The Seattle Seahawks beat the New England Patriots 29-13 in Super Bowl 60 on Feb. 8 to send the NFL into offseason mode.
Now, NFL fans are in the midst of a lengthy wait between games, as the 2026 NFL season won’t kick off until Wednesday, Sept. 9.
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Several events will help to tide over football junkies until the 2026 NFL season begins. Many will have a keen eye on the 2026 NFL Draft while others will be eager to check out the inaugural Fanatics Flag Football Classic.
For the third consecutive year, football fans will also be able to turn to the United Football League to serve as a source of entertainment. The spring football league has made some notable tweaks ahead of its 2026 season. Among them are some notable rule changes – including the addition of a four-point field goal – and the relocation of three of the league’s eight franchises.
Many UFL fans will be excited both to see their favorite players back in action and to see how Mike Repole’s vision for the new-look UFL pans out.
Here’s what to know about the 2026 UFL schedule and when the league’s first game will be played.
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When does UFL season start 2026?
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Start date: Friday, March 27
The first game of the 2026 UFL season will be played on Friday, March 27. The three-time spring-league champion Birmingham Stallions will face the Louisville Kings in the latter franchise’s inaugural UFL game.
The Kings will host the UFL season opener at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville. It will kick off at 8 p.m. ET.
The Kings will be led into the season by first-time coach Chris Redman. The 48-year-old was a star quarterback at Louisville and went on to have a nine-year NFL career after being selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft.
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The Stallions are also breaking in a new coach, as former NFL and UFL quarterback AJ McCarron will replace Skip Holtz for the 2026 NFL season. Like Redman, McCarron is a first-time coach. The 35-year-old will be looking to help Birmingham improve upon its 7-3 record in 2025 and bounce back from its first-ever playoff exit since the 2022 USFL reboot.
UFL schedule 2026
The 2026 UFL regular season will follow the same format as the league’s previous iterations. It will feature 40 games over a 10-week span, culminating in a three-game postseason featuring four of the league’s eight teams.
Below is a complete look at the UFL schedule for 2026:
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(All times Eastern.)
Week 1
Friday, March 27
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Birmingham Stallions at Louisville Kings, 8 p.m., Fox
Saturday, March 28
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DC Defenders at St. Louis Battlehawks, Noon, ESPN
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Houston Gamblers at Dallas Renegades, 4 p.m., Fox
Sunday, March 29
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Columbus Aviators at Orlando Storm, 8 p.m., ESPN
Week 2
Friday, April 3
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DC Defenders at Columbus Aviators, 8 p.m., Fox
Saturday, April 4
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Louisville Kings at Orlando Storm, 8 p.m., ESPN
Sunday, April 5
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Birmingham Stallions at Houston Gamblers, Noon, ESPN2
Tuesday, April 7
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St. Louis Battlehawks at Dallas Renegades, 8 p.m., FS1
Week 3
Friday, April 10
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Orlando Storm at Louisville Kings, 8 p.m., Fox
Saturday, April 11
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Houston Gamblers at DC Defenders, Noon, ESPN
Sunday, April 12
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Columbus Aviators at Dallas Renegades, Noon, ABC
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Birmingham Stallions at St. Louis Battlehawks, 3 p.m., ABC
Week 4
Thursday, April 16
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Louisville Kings at Houston Gamblers, 8 p.m., ESPN App
Friday, April 17
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Dallas Renegades at Columbus Aviators, 8 p.m., Fox
Saturday, April 18
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St. Louis Battlehawks at DC Defenders, 12:30 p.m., ABC
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Orlando Storm at Birmingham Stallions, 4 p.m., Fox
Week 5
Friday, April 24
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DC Defenders at Birmingham Stallions, 8 p.m., Fox
Saturday, April 25
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St. Louis Battlehawks at Orlando Storm, 7 p.m., ESPN
Sunday, April 26
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Columbus Aviators at Houston Gamblers, Noon, ABC
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Louisville Kings at Dallas Renegades, 3 p.m., ABC
Week 6
Thursday, April 30
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St. Louis Battlehawks at Louisville Kings, 8 p.m., FS1
Friday, May 1
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Houston Gamblers at Columbus Aviators, 8 p.m., Fox
Saturday, May 2
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Dallas Renegades at DC Defenders, Noon, ABC
Sunday, May 3
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Birmingham Stallions at Orlando Storm, 4 p.m., Fox
Week 7
Friday, May 8
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Columbus Aviators at St. Louis Battlehawks, 8 p.m., Fox
Saturday, May 9
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Louisville Kings at DC Defenders, 1:30 p.m., Fox
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Dallas Renegades at Birmingham Stallions, 8 p.m., ESPN
Sunday, May 10
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Orlando Storm at Houston Gamblers, 6 p.m., FS1
Week 8
Friday, May 15
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Orlando Storm at Dallas Renegades, 8 p.m., Fox
Saturday, May 16
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DC Defenders at Louisville Kings, Noon, ABC
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Houston Gamblers at St. Louis Battlehawks, 3 p.m., ABC
Sunday, May 17
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Columbus Aviators at Birmingham Stallions, 1 p.m., Fox
Week 9
Friday, May 22
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DC Defenders at Orlando Storm, 8 p.m., Fox
Saturday, May 23
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Birmingham Stallions at Columbus Aviators, 3 p.m., ABC
Sunday, May 24
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Dallas Renegades at Louisville Kings, 4 p.m. Fox
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St. Louis Battlehawks at Houston Gamblers, 7 p.m., ESPN2
Week 10
Friday, May 29
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Dallas Renegades at St. Louis Battlehawks, 8 p.m., Fox
Saturday, May 30
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Houston Gamblers at Birmingham Stallions, 3 p.m., ESPN2
Sunday, May 31
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Orlando Storm at DC Defenders, Noon, ABC
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Louisville Kings at Columbus Aviators, 6 p.m., Fox
UFL playoff games
Sunday, June 7
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Playoff game No. 1, 3 p.m., ABC
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Playoff game No. 2, 6 p.m., Fox
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UFL championship game
Saturday, June 13
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UFL championship game, 3 p.m., ABC
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UFL season start date, opener, full schedule for 2026
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