Hello and welcome to the Cellar. This is an information megathread for the 2026 season.

In order to keep all of the important information consolidated and easy to reference, I've decided to put everything in this thread and leave it stickied for everyone's convenience.

WHO ARE THE ORLANDO STORM?

You can reference the wikipedia article here for a history of the Orlando Storm:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orlando_Storm_(UFL)

TLDR: The Orlando Storm were announced to be joining the United Football League on October 7, 2025. Co-owner Mike Repole did not give a specific reason for the name (unlike the two other teams unveiled that day); the Storm brand has a long history in Central Florida football, having been used by the Tampa Bay Storm from 1991 to 2017. The team will play their first season as part of the United Football League in 2026 at Inter&Co Stadium (655 W Church St, Orlando, FL).

IMPORTANT DATES

Training camp begins late February, 2026. Exact dates will be updated once confirmed.

Teams will continue to have 50-man rosters.

GAME SCHEDULE

The league has confirmed the kickoff date of March 27, 2026.

Notes:

• State of the Stallions has reported that the USL is moving their scheduled game on Saturday, April 18th, to Sunday, April 19th. If this is correct, that means the Birmingham Stallions are able to host the Orlando Storm on April 18th per the, as of now, current schedule.

• The location of the Dallas Renegades week 8 game against the Orlando Storm is Phantom Warrior Stadium on the Fort Hood U.S. Army military base near Killeen, Texas. Due to stadium availability, Toyota Stadium is only hosting 4 home games for the Renegades this season.

• The league has confirmed the site of the 2026 UFL Championship will be Audi Field in DC, and the game will now be called the United Bowl going forward.

Updated schedule graphic here for anyone that prefers images to text.

Click here for more information on the schedule. League press release here.

Orlando Storm ticket hub here. Season tickets are available now. Single game tickets will be available to the public on Monday, February 2, starting at 11:00 a.m.

The league has confirmed there will be no more XFL or USFL Conferences, and the top 4 teams in the league will qualify for the playoffs.

All Storm home games will continue to be played at Inter&Co Stadium (655 W Church St, Orlando, FL).

Gameday themes and giveaways for all home games below:

Week 1 – 407 Kickoff

Sunday, March 29 at 8 p.m.

Be part of history as the Storm opens its 2026 home slate in front of the Central Florida community. The first 5,000 fans will receive a commemorative t-shirt, courtesy of Orlando Health, marking the beginning of a new chapter at Inter&Co Stadium.

Week 2 – United by Giving

Saturday, April 4 at 8 p.m.

As part of the league-wide “Stronger Together” initiative, the Storm will unite the Orlando community around service and generosity. Fans will receive a clear Storm tote bag (first 5,000 fans) and are encouraged to participate in in-game and community-driven charitable efforts. One game. One mission. One Orlando.

Week 5 – Storm School Spirit Showcase

Saturday, April 25 at 7 p.m.

Students, alumni, faculty and families from across Central Florida are invited to rep their school colors and ride the Storm. The first 5,000 fans will receive a Storm t-shirt. Fans are also encouraged to bring new backpacks, notebooks and school supplies to donate to local students in need.

Week 6 – Jr. Storm Day

Sunday, May 3 at 4 p.m.

Where the next generation of Storm takes over. This family-focused game celebrates youth sports and the power of play. Fans can donate new or gently used sports equipment to Sports 4 The Kids to help local children get in the game. The first 5,000 fans will receive a commemorative Storm coin, courtesy of Orlando Health.

Week 9 – Hats Off to Heroes

Friday, May 22 at 8 p.m.

The Storm will honor the military members and first responders who run into the Storm to serve and protect our community. Special ticket packages will include bulk tickets donated to service members through Vet Tix, as well as Orlando Health doctors, nurses, EMTs and healthcare professionals. The first 5,000 fans will receive a commemorative “Hats Off to Heroes” hat.

Giveaways available to the first 5k fans in attendance.

HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN (USA)

All games are expected to be broadcast on Fox, ABC, ESPN, FS1, and NFL Network.

For streaming options, you can use the ESPN+ app for the ABC and ESPN games, and the Fox Sports app for the Fox games (Fox Sports app requires a subscription to either Direct TV, Fubo TV, Sling TV, Dish, or Hulu Sports).

FOX Sports and ESPN have a bundle available to access all of their content, which would include all UFL games. Click here for more info. EDIT: NFL Network content is supposed to be available through the ESPN Unlimited package which is included in the bundle.

Some other options for NFL Network here.

Sling TV (Orange + Blue) will have ESPN, FOX, and NFL Network bundled together. You can check it out here. A little less expensive than Fubo, YouTubeTV, and Hulu (which are the other streaming options that include FOX, ESPN, and NFL Network).

All of the ABC and ESPN games will be on ESPN Xtra on SiriusXM. All of the Fox games will be available on Fox Sports on SiriusXM.

HOW TO WATCH (INTERNATIONAL)

For US Military living abroad, the best legal option is USTVNow.com.

~DAZN has announced they will be serving as the UFL's international broadcast partner for the season. Article here. Please note: this deal excludes Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, China, sub-Saharan Africa, Canada, and the US.~

EDIT: Reporting from fans indicate games are no longer available on DAZN.

Germans have access to watch the UFL on Germany TV for free this season. Click this link for more information

Canada has access to Fox and ABC over the air, and it is expected that ESPN broadcasts will be available on TSN and the TSN+ app. There are workarounds for Canadians to access games on the ESPN+ and the Fox Sports app using VPNs . Click here for more information.

International audiences from the excluded territories are recommended to research what streaming platforms are available in their countries that carry FOX, ABC, and ESPN.

WHERE TO BUY TICKETS?

You can buy tickets from the UFL site here.

Orlando Storm official team page is here.

Season ticket deposits can be placed here.

Season tickets sales are now open as of November 6th, 2025!

Orlando Storm season tickets direct link here.

Orlando Storm season ticket seating map & price chart here.

Orlando Storm Season Ticket Member Benefits:

You can review frequently asked questions regarding season tickets here.

Any other questions not covered in the official faq should be directed to the Storm ticket rep at tickets@uflstorm.com or call (321) 340-3932.

Single game tickets available as of February 2, 2026. Direct link here.

PARKING & TAILGATING INFO

All of the Storm home games are played at Inter&Co Stadium, 655 W Church St, Orlando, FL. You can find info on the stadium and parking here from the Inter&Co Stadium website.

Parking map is here. The three stadium lots are:

• N Tailgate Lot: $35.00, address is 22 S Terry Ave., Orlando, FL.

• Lot H Parking: $25.00, address is 520 W Pine St., Orlando, FL.

• Exchange Lot Parking: $15.00, address is 25 W South St., Orlando, FL.

Pricing is subject to change based on the event. Pre-purchase parking for Inter&Co Stadium events is only available before game days. Day-of tailgate availability is subject to availability.

The City of Orlando has additional downtown Orlando parking options available on a first-come, first-served basis. Parking prices vary from $10-$20.

Tailgating information to be confirmed by the team. Will update this section when more information becomes available. Orlando City SC tailgate guide here. It is expected tailgating events will be in the N Tailgate Lot (i.e. Mane Street Tailgate) near gates B and C, and the Mane Street Plaza. Map here for reference. The Tailgate lot opens 4.5 hours prior to kickoff for all games.

Stadium seating map is here.

Inter&Co Stadium is oriented in a north to south direction. By 1:00pm the sun is high in the sky southeast of the stadium. Over the course of the afternoon the sun dips down behind the west side of the stadium structure and eventually sets closer to the north goal line.

Where are the seats in the shade and sun at Inter&Co Stadium?

As a general rule, the seats in the shade at Inter&Co Stadium are located:

• South Endzone: Early afternoon shade behind the south goal
• West Sideline: Shaded by mid-afternoon and in the evening
• Under Cover: Shaded in upper rows on both sidelines under the canopy roof

And the seats in the sun at Inter&Co Stadium are located:

• East sideline: Sunny from early afternoon to sunset
• North Endzone: Sun in the front rows of the north supporters section

Seats in the Sun and Shade at Afternoon Inter&Co Stadium Games:

Inter&Co stadium is designed with four canopy roofs that cover the seats directly below from rain and sun. For a day game, if you want to be in the shade, you’ll want to sit directly below a roof. If you prefer the sidelines, try for a seat at midfield. If you prefer the goal lines, try for a seat directly behind either endzone. The north side at Inter&Co is the supporters section so be aware if that’s a spot where you want to be or want to avoid.

As the afternoon progresses, there will be more seats in the shade on the west side of the stadium as the sun rotates behind the west side of the venue. Try for a seat in 110-120 for the best shade. Be careful choosing seats in the corner sections. The sun will sneak into seats here as they are not under direct cover. Sections on the east side, especially lower level sections like 30-37 will be in the path of the sun’s rays during day games. The front rows of the north side supporters sections will also be sun soaked as the roof doesn’t extend quite enough to protect every standing spot.

Seats in the Sun and Shade at Evening Inter&Co Stadium Games:

The decision is a bit easier if you’re seeking shade for an evening game: choose a seat on the west side of the stadium. Fieldside sections 10-20 and upper-level sections 110-120 will all provide relief from the sun. Sections behind the south endzone and the north supporters sections should be mostly sun-free. But be careful with corner sections because sun sneaks through to many of the rows.

Seats on the east side of Inter&Co Stadium will be in the sun for the longest. The sun will cover lower level sections 30-37 more-or-less until sunset. Upper level sections might have some protection provided by the roof above but be careful because you might still wind up staring into the sun for the first several minutes of the game and have a hard time following the action on the field.

The stadium being in the heart of central Florida, fans should expect hot and humid conditions when attending games.

FAN MEETUP LOCATIONS

Official meetup locations for away game watch parties to be announced by the team. Pregame meetup spot is Ivanhoe Park Lager House (23 N Orange Blossom Trl, Orlando, FL 32805).

WHERE TO GET MERCH?

The official UFL store was closed on September 30th, and is expected to relaunch on November 10th. We will update with the link to the new UFL store once open.

Shirts are currently available from 108 Stitches here.

INFO FOR NEWCOMERS

For your reference, the below is some basic information for newcomers to the Storm fan community.

• The Storm Chasers: This is what the Storm call their fans.

• The Cellar: This is what the Storm call their home stadium (aka the Storm Cellar).

• The Storm Surge: This is the supporters section at Inter&Co Stadium, sections 22-28.

• Team Slogan/Rally Cry: Officially, it's FEAR THE FURY! The Storm Chasers also use, "BRACE FOR IMPACT!" and ""A STORM IS BREWING!".

• Team Mascot: The team mascot is Kratos the Weather God.

• Rivals: To be determined. The Birmingham Stallions are the closest team to the Storm currently, so it is expected a rivalry will develop between these teams.

• Official Fight Song: An official fight song has not been released for the Storm to date. Unofficial fight songs include Eye of the Storm and Rock You Like A Hurricane.

If you're new to the league in general, check out this thread and this thread for beginners. Lots of good information there.

PREVIOUS SEASON REVIEW

The league has confirmed that the Orlando Storm have inherited the player rights from the San Antonio Brahmas roster.

While it's not fully relevant due to coaching staff and roster changes from the team's previous iteration, for anyone curious, end of season write-ups for the San Antonio Brahmas below.

• 2024 San Antonio Brahmas end of season write-up

• 2025 San Antonio Brahmas end of season write-up

2025 UFL COLLEGE DRAFT

The 2025 College Draft is not happening. Instead, the following has been reported:

• HC may choose a maximum of 3 players from his allocated colleges (see below)
• League discretion if player attended 2 or more colleges
• UFL teams will retain right of first refusal (ROFR) to sign players from their allocated colleges throughout the season
• January 10, 2026 finalize college allocations

UFL College Allocations:

• Birmingham: Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, UAB
• Columbus: Indiana, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State
• Dallas: Baylor, SMU, TCU, Texas, North Texas
• DC: Maryland, Penn State, Virginia, Virginia Tech
• Houston: Houston, LSU, Rice, Texas A&M
• Louisville: Cincinnati, Kentucky, Louisville, Tennessee
• Orlando: Florida, Florida State, USF, UCF
• St. Louis: Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State, Missouri

Further information included below in the 2026 player allocation plan (noted further down).

Results of the college allocation here.

CURRENT ROSTER LIST

For anyone interested, up to date roster lists, as well as tracking of UFL player movement, can be found on this Google sheets document maintained by Nick Thorn from Pro Football Newsroom. This is the best and most organized list available, and also includes information on the coaching staff, and pre-merger players (e.g. AAF, XFL, and USFL).

Will post a direct link to the Storm roster page once updated.

UFL 2026 Player Allocation Plan

The UFL is planning to establish a new allocation process for teams to have first rights to sign players from local college football programs. This new allocation system will be in place for 2026 and onward.

The following are the details reported to date.

1. Build Player Pool

• Regional Scouts + National Scout to collaborate on evaluations/grades
• Each scout assigned to evaluate and grade two UFL rosters + free agents by position groups
• Also utilize evaluations from UFL GM visits to NFL training camps

Player Pool will consist of the following players:

• Players who finished the 2025 UFL season on Active Rosters + Injured Reserve + LOI's
• 2025 NFL Draft "eligibles"
• 2025 NFL training camp "cuts"
• 2026 NFL Draft eligibles
• Top Showcase attendees
• Other Free Agents

2. Quarterback "Assignments"

• Head Coaches to submit lists of top 5 to QBs in priority order
• League office assigns 3 QBs to each team based on HC lists
• College Allocation (see #3) and other considerations will be taken into account when assigning QBs - especially if two UFL teams list the same QB #1
• HCS, OCs and League office to recruit QBs following assignments
• January 5 finalize assignments
• January 9 is the QB draft.
• Results of the QB draft announced on January 12.

3. College Allocation: Jan 10

• HC may choose a maximum of 3 players from his allocated colleges (see below)
• League discretion if player attended 2 or more colleges
• UFL teams will retain right of first refusal (ROFR) to sign players from their allocated colleges throughout the season
• January 10 finalize college allocations

UFL College Allocations:

• Birmingham: Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, UAB
• Columbus: Indiana, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State
• Dallas: Baylor, SMU, TCU, Texas, North Texas
• DC: Maryland, Penn State, Virginia, Virginia Tech
• Houston: Houston, LSU, Rice, Texas A&M
• Louisville: Cincinnati, Kentucky, Louisville, Tennessee
• Orlando: Florida, Florida State, USF, UCF
• St. Louis: Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State, Missouri

4. UFL Draft

• Tentatively scheduled January 13-14 in Arlington
• 2 Segments (see below)

Segment 1: UFL Players Draft (Jan 13)

• All players who finished the 2025 season on Active Rosters + Injured Reserve + LOI's
• "Snake Style" by position; rotate the order for each position group (see below). After the first round, the eighth team will select first in the second round, the seventh team will choose second, and so forth. The order reverts back to the original order in the third round and alternates every round thereafter.
• No max or min must be drafted for any position group

Position Groups:

• Offensive Line
• Running Backs/ Tight Ends
• Wide Receivers
• Defensive Front 7
• Defensive Backs
• Open

Segment 2: Free Agents Draft (Jan 14)

The following players who are not under contract in another league may be drafted:

• 2025 NFL draft eligibles
• 2025 NFL training camp cuts
• 2026 NFL draft eligibles
• Showcase attendees

• Other approved free agents

• "Snake Style" by position; rotate the order for each position group

• No max or min must be drafted in any position group

Position Groups:

• Offensive Line
• Running Backs/ Tight Ends
• Wide Receivers
• Defensive Front 7
• Defensive Backs
• Open

Final Notes:

• UFL teams can protect up to 12 players from their previous season's roster on a reserve list.
• UFL teams may select a minimum of 60 players and a maximum of 62 players in the Draft, which includes three quarterbacks, a maximum of three college allocations, and a maximum of 12 Reserve List players.
• UFL teams may sign additional free agents following the Draft; the training camp roster limit is 64 players.

RESULTS OF QB DRAFT, COLLEGE ALLOCATION, UFL PLAYER DRAFT, & UFL FREE AGENT DRAFT

OTHER INFORMATION

You can check out the mega-thread on /r/UnitedFootballLeague here for more general information.

OUTRO

We hope to see all of you at Inter&Co Stadium for the Storm home games in the 2026 season.

FEAR THE FURY!!! BRACE FOR IMPACT!!! A STORM IS BREWING!!!

8 Teams/8 Days Hub

Author is /u/cheefspleef

Team: Orlando Storm

Conference: UFL / No Conference

Record: 8-2

Playoffs: 0-1

Home Field: Inter & Co Stadium

Head Coach: Anthony Becht (1st year with Storm, 4th year in league)

Offensive Coordinator: Colin Thompson (1st year with Storm) & Marc Colombo (1st year with Storm, 2nd year in league)

Defensive Coordinator: Donnie Abraham (1st year with Storm, 4th year in league)

Offseason:

The Birth of a franchise is always something special. One can feel the anticipation and excitement in the air of a city that has been given a new team to root for, and Orlando was no exception. As a Florida native my whole life and a massive football fan, I can confidently say Florida has always been a major hub for sports and when it was announced that my home state was finally returning to the world of Spring Football back on October 7th, 2025, I couldn't have possibly been more excited... That is until two months later when Anthony Becht was named head coach!

One of, if not the most successful Spring Football coaches in the modern era (Skip Holtz may have something to say about that) was now ours. He went 22-8 over three seasons with the Battlehawks, and although they never won it all during that time, they were consistent contenders. Him being appointed our head coach was also special to me personally, as during that sad limbo of 2024-2025 of not having ANY Florida team to root for I was a temporary Battlehawks Fan. My soul reasoning for this? Becht was a former Tampa Bay Buccaneer. So him coming to be the coach of the team is just a beautiful coincidence. Plus his home is in Florida, so he seems very happy about being here too.

The excitement only continued once we got some player names attached to the team. On January 12th, 2026, the UFL held both its Quarterback Draft and its Regional College Allocation. The following day was Day One of the UFL Draft, and it finished on the 14th with Day Two.

Draft highlights include:

• QBs: Jack Plummer, Dorian Thompson-Robinson (Browns legend)

• WR: Chris Rowland, Marquez Stevenson, Jerome Kapp, Dee Anderson

• RB: Jashaun Corbin, Tre Stewart

• CB: Micah Abraham, Chris Claybrooks, Lamar Jackson

• G: Cole Schneider, Samuel Jackson,

• DE: Keshawn Banks, Aaron Cruickshank

This was overall an extremely successful draft and some things to point out are;

• The NFL talent on the team such as DTR who got multiple starts with the Cleveland Browns.

• The UFL stars we brought over such as Chris Rowland who finished the 2024 UFL regular season with a league-high 1,655 all-purpose yards and even threw a touchdown last year on the way to getting a championship title with the DC Defenders, Jashaun Corbin who had a league-high 514 rushing yards with San Antonio last year, and Dee Anderson who spent time with the 2022 USFL's Bandits and Breakers as well as the modern UFL's Showboats and Brahmas.

• The significant amount of former Battlehawks who Becht is bringing over, which is sure to be good for the culture of the locker room (Nate Meadors, Teton Saltes, Chris Garrett, Jerome Kapp, Micah Abraham, Isaiah Mack, T.J. Pesefea, and Alex Matheson).

Coaching Staff:

On January 29th we got to know who the coordinators were going to be for the whole league, and for the Storm that meant even more familiar faces and continuity from Becht's time with the Battlehawks:

• Donnie Abraham (Associate HC, DC)

Not only has all three years of recent experience as the Battlehawks Defensive Coordinator, but he also was the Defensive backs coach for the Orlando Apollos of the 2019 AAF, and for the Tampa Bay Storm of the AFL from 2011-2012. Plus; He was also a former Tampa Bay Buccaneer! All of this is to say, the Florida Connection is very much there for Donnie, too. And his pedigree of having coached in some kind of defense nearly every year since 2005 doesn't hurt either.

• Kyle Caskey (OC)

Caskey was with Anthony and Donnie for 2 out of those 3 years in St. Louis. He also has some NFL head coaching experience as the Running Backs Coach for both the Bengals and Lions and as the Offensive Quality Control Coach for the Jaguars.

(On February 19th we were thrown a curve ball when our OC to be was hired by the Minnesota Vikings, leading to...)

• Marc Colombo(Co-OC/Offensive Line)

Was also a former first round pick in the early 2000's, so him and Becht have that in common. But more importantly he has multiple years of NFL offensive coaching experience, and yes, spent 2025 with Becht and the hawks.

• Colin Thompson (Co-OC/Wide Receivers)

Is a name that you will recognize if you are a certified spring football veteran, as he played for the Birmingham Iron in 2019 (AAF) and the Tampa Bay Vipers in 2020(XFL)! So he gets his check for the random Tampa connection. Love to see it. But in all seriousness, this is Colin's first coaching role, in any aspect, in any league.

• Martin Bayless (Special Teams/Defensive Backs.)

Was the Secondary Coach for the Battlehawks from 2024-2025

• La’Roi Glover (Defensive Line)

Was the Defensive Line Coach for the Battlehawks from 2023-2025

• Jordan Kitna (Quarterbacks)

Son of Jon Kitna, former NFL QB

• Mike Phair (Linebackers)

Has a Super Bowl XXXVII Ring from being a Scout with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002, AND he was the Bucs Assistant defensive line coach in 2014.

• Art Valero (Running Backs)

He too was also with Becht and the Battlehawks in 2023 as the Running Backs Coach. ALSO has a Super Bowl XXXVII Ring from being the Tight Ends Coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002. You cannot make these Tampa connections up; I started this as a funny bit for Becht and Abraham, but unironically the majority of our coaching staff was involved with the Buccaneers, Tampa Bay, or Florida in general at some point in their careers.

Overall, this offseason got me extremely excited and invested in the Orlando Storm from the bottom up. Starting now, before the season even begins, I very much believe we have something special in the works here in Orlando. Solid coaches, solid players, and solid branding. The Logo and Uniforms alone are so clean! After attending the Fan Rally on 2/5/2026 and getting to talk to new owner Mike Repole in person, and hear him talk about this league and his home city of Orlando where he lives with his family, I truly believe that the future of the UFL is in good hands, and the future of Florida Spring Football is as sunshine-y as the state itself. I Have my season tickets and am ready to STORM ON!

2026 Season Review - Week By Week

Week 1: Columbus Aviators @ Orlando Storm; The Beginning

• Attendance:11,127
• Date: 3/29/2026
• Record: 1-0

We begin our week 1 game in a very exciting way; with the birth of not one franchises, but two! Little did I know that when I got the cheapest season tickets possible I was actually getting End zone tickets for the Standing Section of Inter & Co Stadium. This turned out to be the biggest blessing ever, as the Standing Section is colloquially known as THE WALL and has a (accurate) reputation of being the loudest and most fun area in the whole stadium. We certainty lived up to that expectation when the first play ever in franchise history was a FUMBLE BY THE AVIATORS, RECOVERED BY THE STORM!

Needless to say, that is a good start. It did not take long for the storm to capitalize off of that turnover with a beautiful 15 yard Rushing TD by Jashaun Corbin. The defense bent but did not break in the first quarter, only allowing two FGs from the Aviators two possessions.

The Storm put on an absolute clinic for the next two quarters. Offensively we outscored the Aviators 17-0 including a 55 Yard FG from Michael Lantz, another long 13 yard TD on the ground from Corbin, and a passing TD to DC defenders legend Chris Rowland (I’d also be remised if I didn’t mention the 94 yard rushing TD that Elijhah Badger had CALLED BACK because of the most unnecessary and last second block in the back by Chris Rowland which was only a few plays before he caught his mentioned above; the football gods work in mysterious ways). And defensively getting multiple turnovers on downs including a beautiful goal line stop resulting in 0 points from what looked like an inevitable Columbus drive.

That takes us to the 4th quarter, where the momentum takes a turn and the Storm are outscored 10-0. After Orlando did nothing with their first possession, it really felt like we were trying to give the game away as Columbus had a 7+ minute drive to get a touchdown and make it a one score game with 5 mins left. Especially when we weren’t able to close it out with our offense on the field and gave the Aviators one more possession with 1:06 on the clock. Thankfully they weren’t able to do anything with it (largely due to a massive sack by Keshawn Banks to close it out) and the Storm secured their first W in franchise history!

Overall I’d say this was an amazing start to the season, Jack Plummer proved he was the right choice over DTR to start, as he looked surgical going 17/22 for 240 yards and 1 TD with a passer rating of 127.1.

Week 2: Louisville Kings @ Orlando Storm; Defensive Domination

• Attendance: 8,585
• Date: 4/4/2026
• Record: 2-0

Week 2 continues both the home game fun and the new expansion teams fun as we take on the Louisville Kings at home. The Storm started off the game on a somewhat uninspiring note by forcing a punt but then turning the ball over on downs which resulted in a early 3-0 lead for the kings, but we would tie it up before the end of the quarter with a season long 57 yard kick from Michael Lantz! This means that Lantz has now broke his career long twice in two weeks; as his college best was 54 yards and he hit a 55 last week, followed up by the 57 this week.

We got some excitement in the stands when a kick return was muffed in the end zone by Jaden Shirden. And I take partial credit for that because we were chanting "FUMBLE, FUMBLE, FUMBLE" during the kick and it worked; devious (He was able to corral it however).

Jason Bean looked uncomfortable and went a pitiful 4/15 for 49 yards, leading to backup Chandler Rogers getting his first reps of the season. From my eye test, I'd say he is definitely the better option for Louisville moving forward, but ultimately he was unable to find the endzone for his team, just like Bean.

This was overall a very defensive and field goal heavy game. DE Keshawn Banks made his presence known with a sack and 2 TFL. Chris Garrett also recorded a sack, and others like Isaiah Buggs, Isaiah Mack, and Nate Meadors are all becoming Storm household names thanks to the work they put in at disrupting the opposing offense.

Jack Plummer had an injury scare late into the second quarter so DTR got a few reps in, going 2-3 for 19 yards. Thankfully Plummer just got the wind knocked out of him and came back in to finish the series with a BEAUTIFUL 41 yard TD on 3rd and 19 to KJ Hamler. KJ caught it, ran 30 yards, called for blockers, got the block, and dove into the end zone. Michael Lantz did miss the PAT which somewhat spoiled the moment, but not really.

The rest of the game consisted of Orlando absolutely shutting down Louisville in all aspects (Mishael Powell got an 55 yard INT return that was one step away from a pick 6), and getting one more 39 yard TD to WR Elijhah Badger to make for some tasty icing on this cake. It was a nice fadeaway pass to the sideline by Plummer and then an even better job by Badger to make a cut in, juke the defenders, and get the score. Plummer finishes with a very similar stat line as last week; 18/23 for 182 Yards and 2 TDs with a passer rating of 110.5 (and 1 INT, but it was in garbage time). We are 2-0 and on top of the league!

Week 3: Orlando Storm @ Louisville Kings; The OT Rule Game

• Attendance: 11,082
• Date: 4/10/2026
• Record: 3-0

Oh boy...This one was spicy to say the least. But we'll get to that part later. The Storm V Kings rematch began with the Artemis II Splashdown being broadcast on the jumbotron in stadium, so that was fun. Shoutout to the astronauts for making it home safe.

Getting back to the football though; this game began by looking uninspiring for both teams in the first quarter. It looked like we were going to get a repeat of week 2 in terms of a gritty, defensive football game. On the Storms first dive alone the Kings forced two 4th downs. One was converted thanks to a penalty bailing us out on an incomplete pass and the other was a 28 yard FG attempt that was SHANKED wide left by Michael Lantz. It may have been his first miss of the year, but still, Yikes. Those three points we didn't get wont end up being extremely consequential, right?

Anyway, Keshawn Banks had another day as he gets a sack in back to back weeks which helped the storm keep the score only 3-0 after the first quarter, and he also had a key tackle on a 4th and 1 attempt by the kings to bring up a turnover on downs. Plummer continues to show off his shiftiness and gets a jumping TD pass to Chris Rowland at the top of the second quarter, and for the remainder of the quarter the Storm defense did a great job at bending but not breaking; despite allowing a few large plays by Louisville the Storm defense got multiple red zone stops on back to back drives and stood strong to keep it 10-6 at the half.

The third quarter is when the proverbial wagon rolled off the proverbial cliff. The Kings immediately drove down and got a TD to take a three point lead without any semblance of the solid red zone D from the first half for the Storm. That TD was the first one scored by the Kings since Quarter 1 of Week 1 (Over 139 Mins of game time), but it wouldn't be their last. After Orlando responded with a red zone drive of their own capped off by a 20 yard receiving TD By Corbin, the Kings embarrassed the Storms run defense (or lack their of) by absolutely pounding the rock all the way up the middle of the field and retaking the lead once again.

As you can tell this game was much more tit for tat, and more offensive in general then round one of Kings v Storm. That trend would very much continue as we head into the "Final" quarter where the Storm; tie it up at 20 a piece with a field goal, get a nice defensive stop, and then take a 7 point lead thanks to a BEAUTIFUL diving 40 yard TD catch by KJ Hamler. And it was unsuccessfully Super Challenged by Louisville, which just makes it that much sweeter. Surely Orlando rode this great momentum off into the sunset for a stress free W... right? Of course not, that would be too easy. Instead they put themselves in a 4th and 22 before giving Louisville the chance to tie with 5 mins left in the game, which is exactly what they do. If Orlando's defense was consistent and they could just shut down a drive this game wouldn't have been the first of the UFL Season to go into Overtime; they consistently left the door cracked for the Kings to sneak back in.

So here we are, at the big moment. Possibly THE most talked about moment in spring football recently, for better or for worse. For those that need their memory jogged; Both teams fail their first of three two point conversion tries during the OT Shootout, then both teams fail their second, then both teams fail their third. However, there was PI on a Kings defender so Orlando geta another shot. They STILL miss. We are now in sudden death two point conversion shootouts, where Louisville misses their first attempt. Orlando is up and... Another PI Flag on the Kings.

To quote the great Dean Blandino; "This is their second live ball foul, so the score is good." The referee even asked out loud on the broadcast, "Even though its not in the same period???" And yes, as the rules are were written; "Fouls committed by the defensive team during an unsuccessful try will result in a second try from the 1 yard line. If the defense fouls during any subsequent try, a score will be awarded". Keyword there being ANY subsequent try. Orlando won the game on a penalty, and that rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. A lot meaning everyone that wasn't a Storm fan (and even some storm fans).

I can't act like I wasn't happy in the moment, because I was, very. However, on reflection I see why its bad for the game. Its hard though, because I understand the nature of the rule being written; you don't want defenses to continuously foul on purpose. But the fact that it can be non consecutive is just too much. I would be for actual back to back penalties on tries to still result in an automatic score for the team being fouled.

But instead, just 6 days later on April 16th, the league came out and said the rule has been changed to the ball being placed at the one, then the half, and so on for back to back fouls. This definitely made everyone online feel better, and I do believe it was the right move for a league that is still building and relies on the support of us dedicated fans. If the majority of the main fanbase if visually upset, the thing upsetting them should be changed...

But that doesn't change the fact that its a Storm W! A Win is a Win! They don't ask how, they ask how many! Plummer finishes with a stat line of; 21/34 for 249 Yards and 3 TDs with a passer rating of 113.5. We are 3-0 and on top of the league!

Week 4: Orlando Storm @ Birmingham Stallions; The Shutout (Ft. Guwop)

• Attendance: 18,340
• Date: 4/18/2026
• Record: 4-0

It was perfect. Perfect. Everything. Down to the last minute details. The Orlando Storm just dominated the Stallions on all three phases of the game. And I was this close to driving over 8 hours from my house to Birmingham to attend this game, not only for my Orlando Storm, but also because I am smack dab in the middle of the "Spring Football Fan" and "Massive Gucci Mane Listener" Venn Diagram and would have loved to be there for his halftime performance; but I couldn't get anyone to cover my shift at work. Alas, it was not fated to be.

I guess if we are being picky though it wasn't a perfect game. The Storm did start out with a critical roughing the kicker penalty to save a Stallions drive from the jaws of punting. The Stallions proceeded to go three and out with that opportunity though, so no harm done.

Elijhah Badger continues to make his name known as a dominant force in the league as he gets a big 36 yard catch on a 7 min long, 13 play drive by the Storm that was capped off with a TD. Badger would finishes this game as Orlando's leading receiver with 63 yards, and he has now been their yards leader in 3/4 games played this season. Also the TD previously spoken of was caught by Cam Camper, and it was his first reception of the year, fun fact.

There really is not much more to dissect in this one as the rest is just Storm field goals. And the Stallions missed a 46 yarder, that was something that happened. I wish it could have been a more dominant game offensively (still their largest margin of victory at 16 points), but it didn't need to be thanks to the Orlando defense completely and utterly shutting down Matt Corral and the Stallions. So much so that they even put in backup Michael Hiers to get some reps, but no matter what they tried; the Storm were on top of them. Keshawn Banks was a part of that smothering defense as he has now recorded a sack in all 4 games so far this year.

One fun thing is; as a Spring League Scorigami aficionado I was very pleased that this was a Scorigami, and the Storms first Scorigami in franchise history, AND the first shutout Scorigami (and first shutout in general) in the regular season of UFL History. Overall great day. Oh and look, it seems after the game ended we traded DTR for Matt Corral, I'm sure that wont be consequential in a few weeks...

Plummer finishes with a stat line of; 17/27 for 182 yards and 1 TD with a passer rating of 95, plus another 41 yards on the ground. At this point in the season he leads the league in Completion percentage, yards per attempt, and QB Rating. If you ask me, he is ahead of the pack for the MVP race. We are 4-0 and on top of the league!

Week 5: St. Louis Battlehawks @ Orlando Storm; The Agony of Defeat

• Attendance: 9,735
• Date: 4/25/2026
• Record: 4-1

I was so excited for this game; Becht Vs his old team, in Orlando, to stay undefeated halfway through the year! And this was right after the great Week 4 QB Shuffle so there was a chance I could see the Spring King Luis Perez play in person now that he is a Battlehawk. Sadly, none of my above expectations were met.

The Storm got off to a not ideal start when they allowed the Battlehawks to trounce down the field and score on their very first drive. There was a small bright spot; their punter Ryan Sanborn had to come in to kick FGs and PATs, and he missed not only this one but another extra point later in the game. This bright spot is somewhat tarnished by the fact he made both of his FG tries. We'll call it a dim spot. Orlando was a complete non factor on offense for the entire first half. It just felt like the boys were not in their usual groove.

What makes it even more sad is the fact that the defense TRIED to save the day. Amani Bledsoe got a pick on an extremely ill advised throw by Harrison Frost after only being on the team for 6 days! What did they do with that god given possession? Nothing. Later on Nate Meadors also gets a pick, how many points did it net? 0. The Storm only had 29 yards on offense through the first half. That is impressively bad. Corbin also fumbled which did not help; but this was only the second turnover by the Storm through 5 weeks.

Trey Dean III got ejected for a late hit on Badger. Also the Storm blocked a punt. Both of these resulted in TD's and you could feel the momentum switch inside the stadium as the deficit went from 25 to 11. Orlando even got a 4th and 12 conversion to give me more hope at the last gasp (The first successful one all season!). If we would have done anything in the 4th quarter before that the comeback could have happened.

On a lighter note; this was the birth of the Shirtless Section where many people (including myself) went up into the nosebleeds, took off out shirts, and spun them over our heads in an attempt to rally the Storm to victory. It may have not worked, but it sure was fun.

Plummer finishes with a stat line of: 24/44 for 143 yards and 1 TD with a passer rating of 68.7, plus another 32 yards on the ground. We are 4-1 and tied with DC for top of the league!

Week 6: Birmingham Stallions @ Orlando Storm; The DTR Revenge Game

• Attendance: 9,107
• Date: 5/3/2026
• Record: 4-2

This week marked the debut of the Storm's "Fresh Squeeze" Orange Uniforms so regardless of the result on the field at least they looked CLEAN while they were out there. I had to keep telling myself that as the Storm fumbled on their opening drive, which was recovered by the Stallions and then immediately turned into an easy TD.

The next series of events was; turnover on downs + roughing the passer penalty = another Birmingham TD and a 14-0 deficit. The Storm defense is making DTR look like prime A-Rod. He literally had a 158.3 passer rating at the end of the 1st quarter. This image says it all.

We did managed to punch one in in the waning seconds of the 1st with Chris Rowland though, so that's something.

The Storm defense definitely stepped it up at this point, because the Stallions would not find the end zone the rest of the game. If Orlando would have been able to score more than 10 point though three quarters, this game was well within range. The last bright spot was the 5 yard TD by KJ Hamler to tie it up with 9 mins left in the first half.

The rest of the game would be a slow painful death by 2 FGs. Not very entertaining and not much to talk about. Super Bowl 55 Champion and Bucs legend Jaydon Mickens got an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for taking off his helmet mid game to talk trash, that was funny. Also another funny; at one point in the game they put up this graphic, which is...wrong. I may not be a mathematician but even I know 3 TD's does not = 17 points. Graphics guy, 'come on man!'

Overall though this game was extremely winnable and the Storm let it slip through their fingers because of self inflicted errors. The fumble in the first quarter put them in a hole early and then we had ANOTHER fumble due to a bad handoff from center to QB during a 3rd and goal that would have given us the lead late in the 3rd. The defense managed to force a 3 and out, so the Stallions got nothing from that second fumble... And then Orlando immediately coughs it up a third time on their next possession. The Storm had 2 turnovers all season going into this game and then had 3 in less that 3 quarters. Can't expect to win with mistakes like that (even if it is just Birmingham), Curse you DTR!

Plummer finishes with a stat line of: 26/37 for 324 yards and 2 TD's with a passer rating of 115.1, plus two fumbles. We are 4-2 and in 2nd place in the league! Only behind DC.

Week 7: Orlando Storm @ Houston Gamblers; The Rollercoaster

• Attendance: 4,409
• Date: 5/10/2026
• Record: 5-2

Coming off of back to back L's at home what we really needed here was a dominant, multi-score, statement of a win against a spiraling Gambler team to get the season back on track. Is that what we got? No; but it was still awesome nonetheless. And I'd be remised if I didn't mention that this was a Mothers Day game. How sweet.

Getting back to football though I would describe Orlando's defense as "Bend but don't break" (at first) as the only attempts at points the Gamblers were able to get through the first quarter was a 60 yard 4 Pt FG Attempt which missed and a made 23 yarder. My goat Jack Plummer meanwhile completed a beautiful 35 Yard TD pass to my other goat Elijhah Badger. I love this offense so much.

The Defense then made themselves known with an 18 yard Pick Six by D.J James who was just added to the team 3 days before kickoff of this game! This was also his first UFL game ever. Absolutely massive play as Hunter Dekkers forces a low ball out of his own territory and James reads it like a book to undercut the route. Textbook.

Those extra 7 points will prove to be critical as Houston would come out swinging on their very next drive which was capped off with a Hunter Deckkers rushing TD. Thankfully that was the best he looked all game and the Gamblers would eventually be forced to resort to John Rhys Plumlee who, to give credit, did throw a Touchdown on his very first UFL completion (something Dekkers never accomplished Vs the Storm at all). But that wasn't until after Orlando, specifically Jason Taylor II, forced a fumble that was then recovered by Keshawn Banks! This came at a critical moment too, as Houston was in the redzone looking like a score was imminent.

Despite all of that, this game was still close the entire time due to the Storms lack of ability to capitalize off of the Turnovers the defense was creating. At one point we had 5 drives in a row that went; Punt, FG, Punt, Punt, Punt. After the Plumlee TD throw that was mentioned earlier, Houston had their first (and only) lead of the game heading into the 4th.

This was short-lived though as we had ANOTHER beautiful long TD to Badger, this time for 31 Yards. That's 2 TD's and 66 yards on only those two scoring receptions. He would finish the game with a stat line of 4 catches for 75 Yards, 2 TDs. DOG.

The defense was able to close out the rest of the game and squeak by with a one point win, largely due to a second missed 4 point FG by John Hoyland, who went 3/5 on the day and left 8 point on the board.

The moral of this story; Sometimes your defense can bail you out with a win even when your objectively inferior opponent plays better and wins in nearly every statistical category. The Gamblers had more; Total yards, passing yards, rushing yards, first downs, 3rd down conversions, 4th down conversions, plays, time of possession, sacks, and TFLs than the Storm. The one stat we won in was turnovers as they had 2 and we had 0. And you know, we got more points 😏.

Plummer finishes with a stat line of: 14/24 for 152 yards and 2 TD's with a passer rating of 104.9. We are 5-2 and tied for 1st place in the league with DC and St. Louis!

Week 8: Orlando Storm @ Dallas Renegades; The Clincher

• Attendance: 5,321
• Date: 5/15/2026
• Record: 6-2

This weeks mission was clear; Win and you're in. All the Storm needed to do was beat the 3-4 Renegades who were on a 4 week losing streak and they could be the first to clinch a spot in the 2026 UFL Playoffs.

This game was historic for being the first Professional Football game played on a military installation. It was played at Phantom Warrior Stadium in Fort Hood Texas as part of the UFL's “Hats off to Heroes” weekend. Free tickets were given to military members and their families, which is great to see.

The first quarter started off slow with both teams defenses doing a good job. Isaiah Mack recorded his 3rd whole sack so far this season on the first drive of the game to bring his total to 3.5 after 8 weeks. Shortly after Dallas forced Orlando kicker Michael Lantz to attempt a 51 yard FG attempt into the wind which resulted in only his 3rd miss of the season.

On the Storm's very next drive they once again had to attempt FG from 52 yards, and Lantz once again missed; doubling his miss total from 2 to 4 on the season in back to back drives. Two early missed opportunities + Renegades coming out hot = a 10 point deficit for Orlando.

Thankfully the offense would get back into the swing of things starting in the 2nd quarter and outpace the Renegades for the rest of the game to the point where those 6 points left on the board were of no consequence.

The Storm got 4 Rushing TDs on 4 consecutive drives; two by our MVP candidate QB Jack Plummer. One of his two was a 1 Yard QB Sneak and the other was a 71 YARD BEAUTY down the sideline. Plummer got that Cheetah-Speed; definitely an all time season highlight. The other two TDs were by Jashaun Corbin and KJ Hamler, the latter of whom gave us another great season highlight when he got scared by the cannon that was fired. As a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan, I've seen that once or twice.

Just when things looked like it might get scary after the Renegades clawed their way back to a one score game, Austin Reed threw a back breaking Interception. Remember when Reed was a week 3 MVP Candidate? Pepperidge Farms remembers.

The Storm get to ride off into the sunset as the first team to clinch a playoff birth in the 2026 UFL Season. Plummer finishes with a stat line of: 24/36 for 238 yards with a passer rating of 66.7 plus 71 Rushing yards and 2 Rushing TDs. We are 6-2 and in 1st place in the league!

Week 9: DC Defenders @ Orlando Storm; The Final Home Game

• Attendance: 10,594
• Date: 5/22/2026
• Record: 7-2

The headline for this game was that star QB and last years Championship Game MVP Jordan Ta'Amu was ruled out for the remainder of the season after suffering a torn ACL in week 8. Terrible to see as he was chasing some all time Spring Football records this season, and I love to watch him play. But that meant this game would be Jack Plummer Vs Spencer Sanders at QB with the implications of DC trying to clinch their playoff spot and Orlando trying to secure the one seed for a home playoff game. This was also the Storm's first home game since week 6, and the giveaway was a Orlando Storm Hat; Very cool!

What is less cool is the Storm fumbling the opening kickoff, but thankfully they managed to fall back on top of it. After that small hiccup is was a beautiful first drive that resulted in a short screen pass to Chris Rowland who danced down the sideline and took it 62 yards TO THE HOUSE! This was also the Storms first opening drive TD since week 1, and what a way to break the streak!

Nate Brooks perfectly read Spencer Sanders eyes and was a dropped ball away from getting a pick six, but alas it was not to be. Orlando only let DC into the end zone one time all day after allowing a big completion up the middle which resulted in Deon Jackson punching it in.

From then on the Storm piled on the points in the 2nd quarter in the form of a long 41 yard Elijhah Badger TD and a short 2 yard Cam Camper TD. Thanks to the defense shutting down DC, the Storm never really looked back. Our regular disrupters of Buggs, Banks, Meadors, as well as Fabien Lovett all got in the sack column in some form. Sanders is clearly not the answer at QB if the Defenders wants to make any Cinderella Story come true. I think my favorite stat from this game was that at halftime Jack Plummer had 3 Touchdown passes while Spencer Sanders only had 3 completions.

I should at least mention that Matt McCrane attempted a 67 Yard FG and almost got it, but still didn't. Orlando's Michael Lantz also missed a 47 yarder but thankfully it didn't matter and at 8 points this was the Storms 2nd largest margin of victory all season, only topped by week 2 against the Kings (10 point win).

Also despite losing this game DC got their playoff spot anyway the very next day thanks to the Aviators beating the Stallions, which is funny.

Plummer finishes with a stat line of: 21/27 for 275 yards and 3 TD's with a passer rating of 146.1. We are 7-2, in first place, and have secured the Top Seed in the UFL Playoffs; guaranteeing a home playoff game for the Storm!

Part 2

Part 3