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Kevin Seifert
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By his own admission, new UFL co-owner Mike Repole is running the spring football league like a start-up company. He invested money with no clear path of immediate return, implemented some experimental changes that extended beyond football tradition and at one point changed a rule midway through an unusual and unsatisfactory conclusion to an overtime game.
How has that approach affected the spring football ecosystem? It has been good enough to start working on team expansion. On the field, returns are beginning to register as the UFL opens its second half of the season.
After an overhaul of the head coaching ranks and the installation of some local heroes with minimal coaching experience, the league’s top two teams are coached by some of the league’s most seasoned spring coaches. DC Defender (Shannon Harris) and Orlando Storm (Anthony Becht) are both 4-1. On the other hand, two 1-4 teams in the league were coached by recently retired quarterback AJ McCarron (Birmingham Stallions) and receiver Ted Jean Jr. (Columbus Aviator).
Let’s take a closer look at some of the trends, rule changes and other takeaways from the first half of RePaul’s first season with the league.
Scoring is up
In describing his plan to increase scoring in the league, Repole said he would like to see “34-31” games. The UFL is nowhere near the average of 65 combined points per game that would be required, but it’s a significant jump from his previous two seasons.
Even with a slow start, UFL games average 46.3 points per game. That’s a 20% increase from their average at the midpoint of last season (38.7) and 8% higher than in 2024 (42.7).
For context, the NFL has averaged 46 points in 2025 and, over the long haul, has averaged 44.2 points per game since the turn of the century.
“What’s been great is the progression of teams and players from Week 1 when there weren’t a lot of points,” UFL head Dean Blandino said. “Now we’re averaging close to where the NFL was at the end of last year, which was a good number. So everybody’s getting comfortable.”
Punts are way down
One of the primary methods the UFL has used to limit scoring juice is to prohibit punts when the line of scrimmage is inside the opponent’s 50-yard line. Instead, teams must either go for fourth down or attempt a field goal.
Not surprisingly, that’s a nearly 40% decrease in punts (95-league wide) compared to the same period last season (152). The rule has saved the coaches from themselves at times, as there have only been seven touchbacks on punts so far.
On average, UFL games average 4.8 punts per game. For context, NFL teams averaged 7.1 punts per game last season.
4 Point Field Goal Use caution
In addition to banning punts, Repole also championed awarding four points for any field goal converted from 60 yards or more. Defenders and kickers are the only team to experiment with it Matt McCrane Converted two of his three attempts (both from exactly 60 yards).
Multiple kickers have demonstrated range. of Louisville Tanner Brown and Houston John Hoyland Each converted from 59 yards, while St. Louis Tucker McCann Orlando’s Michael Lantz has a 58-yarder and is better than 57.
Passing games have rebounded, but…
Through five games of the 2025 season, UFL quarterbacks had thrown for 10% fewer yards and 15 fewer touchdowns than at the same point in the 2024 season. The 2026 numbers (186.5 passing yards per game, 53 passing touchdowns) are roughly back to 2024, but Repoll admits the league’s quarterbacks need to step up.
Four weeks into the season, more than half the league has engaged in multiple trades to reallocate existing quarterbacks and fill injuries. Matt Coral Went from Birmingham to Orlando instead Dorian Thompson-Robinson. of Louisville Jason Bean And DC’s Mike DeLillo swapped spots, and Luis Perez Went from Dallas to St. Louis.
The best quarterback performance came from Dallas Austin Reedwho opened the season with a 376-yard game. He has fallen off in recent weeks but still leads the league with 1,102 passing yards and 12 touchdowns through five games.
Repoll, however, said on “The Pat McAfee Show” this week that upgrading the talent at quarterback will be a high priority next season. Before the undrafted rookie Diego Pavia Signed with the NFL Baltimore RavensRepole said he was “willing to sign him tomorrow and start him this weekend.” Later, Repoll tweeted that the UFL in 2027 “will be bigger. More talent. More big name brand players.”
Appearance is flat
Ripoll’s biggest initiative in its first year has been moving to smaller stadiums and focusing on filling them to create a football-like vibe on site. As a result, stadiums may feel less empty even though attendance — averaging just under 12,000 per game — is roughly the same as the 2025 and 2024 seasons.
St. Louis led the way with an average of 25,700 over its two games, while two Texas teams — Houston (5,930) and Dallas (6,731) — ranked near the bottom. All eight teams’ highest attendances came in their first home game.
