In a September 2025 interview on The Varsity podcast with host John Ourand, UFL co-owner Dany Garcia revealed specific changes the league is implementing for the 2026 season that could shape its future.
Speaking from the IMG Redbird Summit in the Cotswolds UK, Garcia discussed venue adjustments, the return of innovative broadcasting features, renewed marketing efforts, and enhanced fan engagement strategies currently being rolled out.
Right-Sizing Stadium Venues
Garcia acknowledged the UFL is actively correcting one of its biggest operational mistakes - playing in stadiums that are too large for spring football crowds.
"The size of our venues for a number of our properties are just too large. Spring football has a certain size. We're somewhere from 17,000 to 20,000 fans, 10,000 to 20,000. Right in there is just really a beautiful sweet spot. It's a mistake, but it was also a matter of this is what was available."
The league discovered that 20,000 fans in an appropriately-sized venue creates better atmosphere than the same crowd lost in a 60,000-seat NFL stadium. Garcia confirmed the UFL is making venue changes during the 2026 season, focusing on
"getting smarter there, getting in the local community more, making that investment."
These adjustments mean fans can expect games in more intimate settings that match actual attendance patterns. The new Columbus Ohio team will play in an MLS sized stadium. Michigan Panthers are looking to move from the expensive Ford Field.
For a time, league management was against playing in MLS stadiums. With new co-owner Mike Repole. It looks like that tune has changed.
Broadcasting Innovation Returns
After scaling back distinctive broadcast features during the XFL-USFL merger, Garcia confirmed these viewer-friendly elements are returning to UFL games.
"The level of innovation that we were able to do with the XFL, initially, we had a very deep buy-in with ESPN, the way they were broadcasting the game. There was just so much going on. I know my nephews, who are huge gamers, loved the broadcast because they were like, Oh, my God, this is just like when we play Madden. The game opened up for them. We had to move a little bit away from that after the merger, finding our footing and getting parity between whether it's Fox broadcast or ABC, ESPN broadcast."
As someone who has covered spring football for years. I didn't notice a really huge change between the XFL and UFL as far as the TV product. Broadcasting innovation's mean very little to fans.
Garcia, Executive Vice President of Football Operations Daryl "Moose" Johnston and UFL President and CEO Russ Brandon often talk to the media about the leagues broadcasting innovation's. I have said this before and will say it again. Stop talking about it. Only you care because you are involved in the TV business.
No XFL fan from for 2020 ever said, you know I stopped watching the UFL because the broadcast got worse. To much of the leagues energy has been focused on this. They are in a bubble and it matters to only them, not the fans.
Marketing Investment Resumes
Garcia admitted the league made a strategic error reducing marketing efforts during the merger process and is now correcting course.
"As we transitioned into merger, we dropped or put to the side, lightened up some of our branding marketing work. And that was a mistake. And now we're in this year, in this iteration, bringing that back in an even stronger way."
The renewed marketing push comes at a critical time as the league works to establish its identity following the XFL-USFL into the United Football League. People are still confused years later. This is why Repole was brought in. Apparently all these TV people don't know how to market football. They also said they would do a better job marketing in 2024 leading into the 2025 season. We know how that turned out.
Digital Platform Priority
Garcia outlined specific digital platforms the UFL is prioritizing for content distribution and fan engagement during the current season.
"I'm very interested in YouTube. I would just say right there. I'm very, very interested in the intentionality of YouTube because our league has a lot of developmental instructional aspects to it. There's so much more to mine there with our league. Definitely, TikTok is very important for us having assets there."
It will be interesting to see how the league leverages YouTube and TikTok any differently than they did in 2025 season. I have always said a show behind the scenes of the league would be a huge hit. Put it on Netflix or free on YouTube.
Direct Athlete-Fan Connections
The UFL is developing new channels for players to interact directly with supporters, moving beyond traditional media-filtered communication.
"Our athletes, one of the things I'm excited for and would like to more of is our athletes literally engaging more with our fans, making sure we have that channel open and there's back and forth. Our fans are feeling like, because fans feel like this. Fans and NFL know that they put on their stuff and they're like, We can help you win this game."
Garcia envisions UFL fans having ownership stake in the league's success through direct dialogue with players. She wants supporters to feel they can "help you have a successful league" and "help you, athlete, get into another stage or stay here and have success."
The league needs to focus on being more like college football since players come and go.
Beyond the operational changes, Garcia shared insights into the UFL's long-term vision and her personal investment philosophy. She emphasized that the UFL represents a "legacy play" rather than a quick flip, with ownership viewing this as a five-year minimum path to profitability.
Garcia revealed her background as a professional bodybuilder who turned pro at 42 shapes her athlete-first approach to league operations. She discussed how the merger brought Fox into the ownership group alongside Disney, creating what she called "institutional execution" with major broadcast partners.
The DC Defenders' young fanbase and their famous beer snake tradition got specific mention as an example of organic fan culture the league wants to cultivate. Garcia also touched on measuring success through football quality first - tracking how many UFL players successfully transition to the NFL - rather than just ticket sales.
She mentioned her interest in women's rugby as a potential future investment, praising the sport for representing strength and entrepreneurship among female athletes.
The flexibility of being a startup league allows the UFL to test rules for the NFL and make mid-season adjustments, something established leagues cannot do. Fans can hear the complete interview with Dany Garcia on The Varsity podcast, available on Spotify and other podcast platforms through Odyssey and Puck.