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If you think you have to wait until August to experience football again, then you don’t know the UFL.

This league is just one of a few football leagues that only come around during the spring. Like other spring leagues (IFL, CFL, etc.), it’s a place for those who didn’t get drafted to the NFL. To others, it’s where you play when you couldn’t make it in the NFL. More importantly, it’s the gateway to the big leagues, if these players are lucky enough.

Season 3 kicks off on March 27th with varied coverage on FOX, ESPN, FS1, and ABC throughout the season. Plus, two games will air on the NFL Network later in the season. For the full schedule, click here.

UFL: What You Need to Know

If you’re new to the UFL, here are a few things you need to know:

  • There are eight teams this season, and the league won’t be divided into conferences. Three of them are new to the league, and two teams have been rebranded. The teams competing are:
    • Birmingham Stallions
    • St. Louis Battlehawks
    • DC Defenders (reigning champions)
    • Houston Gamblers (formerly the Houston Roughnecks)
    • Dallas Renegades (formerly the Arlington Renegades)
    • The new teams: Columbus Aviators, Louisville Kings, and Orlando Storm
  • New rule changes were announced a few months ago. These new rules included:
    • The banning of the Tush Push
    • 4-pt field goal attempts from 60+ yards
    • No punting from inside the 50-yard line
  • Entrepreneur and racehorse owner Mike Repole is the new co-owner of the UFL. He’s also the co-founder of Glaceau (water product) and BODYARMOR (flavored drinks and regular water)

You can also click here for the official UFL website.

So, Why Should You Watch It?

If you’re looking for a league where you could see NFL stars in the making and still feel the excitement of the sport, this is the league for you. Yes, the UFL sounds more like a developmental league because it is. Everyone can still play the sport they love and live for and work towards getting into the big leagues.

With all-new teams and rosters, you don’t know what could happen this season. Last season provided no shortage of surprises. You could see teams make plays that will leave you shocked and craving for more. There will be moments and mistakes that will make this feel like the NFL. Everything you experience there is also here.

Fans have always looked at football as a fall sport, but spring football has been a thing for a while. People just hardly realize it. They miss out on seeing players who could have the capability to perform the way big-name NFL players can. In fact, the NFL itself still doesn’t see the big potential in having spring football players in their league.

So, as a fan, why should you wait for football to come back in the fall? I know I have a hard time with that. The Super Bowl has come and gone, so it’s time to embrace a new kind of football. It’s time to join in on the fandom, pick your team, and expect the unexpected every week as we watch these players make their marks.

Right now, you can take my advice or you can just keep waiting like any other football fan and have a longer period of football drought. The choice is yours, but you shouldn’t miss out on the UFL or you’ll regret it when it’s over.