UFL Launches This Weekend: Full 2025 Schedule, Star Players, and How to Watch Live

Spring Football Heats Up: Key Storylines as UFL Week 9 Shakes Up the 2025 Playoff Picture INTRODUCTION With just two regular-season weeks left, the 2025 United Football League campaign is hitting a fever pitch. Tight divisional races, headline-grabbing rule tweaks, and a national TV package that makes every snap accessible are driving a surge of fan interest around the UFL. WEEK 9 RECAP AT A GLANCE • Birmingham Stallions 26, Michigan Panthers 22 – The defending champions clinched the league’s first postseason berth as QB Adrian Martinez engineered a 10-play, 82-yard go-ahead drive late in the fourth quarter. • Arlington Renegades 30, Memphis Showboats 13 – After an 0-6 start, Arlington has rattled off three straight wins behind a rejuvenated offense and now sits one game out of the wild-card slot. • Houston Roughnecks 24, D.C. Defenders 9 – Houston’s stingy defense forced three turnovers, preserving a share of first place in the South Division and handing D.C. its second consecutive loss. STANDINGS SNAPSHOT North: Stallions 7-2, Panthers 5-4, Defenders 4-5, Showboats 3-6 South: Roughnecks 6-3, Battlehawks 6-3, Renegades 3-6, Guardians 2-7 PLAYOFF RACE & TIEBREAKERS Only the top two clubs in each division qualify. Birmingham is in; everyone else remains mathematically alive. The Panthers own the head-to-head edge over D.C., while Houston currently holds the points-scored tiebreaker on St. Louis. RULE CHANGES ALREADY MAKING WAVES The league’s offseason tweaks were designed to increase possessions and late-game drama, and nine weeks of data suggest they’ve worked: • BANDED KICKOFF – Return rate is up to 92% from 63% last season, slashing touchbacks while keeping collisions down. • 4TH-AND-12 ONSIDE ALTERNATIVE – Teams are converting at a 28% clip, nearly tripling last year’s onside-kick success. • COACHES’ CHALLENGE EXPANSION – Two extra replay reviews per game on average, but average game time has only risen by three minutes thanks to the centralized officiating hub. IMPACT PLAYERS TO WATCH Birmingham RB C.J. Marable leads the league with 764 rushing yards, while Houston edge rusher Trent Harris has notched 11.5 sacks, already eclipsing the UFL single-season record. Fantasy-football players should also keep tabs on St. Louis WR Hakeem Butler, who averages a league-best 16.8 yards per catch. WHAT’S NEXT: WEEK 10 MUST-SEE MATCHUPS • Battlehawks at Roughnecks – Winner seizes sole possession of first in the South (Friday, 8 p.m. ET, FOX). • Stallions at Renegades – Arlington needs an upset to keep its Cinderella push alive (Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, ABC). • Panthers at Defenders – Effectively an elimination game for the final North playoff ticket (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, ESPN2). Full schedule and broadcast assignments are available on the league’s official site. HOW TO WATCH & STREAM Every game streams live on ESPN-Plus, with simulcasts on FOX Sports, ABC, and select regional partners. The league also posts condensed replays and All-22 film within 24 hours, fueling a growing community of amateur analysts and bettors. TICKET DEMAND RISING According to secondary-market aggregator TickPick, average get-in price has climbed 34% since Week 5, underscoring the momentum as fan bases eye postseason bids. BOTTOM LINE Between record-setting attendance, pace-of-play innovations, and playoff intrigue, the UFL’s sophomore season is delivering exactly what spring-football fans craved: meaningful games outside the NFL calendar. Expect the buzz to intensify as the league sprints toward Championship weekend in June.