UFL 2026: Teams, logos, coaches, stadiums, key players
We’re about a week away from the third season of the United Football League. Starting with the March 27 matchup between the Birmingham Stallions and the brand-new Louisville Kings, eight teams will play a 10-game season that culminates in a championship game on June 13 on ABC.
Three teams from last season have been relocated. The Michigan Panthers are now the Columbus Aviators, the Memphis Showboats are the Louisville Kings, and the San Antonio Brahmas are the Orlando Storm.
Here’s a handy cheat sheet on the UFL basics, complete with logos, stadiums, coaches and key players.
Birmingham Stallions
Stadium: Protective Stadium
Coach: AJ McCarron
Key players: QB Matt Corral, WR Deon Cain, WR Jaydon Mickens, LB Tae Crowder
McCarron, who led Alabama to consecutive national championships starting in 2012, will make his coaching debut with the Stallions at the age of 35. He played two seasons in the UFL as quarterback of the St. Louis Battlehaws before a major falling out with then-Battlehawks coach Anthony Becht. Becht is now the coach of the Orlando Storm; the Stallions and Storm meet on May 3 in Orlando.
The Stallions had won three consecutive spring titles under Skip Holtz before losing in the UFL semifinals last year. The offense is led by Corral and 2025 All-UFL WR Cain (29 receptions, 514 yards, six touchdowns). Mickens comes over from the DC Defenders, where he put up six receptions for 132 yards and a touchdown in the UFL title game.
Columbus Aviators
Stadium: Historic Crew Stadium
Coach: Ted Ginn Jr.
Key players: QB Jalan McClendon, RB Toa Taua, TE Gunnar Oakes
Fans in Columbus surely will be aware of the exploits of first-time head coach Ginn, who starred at Ohio State as a receiver and returner from 2004-06 then spent 14 seasons in the NFL.
Much of the Columbus roster ironically is made up of former Michigan Panthers. The Aviators could have one of the strongest offensive lines in the UFL with two all-league selections returning in C Cohl Cobral and T Ryan Nelson, as well as All-UFL TE Oakes.
DB Kedrick Whitehead Jr. leads the defense.
Dallas Renegades
Stadium: Toyota Stadium
Coach: Rick Neuheisel
Key players: QB Luis Perez, WR Tyler Vaughns, CB Ajene Harris
Neuheisel, 65, hasn’t patrolled a sideline since 2019, when he spent one season as the head coach of the Arizona Hotshots of the Alliance of American Football.
He inherits one of the UFL’s best quarterbacks in Perez (2,298 passing yards, nine touchdowns), a spring football icon. The erstwhile Perez has some intriguing pass-catchers, too, including All-UFL pick Vaughns, WR Deontay Burnett and RB Dae-Dae Hunter.
Harris had three interceptions in 2025 to lead the defense, and LB Willie Taylor was second in the UFL in sacks with seven.
DC Defenders
Stadium: Audi Field
Coach: Shannon Harris
Key players: QB Jordan Ta’amu, CB Deandre Baker, DE Derick Roberson
Harris replaced Reggie Barlow last season after two years as the Defenders’ quarterbacks coach and promptly led DC to the 2025 UFL championship.
Ta’amu is back after winning MVP honors in the title game. He passed for a record 390 yards and four touchdowns and added a rushing TD.
Baker and Roberson were All-UFL selections.
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