As we turn to the new year, season two of the United Football League is right around the corner. We are 80 days from kick-off on Friday March 28th. Training camp is set to start on February 27th.
Unlike the XFL season in 2020, the USFL season in 2022. The XFL and USFL seasons in 2023 and even the UFL season in 2024. The world is about to change fast and the UFL needs to adapt quickly if they want to survive.
Fourth Industrial Revolution
We are moving from the Third Industrial Revolution to the Intelligence Age (Fourth Industrial Revolution). Something coined by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. As with any major shift, this transition brings growing pains and adaptation challenges. In 2025, we stand at the beginning of this transformation.
The printing press, invented by Johannes Gutenberg in the 15th century, rendered many scribes obsolete but allowed books and knowledge to spread rapidly across Europe, sparking the Renaissance.
The steam engine of the 18th century revolutionized manufacturing and transportation, leading to mass production and railways, yet displaced artisans who relied on traditional handcrafting.
In the late 20th century, the rise of the internet transformed global communication and commerce, enabling e-commerce giants like Amazon, while forcing many brick-and-mortar stores and newspapers into decline.
While AI’s growth over the next two years may eliminate jobs and create new roles in emerging sectors, it’ll probably just end up doing those new jobs too – something we’ve never dealt with before in human history.
Now that the doom and gloom is out of the way, let’s break down what the UFL needs to do differently in 2025 to survive this new age.
Two Head Winds Coming In 2025
Traditional Media Is Dead
Traditional media as we know it is dead. We have know for years, the writing was on the wall with newspapers, cable TV, and radio. This sector has managed, for a long time, to stave off the end, but now the end is here.
It looks like the ESPN, Fox Corporation, and Warner Bros. Discovery venture Venu Sports. A joint streaming service designed to consolidate their sports content into a single platform is back on the table after settling with FuboTV. They did this to compete with rising competition from standalone streaming services like Amazon Prime and YouTube TV. They did it to survive, plane and simple.
Comcast, who used to broadcast USFL games, is shaking things up by spinning off some of its biggest cable networks, like MSNBC, CNBC, and USA Network, into a new publicly traded company called “SpinCo.” Other major networks will follow this model in 2025.
Rupert Murdoch is 93 years old, who knows what happens with FOX once his passing.
For these cable channels, now is the time to sell. As each year goes by, these channels will be worth less and less. How FOX and Disney mange this change will be interesting to watch in 2025.
Job Losses On The Rise
In 2025, it doesn’t matter who is in the White House, job losses will rise. Companies in 2024 started to scale back their operations due to the rise of AI, that will continue in 2025 and beyond. Not all industries have been hit, yet. If you work behind a computer, your in trouble. If you work with your hands or people, you are good… for now.
On a personal note, my industry – software development – is in trouble. And this isn’t coming from random YouTubers – the CEOs of Microsoft and NVIDIA are saying coding could be gone in three years. I lost my job in 2024 and through God’s grace landed a better one, but most folks aren’t that lucky. And it’s only gonna get worse from here.
People with less disposable income in their pockets, means less ticket and merchandise sales for the UFL.
What It Means For The UFL
If the UFL wants to survive during this transition they need to do so now. I am writing this because so for, from what I have seen, they are still doing things the old way.
There needs to be a new vision and new blood put in these UFL office positions, not the old guard. The UFL needs a balanced mixture of up and coming front office talent and veteran leadership. Like we saw with the XFL in 2020. What we are see from the outside now is hiring pals from the good old boy network for front office gigs.
Remember, the UFL needs more Zach Potters. The 20 something year old former intern turned GM of the three time Champion Birmingham Stallions. He along with a veteran leader in head coach Skip Holtz built the model the UFL front office needs to follow to win.
ESPN And FOX Are A Team Now
UFL News Hub reported a week ago that one of the reasons for a lack luster UFL 2025 schedule role out was due to ESPN and FOX not wanting to promote each others brands. To put it simple… that is a joke.
To put it more bluntly. I will quote one of the minority owners of the UFL. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson in saying… “Know Your Role… and shut your mouth!”
The only valuable asset between FOX Sports and ESPN is their live sports and Pat McAfee. No one under the age of 60 watches sports talk TV anymore. No one cares about Colin Cowherd, Steven A Smith or any talk show on FOX Sports or ESPN, because they don’t know who they are.
You are in this together and this United Football League could be more valuable than anything you own in the next several years. We will get into that later.
FOX Sports only retweets the UFL schedule? At least ESPN came out with their own press release.
UFL Schedule release day should have had appearances across all the ESPN and FOX Sports platforms. There was one random UFL Instagram post about Deestroying appearing on ESPN, but that was later pulled.
What is the point of this supposed great partnership if you never promote the league. You can take 10 minutes out of your 24 hour news cycle to interview coaches and players about the upcoming UFL season. You own the league, you need to sell tickets, you need people to watch on TV. Yes, traditional media is dead, I stated that earlier, but you have the assets(TV, Radio) now, use them.
You can stop talking about Aaron Rogers for 10 minutes and put over the league you own. A brand that will actually make you money in the future.
No More Old Media
This week UFL News Hub recapped interviews with Birmingham Stallions head coach Skip Holtz, San Antonio Brahmas head coach Wade Phillips and Executive Vice President of Football Operations Daryl “Moose” Johnston. These were all great interviews, but two of them were on the same radio station. That is it.
Take a page from the Presidential election of 2024. Local is ok, but podcasts and YouTube Channels with reach are way better. More people would watch Wade Phillips being interviewed on Deestroying’s YouTube channel than all the traditional radio appearances combined for a month. Local is OK for brand awareness but those channels don’t reach the market you want. That is, unless you are having a seniors night at your stadiums.
Whatever you did in the past wont work. That horse has left the barn.
What To Do In 2025
I am writing this, not to be a troll, but because I want to UFL to survive. For the fans, coaches, office staff and players. Live sports will continue to be a valuable asset in the future. This can work and have a long future if the right steps are taken now.
Live Sports In The Age Of AI
Alexis Ohanian, the co-founder of Reddit, has some interesting thoughts on live sports in the Age of AI. He says that as AI-generated content becomes more common, people are going to crave real, authentic experiences, and live sports will become even more valuable. The unpredictability and raw emotion of a live game are things AI just can’t replicate, and Ohanian sees that as a huge advantage for sports in the future.
Like I said earlier, the UFL will be more valuable to ESPN, FOX, RedBird Capital in the future than it is right now. Treat is as such, not an after thought.
The Rock In Or Out
As a life long fan of The Rock, it has been disappointing seeing him make appearances and never mention the UFL. He mentions his other brands but not the United Football League. We are hearing from UFL News Hub sources that he is mostly out. It is disappointing because he could be such a great asset. The Player 54 was great, but without him, it means nothing.
Having Dany Garcia as XFL commissioner was a great idea. It generated buzz and good will towards the brand. She should have been commissioner of the UFL. She is a good brand ambassador, hitting media channels the league needs talking up the league.
Nothing against current CEO and President Russ Brandon, he does a good job. The league needs to follow the model set by Oliver Luck. He was everywhere. The league seems a bit rudderless and needs a dynamic front man or women.
It seems like now, both Johnson and Garcia are on the outs for whatever reason. If they are no longer part of the big picture and just owners in the background. If they’re content being silent investors and aren’t willing to promote the league they own, it’s time for both of them to move on.
Podcast And Influencers
Since it is looking like AJ McCarron could be retiring, the leagues most valuable player asset right now is Deestroying. The United Football League needs more like him. They can do that by creating their own home grown influencers. Help us fans get to know the UFL players on a personal level. There are stars in that pool, find them, teach them, build them up and use them.
Instead of appearance on traditional media (radio, TV) have coaches, front office, players appear on podcasts and YouTube channels. Joe Rogan, Kelce brothers (New Heights), Barstool, you name it. Target podcasts and channels about men, football fans even women. When they appear anywhere, cut those interviews up and distribute them on your social channels . And for pete sake use a #UFL please. Short video clips are the thing right now.
Create You Own Behind The Scenes
Fans love to talk about what is happening behind the scenes with the league. Give us access to grow your audience. Look how well Netflix’s Formula 1: Drive to Survive and Full Swing did. My kids talked more about those drivers and my wife learned more about the Golfers then they had before. Both came away with their favorites. Build the same for the UFL. An unprecedented look at building a major football league from the ground up.
ESPN can drop Cornhole Championships for a night and put it on. FS1… they can drop any one of their show. Remember, the UFL is one of your more valuable assets now. See Alexis Ohanian above.
Help Those Who Help You
News site like UFLBoard, ProFootballNewsroom and us UFLNewsHub are you partners. Podcasts that cover your league are NOT advisories. Together, they are your assets. Make sure they have access, images, content, the things they need to promote your brand.
The Washington Post recently announced layoffs affecting about 4% of its workforce starting in 2025. Targeting roles in business areas like sales and IT, while sparing newsroom staff. This follows a challenging financial period, including a $77 million loss in 2023 and a decline in digital subscriptions from 3 million in 2020 to 2.5 million in 2023.
What is more valuable to the UFL, one article from the Washington Post at the beginning of the season, if you are lucky. Or articles, videos, and shorts created from ‘UFL Influencers’. How about a one or two 10 minute appearance before the season on a local sports talk radio channel. Or in-depth conversation with people who actual know and care about the league. Who in turn create articles, videos, and shorts.
UFL fans who follow these channels are the ones telling their friends about the United Football league. Your ‘UFL advocates’. They bring friends to a game and tell them to watch the league. Our channels are the ones that cater to them. Help us help them.. who will help you.
I am not saying do not go the traditional media route, but help the ones who put over your league too. It is very boomer if the UFL front office ignores us. Sorry… its true. I can say that, I just turned 50 this year.
Female Kicker
Find the best female place kicker in football and sign her up for a UFL tryout. The UFL can do it or have Deestroying cover it on his channel. Get ESPN’s Pat McAfee involved, he has a daughter and is a former NFL kicker for the Colts.
At least give her a tryout. Even if she gets cut, it will still get huge buzz for the league. It is not being woke, girls play football now. Tap into that market.
Girls And Boys Flag Football
My daughter plays flag football in high school and loves it. Bring in flag football teams to play on the field at halftime. Boys and girls teams. Maybe even do events at the end of the games.
Kid events at halftime bring in more than just Mom and Dad. How about just inviting the teams to a game and giving them merch. The Ravens did it for a pre-season game and a ton of the girls went from my daughters High School flag team. For most of them, it was their first professional football game. Guess who their favorite team is now. Treat them right and you have fans for life.
Expansion, Expansion, Expansion
The biggest interest driver of the UFL we see is expansion talk. Articles, videos talking about expansion get eyeballs. Tap into that all season long. Fans want to be part of the United Football League but don’t have a local connection.
Using both ESPN and FOX, tease five city finalists for each division at the beginning of the season. ESPN will cover the XFL Conference. FOX Sports will cover the USFL Conference. Those ten markets will be drawn into watching the league for a chance to cheer on a new hometown team.
Even if the location has no chance like San Diego, Oakland, New Jersey, or Chicago. Who cares, they are big markets and fans will watch the 2025 season with the hopes they get a team in 2026. But have no fear, if they don’t. There is always 2027. By that time, they are in and you got more fans. Plus if these larger markets show out in the ratings or fan interest, they could get a team.
Minor League Baseball
Take a page from minor league baseball, fireworks, giveaways, special appearance all could draw fans. Events before games, be creative and think outside the box.
More Local In Person Events
There should be UFL tents at sporting events throughout the Fall. NFL, college football, big high school football games. Boots on the ground should be part of the local Rotary, chamber of commence and any networking associations. Here is the key, keep these people on payroll all season long. It takes time to build these relationships. If you have high turn over, these ground games can never get started.
Survive And Sky’s The Limit
If you want to survive the upcoming Intelligence Age the UFL needs to adapt. The key is having a growth mindset. ESPN, RedBird Capital and FOX have something that could be one of the biggest assets in their portfolio for the future.
UFL News Hub expects attendance for the UFL to be down this season. We explained earlier why. It is ok for now, the league needs to be patient.
The NFL is king and to have your own football league that you own everything is huge. Between selling franchises, merch, TV rights, you own it all. You just have to make it work and it will take off in the future.
But you have to think outside of the box and be a first mover in this new era and be different. The league has the people to do it. The question is, do they have the mindset.
Let us know what your thoughts are in the comments.
