USFL conferences play each other in this year’s opener. Having been to DC, even on a day the attendance was not great, it was still good. I like the idea of a night game outside and yes I think DC would be good, but I also like the idea of the Stallions being the home team. If you can also give out the championship rings the same night, maybe right before the game, but televise it. Also do a giveaway. Between the rings, the giveaway this should bring about a good attendance, maybe the best Birmingham will have all season, similar to what the Stallions and Generals did in 2022. Who to play them? That I will leave to the league. Think about this the Stallions 3peated. They did so against the XFL teams, which although last year had the same salary, so many more ex-NFL players were drawn to the XFL due to the larger salaries the year before. Former NFL players were drawn to the Stallions due to the coaching staff and the opportunities that provided not funds. They would have never been able to attract AJ McCarron and others that signed with the XFL for the salaries and the feeling there was a coolness to it. Although more the XFL conference still has more ex-NFL players, experienced coaches are much better wide spread throughout the league and there has become a little more parity when it comes to NFL experience. The Stallions deserve this night. Now the fans need to come out. IF this does not occur, I feel any of these games works, although it would be better if AJ McCarron is at the helm of Battlehawks if the game is in St. Louis.
I agree that a Stallions home game would be a nice reward for their championship victory, but as I stated in the story, the stadium is not available that weekend due to Monster Jam taking place on that Saturday.