Spring football fans, rejoice. The 2025 UFL season has arrived and will provide an oasis for football junkies seeking live action during the long days of the NFL offseason.
The UFL season brings with it plenty of excitement. The Birmingham Stallions are fresh off a three-peat spanning two USFL seasons and the first year the UFL spent as a united front. The league’s seven remaining teams will be looking to unseat Skip Holtz’s squad as 2023 USFL MVP Alex McGough rejoins Birmingham’s loaded roster.
The Stallions will face stiff competition from the St. Louis Battlehawks, who are breaking in a new quarterback after the AJ McCarron era, and the Michigan Panthers, who went 7-3 last season and are returning many key playmakers. The Arlington Renegades could also get in the postseason mix with Luis Perez returning after completing 67% of his passes for 2,310 yards, 18 touchdowns and four interceptions.
Elsewhere, some UFL teams – the DC Defenders and Memphis Roughnecks – face early-season challenges. Their head coaches, Reggie Barlow and Ken Whisenhunt left their squads on eve of the season. Barlow did so after landing the head coaching job at Tennessee State while Whisenhunt cited “personal reasons” as he stepped away.
Plenty will be on the line as the spring league opens its second season since the USFL and XFL merger. Here’s a look at the Week 1 schedule and how to watch all four matchups.
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UFL schedule Week 1: What games are on today?
The UFL’s opening week will feature one game on Friday, one on Saturday and two on Sunday. Below are the full details of the Week 1 schedule.
(All times Eastern.)
Friday, March 28
- St. Louis Battlehawks at Houston Roughnecks, 8 p.m., Fox
Saturday, March 29
- San Antonio Brahmas at Arlington Renegades, 4 p.m., Fox
Sunday, March 30
- Michigan Panthers at Memphis Showboats, 12 p.m., ESPN/ESPN+
- Birmingham Stallions at DC Defenders, 3 p.m., ESPN/ESPN+
UFL SCHEDULE 2025: Dates, times, TV channel, more for every spring football game
Friday UFL game time, TV channel, live stream
St. Louis Battlehawks at Houston Roughnecks
- Start time: 8 p.m. ET
- TV channel: Fox
- Live stream: Fubo
The Roughnecks will host the Battlehawks at Space City Financial Stadium in Houston to open the season. Houston is coming off a 1-9 season but is hoping second-year quarterback Nolan Henderson and running back Kirk Merritt can provide a spark to an offense that averaged just 15.8 points per game last season.
Meanwhile, St. Louis has gone 7-3 in back-to-back seasons but hasn’t yet won a playoff game. They moved on from veteran quarterback AJ McCarron during the offseason. They will get a chance to see whether Manny Wilkins and Max Duggan can bring Anthony Becht’s offense to similar heights as the former Alabama star.
Saturday UFL game time, TV channel, live stream
San Antonio Brahmas at Arlington Renegades
- Start time: 4 p.m. ET
- TV channel: Fox
- Live stream: Fubo
The Brahmas made the UFL championship game last season but were shut out in it 25-0 by the Birmingham Stallions. Wade Phillips’ squad figures to have a strong defense again while first-year UFL quarterback Kellen Mond, a former Texas A&M star who was a third-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings, can provide their offense with more playmaking skills.
Meanwhile, the Renegades are coming off a 3-7 season during which they twice lost to the Brahmas. That said, Arlington has a strong offense headlined by Luis Perez and should be able to challenge San Antonio in the season opener.
Sunday UFL game times, TV channels, live streams
Michigan Panthers at Memphis Showboats
Whisenhunt stepping down puts the Showboats in an awkward position entering their season opener. Offensive line coach Jim Turner has been thrust into the interim head coaching role. Still, it isn’t clear exactly how the offense will operate, as Whisenhunt was also the team’s offensive coordinator.
The Panthers have much better continuity, as Mike Nolan is returning for a third season while veteran quarterbacks Danny Etling and Bryce Perkins are entering their second seasons with the club. That will likely give Michigan the upper hand against a Memphis defense that ranked last in the UFL in points allowed per game last season (26.4).
Birmingham Stallions at DC Defenders
The Stallions open their UFL title defense by facing off against the Defenders at Audi Field. DC has put together a strong roster, but like Memphis, lost their head coach on the eve of the season. The Defenders at least have some continuity at quarterback with Jordan Ta’amu, but the last-minute shake-up could still impact their chances of winning.
As for Birmingham, they are returning several key pieces to their team, which has won three consecutive spring football championships. Between Matt Corral, Alex McGough, CJ Marable, Jace Sternberger and Deon Cain, their offense should be one of the best units in the league. If their defense can continue to thrive despite the departure of coordinator John Chavis, Birmingham should once again be the team to beat in the UFL.
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