The Michigan Panthers will be back in Ford Field for the third consecutive year. The Panthers will look to improve on a 2024 campaign that saw the team finish 7-3 in the regular season before losing in the USFL Conference Playoff match to the Birmingham Stallions 18-31.
The Panthers will play their USFL Conference opponents twice each while they will face the XFL Conference Teams once each. Following the regular season, the first-place team from each conference will host the 2nd place team in the Conference Championship with the winners meeting for the UFL Championship.
Week 1: at Memphis Showboats
Sunday, March 30, 12 PM ET, ESPN
The Michigan Panthers will open up their 2025 season on the road against the Memphis Showboat who they defeated in both games last season. The Showboats finished 2-8 last season and will be a different-looking team under their new head coach Ken Whisenhunt who brings 8 seasons of experience as an NFL head coach and a 2006 Super Bowl Ring with the Pittsburgh Steelers as an offensive coordinator. The Boats may see Quinten Dormady as their starting quarterback who they traded for from the San Antonio Brahmas this offseason. The Showboats had the most points allowed last season at 290 and the worst point differential at -102.
Week 2: vs. Birmingham Stallions
Friday, April 4, 8 PM ET, Fox
Theme: Panthers Opening Kickoff – The Start of a New Season!
The Panther’s first home game will be on a Friday night as they host the back-to-back-to-back Champions, the Birmingham Stallions who won last year’s UFL Championship after winning USFL seasons in 2022 and 2023. The Stallions will likely be without quarterback Adrian Martinez who is now with the New York Jets after winning the UFL MVP last season. The Stallions are bringing back Matt Corral who had a share of playing time last year and actually earned the 2nd highest passing grade from PFF trailing only Luis Perez. The Stallions went 9-1 last year and were the only team to beat the Michigan Panthers more than once doing so twice in the regular season and again in the playoffs.
Week 3: vs. San Antonio Brahmas
Sunday, April 13, 12 PM ET, ABC
Theme: Throwback to the 80’s – Honoring the 1983 Championship Team
The Panthers will play continue a 3-game homestead in week 3 as they host the San Antonio Brahmas. Last season saw the Panthers lose on the road to San Antonio 9-19 in the first-ever meeting between the two franchises. It was the only regular season game the Panthers lost by more than 1 score in 2024.
Last season saw the Brahmas finish the regular season with a 7-3 record before going on the road to defeat the St. Louis Battlehawks 25-15 in the XFL Conference Championship and deny the Battlehawks the opportunity to play in the UFL Championship in a year they were hosting the championship. The Brahmas lost 25-0 to Birmingham in the championship. The Brahmas added quarterback Kellen Mond this offseason who is one of 3 SEC quarterbacks to record over 9,000 yards passing and over 1,500 yards rushing over their collegiate career.
Week 4: vs. Memphis Showboats
Friday, April 18, 8 PM ET, Fox
Theme: Kids Day – A game dedicated for and designed by kids
The Michigan Panthers will have their final meeting against the Showboats in week 4 as they host them for their second and final Friday night game of the season. The Panthers will have an opportunity to potentially put distance between them and a divisional opponent which is crucial down the stretch with 2 teams from each division making the playoffs.
Week 5: at St. Louis Battlehawks
Saturday, April 26, 7:00 PM ET, ESPN
Last season saw the Panthers come back from behind to win on a historic 64-yard game-winning field goal from Jake Bates to secure an 18-16 victory in week 1. It was tied for the 2nd longest field goal in pro football history. After a disappointing postseason, the Battlehawks have moved on from fan favorite AJ McCarron. Max Duggan may be the starting quarterback for the B-Hawks this coming season. Duggan led the TCU Horned Frogs past the Michigan Wolverines to the CFB National Championship in 2022 in a season that saw him throw for 3,698 yards and 32 touchdowns before being drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers in the 7th round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Week 6: vs. DC Defenders
Sunday, May 4, 12:00 PM ET, ESPN2
Theme: Hats Off to Heroes – Recognizing our members in the community who protect and serve
The DC Defenders were on the receiving end of a beatdown from the Panthers last year when Michigan won on the road 22-9. It was a disappointing season for the Defenders who missed the playoffs last year with a 4-6 record after appearing in the XFL Championship the year before. The team fell out of the playoff race as they lost 5 of their final 7 games. It’s not yet clear who their quarterback will be as Jordan Ta’amu has not yet been re-signed by the Defenders.
Week 7: at Arlington Renegades
Saturday, May 10, 1:00 PM ET, FOX
The Arlington Renegades were snake-bitten last season finishing with a 3-7 record despite playing a lot of really good football. The team had a lot of close finishes some of which had improbable endings. Arlington finished the season winning 3 of their final 4 games after opening with a 6-game losing streak.
Last year the Panthers defeated Arlington 28-27 at home on a 42-yard game-winning field goal. The previous play saw Arlington block the kick but had too many men on the field.
The Renegades won the XFL Championship in 2023.
It is unclear if Luis Perez will be back for Arlington this season. He was with the Los Angeles Chargers over the most recent NFL training camp and was waived in late August.
Week 8: at Houston Roughnecks
Saturday, May 17, 1:00 PM ET, FOX*
The Michigan Panthers will meet their divisional foe the Houston Roughnecks for the first time of the season in week 8. The Roughnecks had the worst record last year in the UFL finishing with a 1-9 record and a point differential of -75. The Roughnecks lost to the Panthers in week 3 last season in Detroit 20-34 and fell again to the Panthers at home in week 9 22-26. Quarterback Reid Sinnett was not brought back to Houston and has since signed in the ELF. Nolan Henderson is a possible starter for Houston this season who passed for 3,231 yards and 32 touchdowns with 9 interceptions for Delaware in 2022 before signing with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2023 although he was released before training camp.
Week 9: at Birmingham Stallions
Saturday, May 24, 3:00 PM ET, ABC
The Panthers will hit the road to take on the Birmingham Stallions in week 9 in a game that will likely carry significant implications for the playoff picture. The Stallions did not lose a game at home last season.
Week 10: vs. Houston Roughnecks
Saturday, May 31, 3:00 PM ET, ESPN
Theme: Fan Appreciation – Celebrating those who bring the energy each week to Ford Field
The Panthers will wrap up their regular season at home as they host the Houston Roughnecks for the 2nd meeting within a 3 week span in week 10.
