UFL President and CEO Russ Brandon sat down with Austin Karp on the SBJ Sports Media podcast to discuss the spring league’s progress through its second season since the USFL-XFL merger. The wide-ranging interview covered viewership trends, broadcast innovations, the league’s relationship with the NFL, and expansion possibilities.
Brandon provided candid insights into the challenges of building a new professional football brand and the strategic decisions driving the UFL’s development.
On Viewership Performance and Competition Challenges
Brandon addressed the league’s slight ratings decline compared to last season, acknowledging the competitive sports landscape the UFL faces during its spring schedule.
“We have seen a small drop this year. I always say that we have no excuses, but we have factors. And there are been factors that have come to play this year with very fierce competition in our slots. When you look at, obviously, the men’s and women, the NCAA tournament when we kicked off, we have to get Rory winning the Masters, of course, with all the drama around that, the start of the NBA and the NHL playouts and Major League Base season, which are very long and well-established brands, quite frankly.”
We all figure this year the ratings would be down since the buzz of the merged league is over. The question is, will they move the schedule around in 2026 to earlier in the spring.
On Broadcast Innovation and Player Access
The UFL has made broadcast innovation a cornerstone of its identity, with Brandon highlighting the unique access fans get to coaching communications and on-field strategy.
“The feedback I get the most when you’re watching on TV to to have the opportunity to listen to Coach, to play a communication, people that haven’t had an opportunity to be in a huddle, to hear what the dialog is, how incredible our coaches are. I’ll tell you personally, I go back and watch every game tape of, I should say, TV copy of every Birmingham game because I love to watch Skip Holtz coach his quarterbacks and the positivity he brings on a weekly basis.”
There is no question the UFL has the TV presentation and play off the field in the bag. But is that enough to build a league around. Anytime I hear them talk about the broadcast presentation, it is a reminder of the bubble management is in. Only people in ESPN and FOX care about this aspect of the league. If it mattered to fans then attendance and ratings would be up.
On Rule Innovations and Game Enhancement
Brandon explained the UFL’s bold approach to rule modifications, including the elimination of traditional onside kicks in favor of a fourth-and-12 conversion opportunity.
“So our fourth and 12 onside kick by eliminating the kick and giving teams the opportunity to come back, which we’ve seen historically in the last couple of years, teams come back down over double-digit points in the last minute of game. It’s pretty incredible as well because we all know it’s, I think, 0.4% to recover an onside kick. We’re just trying to find new ways to innovate and make the game a little bit more exciting and see what works.”
The UFL is a great proving ground for new football innovations. You can see it in this years new NFL kick-off which took its que from the XFL. The UFL rules are another great part of the league that fans like.
On NFL Relationship and Player Development Focus
Brandon outlined the collaborative relationship between the UFL and NFL, emphasizing player development as a shared priority.
“Very strong. We have a very close relationship with football apps, notably Troy Vincent and Donna Pontey, Kim Fields, the entire technology team there. We have a partnership with them in Rules Innovation Technology, Commissioner of has been extraordinarily supportive of us to continue to build the game and advance the game of football. I meet with Troy personally regularly and keep him updated on what’s going on here.”
This response reveals the depth of cooperation between the leagues, contradicting any notion of competitive tension. The regular communication with NFL executives suggests the UFL functions as an extension of professional football development rather than a rival organization.
We have talk about on the podcast how involved Troy Vincent is with the league. Vincent is currently the executive vice president of football operations for the NFL. The question is, why does the NFL put some money into the UFL or promote the league. It seems like the relationship is a one way street. The National Football League gets all the benefits of spring football but does nothing to help the UFL grow.
On Expansion Strategy and Future Growth
When questioned about league expansion beyond eight teams, Brandon provided insight into the UFL’s methodical approach to growth.
“Well, what we did this year is we put an RFP out November of, I should say last year. We’ve had tremendous inbounds during that RFP process. We’re taking a lot of rigor and discipline and structure to the approach, and we’re going to continue to review the opportunities that are in front of us. One of the main reasons also we didn’t put a timeline on it was because we wanted to make sure that it was the appropriate time for us to look at expansion.”
Brandon’s emphasis on “rigor and discipline” signals a conservative expansion strategy focused on sustainable growth rather than rapid scaling. The lack of a defined timeline suggests the UFL prioritizes stability over aggressive expansion, learning from previous spring league failures. This could be a signal that the UFL might not expand in 2026.
Brandon’s interview reveals a lot of what we have heard before. What is of interest is the expansion talk. It is sounding like expansion might be on the back burner for 2026. This was record around week eight of the UFL season.
If there were plans, it would have been great to drop a tease then. This was around the time the UFL refreshed their trademarks for four teams. If the league does and stays status quo for the 2026, things will not improve but get worse.
Fans can access the complete interview on the SBJ Sports Media podcast, available on major podcast platforms.
5 Comments
by He Hate Me
I think the UFL adopting the rather boring new kickoff format was a mistake.
by Johnny the Angry Fuzzball
There would be such an easy fix for this. I’ve said it before, but what they need to do is end the touchback on kickoffs. There’s 30 yards between the end zone and the nearest defender when the receiver picks up the ball. Require the returner to bring the ball out. If they don’t, either two-point safety like it is from scrimmage, or a one-point single. That will bring back the rewarding of big-leg kickers and increase kick returns to near 100%.
by Adam Simon
I hope we see two new teams. AJ Smith I’m sure would love the opportunity to prove he is the real deal. See if he can still recruit AJ McCarron or at least take Brandon Silvers.
by Adam Simon
Any commenters believe AJ Smith is still a football genius or suffering a bad case of sour grapes?
by Johnny the Angry Fuzzball
Well, the Brahmas haven’t exactly lit up the world without him.