Week 8 of the 2026 UFL season was a historic moment for the league, as it wasn't about the Orlando Storm clinching their first-ever playoff appearance or the Louisville Kings winning their first-ever home game.
No, it was all about what happened about three hours from Dallas, Texas, at the military base Fort Hood, where the Storm took on the Dallas Renegades in front of thousands of military members and their families. They were all treated to an exciting game filled with great moments, like Renegades tight end Seth Green catching a touchdown in front of his dad in the stands, who serves our country, or even funny moments, with Storm wide receiver K.J. Hamler getting rattled by the cannon going off after his touchdown.
While the Storm walked off the field with a 31-24 win over the Renegades, there was more to the game than just the play on the field for 60 minutes. There was a lot going on outside of it before and after the game, but was it a great experience, or was it a bust by the UFL?
Everything About the Gameday Experience at Fort Hood Game
Adding some context on why this game was played at Fort Hood instead of Toyota Stadium in Frisco, where the Renegades play, that stadium is currently getting prepared for the FIFA World Cup happening soon. That was always going to be a problem heading into the season, so the league decided to move the game from Dallas to Fort Hood.
As a member of the media, I have to say this was a smooth experience for us. We, the media members, met in a parking lot, were escorted by the base's media relations team into the base, and onto the field. There, anyone with on-field access just worked on the field, and any print media did not have a press box, but instead sat in the stands with the rest of the fans.
It's understandable that there is no real press box, as FOX has occupied it since Phantom Warrior Stadium was built more for high school football. My recommendations for print media are to get the on-field access, as not much writing will get done from the stands.
Before the contest, as we were walking into the stadium, there were a lot of family-friendly activities the kids could take part in, like bouncing on a cord and taking pictures on a tank. There were opportunities to buy UFL and Renegades gear inside the stadium, and the food and drinks were affordable.
The fans that were there, though, were incredible. Even if they didn't know most of the players, kids spent the whole game asking for autographs. They were asking military members, media members, cheerleaders, the Renegades mascot, and anyone they could find on the field to sign the free hats given away before the game. Credit to the players on both teams, as they spent time before and after the game signing autographs to fans, as they enjoyed interacting with them.
Throughout the game, the fans were into it and cheering for the Renegades. Even the national anthem hit differently than the others, feeling more powerful than anything I have seen in a game.
Final Review of Fort Hood Gameday Experience
A big reason this happened was that the UFL was trying to cover the fact that they couldn't get a fifth home game for the Renegades. If anyone in the league reads this, don't take that as a knock. Actually, whoever came up with this idea deserves a raise and promotion.
The UFL might have struck gold big time with this idea, as it looked great on television with a packed, loud stadium, the league did something good with giving back to the military, and the gameday experience was better than any UFL game I have been to all year. This was a massive homerun for the league.
Moving forward, this has to be something the league does every year. Yes, it might hurt that they won't get revenue from ticket sales since they are giving them away, but if UFL co-owner Mike Repole is serious about games looking good on TV and not having "Covid crowds," this is the best way to do it.
My suggestion would be to do this once a year and pick other military bases that are near the other UFL teams. What a great way to show appreciation for the military, like giving them a free football game on a Friday night.
This was a clever idea from the league and something that, honestly, every professional sports league should adopt as well. It was a ton of fun to cover this game and an honor to do so as well. This was one of the most unique experiences of my journalism career, and I enjoyed every minute of it.