# UFL 2025 Week 1 Attendance: League Stumbles Out The Gate

- Author: Mike Mitchell
- Published: 2025-03-30T21:32:50Z
- Updated: 2026-07-09T17:07:25Z
- Categories: UFL (ufl), UFL History (ufl-history), San Antonio Brahmas (san-antonio-brahmas), Dallas Renegades (dallas-renegades), DC Defenders (dc-defenders), Houston Gamblers (houston-gamblers), Memphis Showboats (memphis-showboats), Michigan Panthers (michigan-panthers), St. Louis Battlehawks (st-louis-battlehawks), Birmingham Stallions (birmingham-stallions)
- Canonical URL: https://uflnewshub.com/ufl/ufl-2025-week-1-attendance-league-stumbles-out-the-gate

> Photo courtesy: UFL

The [UFL](http://www.theufl.com)returned for its second season this weekend. The league aimed to draw more fans out the gate in 2025. However, they encountered not only hurdles in competing against NCAA's March Madness and Major League Baseball in specific markets but also uncertainty due to a highly publicized negotiation standstill between the UFL and its players, which cast doubt on not only games commencing but also the league's long-term viability.

Therefore, all these challenges, coupled with the [UFL's](https://uflnewshub.com/author/mike-mitchell/) opening weekend games occurring at three of the league's lowest drawing venues last season, made the goal of coming out stronger at the box office even more daunting.

In 2024, the [UFL](https://www.si.com/fannation/ufl/ufl-news/final-ufl-attendance-figures-fall-short-of-xfl-last-year) saw growth in almost every metric from its predecessors, the USFL and XFL. However, the one area that hasn't seen progression is the league's attendance. This ongoing dilemma has carried over into this season.

### UFL 2025 Week 1 Attendance Figures

The UFL's opener this past Friday night, in its return to TDECU Stadium, saw the St. Louis Battlehawks soaring past the [Houston Roughnecks](https://uflnewshub.com/team/houston-gamblers) 31-9. The attendance figure for the game was **7,321.** In 2024, a 1-9 Houston Rougnnecks attendance average was 7,056 at Rice Stadium.

Saturday afternoon's Arlington Renegades 33-9 victory over the [San Antonio Brahmas](https://uflnewshub.com/team/san-antonio-brahmas/) at Choctaw Stadium had an attendance figure of **10,117**. A year ago, the Renegades averaged **9,887** fans at home.

Sunday's week one game between the Michigan Panthers and [Memphis Showboats](https://uflnewshub.com/team/memphis-showboats/) at Simmons Liberty Bank Stadium averaged **4,373**. In 2024, the Showboats had the UFL's lowest attendance average of 6,893.

The Week 1 finale, featuring the defending spring league champion [Birmingham Stallions](https://uflnewshub.com/team/birmingham-stallions) versus the D.C. Defenders at Audi Field, had an attendance figure of **12,254**. In 2024, the Defenders were second in the [UFL](https://uflnewshub.com/ufl) in average attendance at **14,143**.

Last season, the UFL's 43 games, which occurred from late March through mid-June, averaged **13,512** fans. Surpassing those numbers are the desired result of league owners, FOX, [RedBird Capital](https://redbirdcap.com/), Disney, Dwayne Johnson, and Dany Garcia. Still, as evidenced by week one's 2025 figures, the struggle is far from over.

The UFL's leaders are negotiating with cities for potential team expansion in 2026. Still, the tepid results of returning markets may have them rethinking strategies, not only in where the league expands to but in what existing cities they move forward with. As a result, there could be more than two new cities in next year's UFL.

### Week 2 UFL 2025 Regular Season Schedule

Friday, April 4th, 8 pm ET, Birmingham Stallions @ [Michigan Panthers](https://uflnewshub.com/team/michigan-panthers/), Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

Saturday, April 5th, 8 pm ET, Memphis Showboats @ [D.C. Defenders](https://uflnewshub.com/team/dc-defenders), Audi Field, Washington, DC

Sunday, April 6, Houston Roughnecks @ [Arlington Renegades](https://uflnewshub.com/team/dallas-renegades), noon ET, Chocataw Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Sunday, April 6, 6:30 pm ET, San Antonio Brahmas @ [St. Louis Battlehawks](https://uflnewshub.com/team/st-louis-battlehawks), The Dome at America's Center, St. Louis, Missouri

From UFL News Hub. Please link to https://uflnewshub.com/ufl/ufl-2025-week-1-attendance-league-stumbles-out-the-gate when citing. More at https://uflnewshub.com/llms.txt