{"id":207750,"date":"2025-01-07T13:00:38","date_gmt":"2025-01-07T18:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=207750"},"modified":"2025-01-07T13:14:01","modified_gmt":"2025-01-07T18:14:01","slug":"the-ufl-returns-after-a-triumphant-inaugural-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2025\/01\/07\/the-ufl-returns-after-a-triumphant-inaugural-season\/","title":{"rendered":"The UFL Returns After A Triumphant Inaugural Season"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

The United Football League announced the 2025 schedule<\/a>. After exceeding expectations in their inaugural season, the UFL returns poised for a strong second season. \u00a0The league is expanding its television coverage following the UFL’s success with over 32 million viewers<\/a> watching games. Media partners FOX, ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and FS1 are combining to feature all 43 games with select contests available in Spanish on FOX Deportes, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+. In addition, the UFL is offering a streaming option for fans through the FOX Sports App and ESPN+. \u00a0<\/p>\r\n

UFL Returns With New Schedule, Streaming, and Spanish Language Options<\/h2>\r\n

FOX Sports has decided to go \u201call in\u201d with the UFL. \u00a0The network is dedicating its Friday night schedule to the games with a new weekly show featuring a designated UFL game. “FOX UFL Friday” premieres on Friday, March 28 at 8:00 pm with an exciting matchup between the St. Louis Battlehawks<\/a> and the Houston Roughnecks<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

Get Acquainted With The UFL<\/h3>\r\n

It will be a welcome return for passionate football fans seeking to fill the sports and entertainment void after the NFL post-season. The time between the Super Bowl and the start of NFL training camp can be agonizingly long. The UFL is ideally suited to the beleaguered fan accustomed to planning their weekend around the football schedule. Watching the UFL games can fill that void and alleviate the pain.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

The UFL has become a wonderful launching pad for undrafted football players eager to hone their skills and prove themselves worthy of an NFL career. The past few years have proven spring football is a direct gateway to the NFL. It’s a great opportunity for talented players to sign with the NFL during pre-season minicamps. \u00a0Later in the year as injuries mount, players are signed off the practice squad. In the past, spring football may been dismissed as second-rate. However, there is no denying the incredibly talented athletes playing in the UFL. \u00a0<\/p>\r\n

UFL to NFL Superstars\u00a0<\/h3>\r\n

For example, two\u00a0former spring football players made the NFL Pro Bowl<\/a>. \u00a0One of the most exciting and explosive players in the NFL, Dallas Cowboys’ KaVontae Turpin<\/a>, got his start in spring football. \u00a0Turpin, the outstanding second-year wide receiver and return specialist previously played for the USFL New Jersey Generals. \u00a0His success with the Generals as the league MVP brought him to the Cowboys’ attention. \u00a0This is Turpin’s second consecutive Pro Bowl appearance. \u00a0<\/p>\r\n

Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey<\/a> is the second spring football player named to the Pro Bowl. The former Birmingham Stallions<\/a> kicker is one of the leading field goal kickers in the NFL, converting 36 of 43 field goals this year.<\/p>\r\n

Earlier this year Aubrey kicked the second-longest field goal in NFL history<\/a>, booting a 65-yard kick through the uprights. Despite the Cowboys’ disappointing season, these two spring football alumnae have excelled all season and provided the team’s most exciting moments.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

Another former UFL player Jake Bates<\/a> made the Pro Bowl this year as an alternate.\u00a0By now, you are undoubtedly familiar with the story of Bates, the Detroit Lions<\/a> kicker, and former Houston brick salesman. Before Bates became an NFL star and household name, he played for the UFL Michigan Panthers last season. Recognizing his talent the Panthers signed him to his first professional football contract. In his first game for the Panthers, he kicked a clutch 64-yard field goal to win the game. Bates became an overnight sensation. He converted several long-distance kicks throughout the season, including three over 60 yards, and made the ALL-UFL team. Once the UFL season ended, he was signed by the Lions.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

As The UFL Returns Who Will Be the Next Superstar?<\/h3>\r\n

The league is filled with several familiar faces returning from last season. Luis Perez,<\/a> the league’s leading passer, and the offensive player of the year Hakeem Butler<\/a> are returning. But one of the more intriguing players to return is popular YouTube star and media sensation, Donald De La Haye.<\/a> \u00a0“Deestroying” as he is known to his six million plus fans famously signed as a kicker with the San Antonio Brahmas last season. \u00a0He won the starting assignment after beating NFL veteran kicker Matt Ammendola<\/a> only to break his neck making a tackle in Week 2. \u00a0<\/p>\r\n

Now fully recovered from his injury, De La Haye announced his return this season after launching a podcast with Brahmas punter Brad Wing, \u201cKickin\u2019 It with Dee.<\/a>\u201d \u00a0Declaring\u00a0his story is far from over,<\/a> he stated, \u201cI refuse to go out like that after my injury. The story is far from over, and I have more football to play. Brahmas, I\u2019m back.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

UFL Returns To A Passionate Fan Base and Social Media Presence<\/h3>\r\n

With an increase of more than 100 million views over previous spring football seasons, the UFL has a strong social media following with 283 million views across all platforms. ESPN’s social media views were up more than 34% \u00a0from 2023. \u00a0YouTube reported over 20 million views demonstrating a significant increase in their 2023 USFL and XFL numbers. \u00a0<\/p>\r\n

If you haven’t already discovered the thrill of the UFL, there’s no better time to do so than now. \u00a0<\/p>\r\n

Main Image: Chris Day\/The Commercial Appeal \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The United Football League announced the 2025 schedule. After exceeding expectations in their inaugural season, the UFL returns poised for a strong second season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5208,"featured_media":208892,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5374],"tags":[33126,10291,43,4801,32629,31991,4721,32640],"class_list":["post-207750","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ufl","tag-birmingham-stallions","tag-brandon-aubrey","tag-detroit-lions","tag-hakeem-butler","tag-jake-bates","tag-kavontae-turpin","tag-luis-perez","tag-ufl"],"modified_by":"Drew Crabtree","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207750","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5208"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=207750"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207750\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":208747,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207750\/revisions\/208747"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/208892"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=207750"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=207750"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=207750"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}