UFL: The Future of Football? Photo by Juan Salamanca:  Article by Tyler Duke

What if I told you that you didn't have to wait until August to watch football?

Now you don't have to with the United Football League; you can watch professional football in March. The UFl was created with the merger of the USFL and the XFL to showcase eight teams in what is a league that focuses on showmanship. The UFL features many of the former college superstars that we used to love to watch with names like Matt Corral, A.J. McCarron, and Scooby Wright III.

I will be honest, the games aren’t nearly as intense as an NFL game, but they provide a unique point of view that you won't see in an NFL game, as I much prefer the analysis in a UFL game. The UFL focuses on the offensive end, where you can hear the plays being called before the snap by the offensive coordinator. The quarterback for each team also has a microphone attached, so you can hear any pre-snap adjustments much like you would hear on an NFL broadcast.

I think that anyone who wants to learn about football should start with the UFL, as the speed of play is much slower and easier to follow. The UFL is also a must-watch for any younger sports fans, as I think that the play-by-play breakdown is more descriptive than an NFL broadcast, which I credit to the slower pace of play, which gives the broadcast crew more time to provide in-depth summaries of the previous play to the at-home viewers. 

If you enjoy special teams play, the UFL is for you, as just in week one we saw Jake Bates knock down a couple of 64-yard field goals in the first week. Not only is Jake Bates drawing attention due to his UFL record for setting field goals, but Youtuber Deestroying is also another special teamer getting a lot of attention.

 The thing that is interesting about the UFL is that the talent gap between the UFL and the NFL isn't very significant, which makes for entertaining games. I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of these players on an NFL roster come springtime, along with many that played in the NFL in the 2023–2024 season. 

I think that NFL fans should be relieved as the UFL fills the void for football after February. The UFL has a very interesting opportunity; it can become a way for players who have fallen off to get themselves back into the NFL and it really shows on the field in week one there weren't any blowouts and every game was entertaining.

So the question is, is this the future of football?