By Daniel Cohen
The 2025 season hype is heating up, every team loves their roster, and Championship Weekend sights have been set. With parity at an all-time high and numerous teams with championship expectations, there’s never been a more anticipated season when it comes to divisional rivalries. Here are the five rivalries that I can’t wait to follow throughout the season.
DC Breeze vs. New York Empire
Two regular season meetings in 2025: 6/6 and 6/14
All-time head-to-head record: DC 15-19 NY
This could be the last year for a while in which I consider DC vs. New York the top-billing rivalry, but these matchups still have a gravity and history that have kept them at the top of this list for years. Since the start of 2019, 10 of their last 13 meetings have been decided by three goals or fewer, with the vast majority of those meetings going in New York’s favor. That is, until last year. The Breeze swept both meetings with Empire last season for the first time since 2017, and the two franchises seem to have opposite trajectories heading into 2025; DC is coming off their first ever Championship Weekend appearance, while New York failed to make the final four for the first time in seven years.
It feels like the Empire are entering a new era after retooling with a handful of UFA veterans this offseason, giving them an air of uncertainty compared to DC’s roster remaining largely intact year after year. However, it’s still far too early to declare a Fall of the Empire, as any lineup boasting the talents of Marques Brownlee, Antoine Davis, Ben Jagt, John Randolph, and Jack Williams is going to be as tough an out as any team in the league.
Chicago Union vs. Minnesota Wind Chill
Two regular season meetings in 2025: 5/17 and 7/4
All-time head-to-head record: CHI 16-18 MIN (and one tie)
One of the bigger questions on my mind when it comes to preseason predictions: Who should be considered the favorite for the Central Division heading into 2025? It feels like a pretty clear two-team race at this point—but yes, fine, Madison and Pittsburgh could still be sneaky—and I couldn’t be more excited to watch this battle for first place unfold. After two of the stronger offseasons in the league, these two Central Division juggernauts are coming into 2025 with two of their most talented rosters ever. Adding James Pollard and Justin Burnett to a Minnesota defense that was already ranked among the league’s best feels unfair, while Chicago’s offseason signing news started and seemed to never stop, as they brought in a boatload of experienced Union vets, European all-stars, and Central Division impact players.
Even over the past two years during Chicago’s Championship Weekend drought, these Chicago vs. Minnesota matchups have frequently been closely contested bouts that could go either way. Chicago will likely go through some growing pains early this season as they look to integrate all their new pieces, but I’m circling that July 4th matchup as what could be the deciding factor in Central Division playoff seeding and a true test of what these teams look like at their best. As of right now, I give Chicago the edge in talent while the reigning champions have the more intangible edge in coaching, system, and of course, recent momentum.
Atlanta Hustle vs. Carolina Flyers
Four regular season meetings in 2025: 5/3, 5/17, 6/7, 7/12
All-time head-to-head record: ATL 11-16 CAR
Another year, another four regular season meetings for one of the most back-and-forth rivalries the league has seen over the last few seasons. The two championship contenders have been jockeying for top-five position in the power rankings each of the last two seasons, but make no mistake: Carolina carries a significant edge over Atlanta when it comes to playoff pedigree and historical success. Despite all the hype surrounding the Hustle each season, they’ve still never made it to Championship Weekend and suffered a devastating one-goal loss in the South Division Championship Game for the second straight year last August, courtesy of the Flyers. Carolina would of course go on to make their third Championship Weekend appearance in the last four seasons.
Both teams’ rosters carry a handful of questions this season, which leads me to believe they’ll again split their regular season meetings 2-2 as they did last year. Can Atlanta’s offseason additions of Cameron Brock, Sean Connole, and Alec Wilson Holliday offset the losses of Bobby Ley and Matt Smith? Does Carolina have the depth to replace the lost production of guys like Anders Juengst, Henry Fisher, and others? The South Division will once again likely come down to one of these two teams, and just like the Central, I’m at a loss for naming a preseason favorite.
Boston Glory vs. New York Empire
Two regular season meetings in 2025: 5/16 and 7/19
All-time head-to-head record: BOS 2-7 NY
The frisbee world needed to get in on the historic sports city rivalry of Boston and New York, and while it took us a few years since Glory’s inception, the time has finally come. Thank you, Jeff Babbitt. The two-time reigning MVP helped Boston knock off his former team in dramatic fashion in last year’s playoffs, ending New York’s streak of five consecutive Championship Weekend appearances. Prior to last season, Boston had never beaten New York, but they won two of three meetings in 2024 and felt like the better, more consistent team by the end of the season. Similar to DC, Glory is trending upward while New York is seemingly going the opposite direction; Boston earned an A offseason grade after they brought back virtually their full roster from last year, added back some past Glory standouts, and signed 2024 Rookie of the Year Tobe Decraene.
Of course, the Empire still have the historical edge in this rivalry, and the East Division could still be considered New York’s to lose. They’ll meet at least twice this season—crossing my fingers for another playoff meeting—once early in the season, and once late, setting the stage for an exciting early-season test plus a near-guarantee at a game with big playoff implications.
Colorado Summit vs. Salt Lake Shred
Two regular season meetings in 2025: 7/4 and 7/11
All-time head-to-head record: COL 4-3 SLC
With all due respect to the burgeoning Seattle vs. Salt Lake rivalry, Colorado vs. Salt Lake is still the most enticing rivalry in the West given the history between these teams. During their 2022 inaugural seasons, Colorado swept all three meetings with Salt Lake. In 2023, the Shred got their revenge and swept two meetings with the Summit. Last year, they split their two meetings 1-1, and as if this matchup couldn’t feel any closer, four of their seven meetings have been decided by a single goal. These are tight, gritty battles between two teams that visibly go at it; the most recent matchup ended with a game-sealing interception by Alex Atkins, who proceeded to do his best Ben Jagt impression and triple spiked the disc into oblivion in front of Salt Lake’s home crowd.
Both teams come into 2025 in relatively uncertain spots compared to years past. Colorado made some big pickups this offseason—Tobias Brooks and Keenan Laurence are All-UFA caliber players that raise Colorado’s ceiling—but the losses of a few franchise staples on defense make it feel like they could be in for another high variance year. On the other side, Salt Lake will have to overcome the absences of Sean Connole, Elijah Jaime, Grant Lindsley, and Joe Merrill, but a healthy Jordan Kerr leading one of the most consistent systems over the last few seasons should keep the Shred fighting for the top spot in the west. Expect fireworks (first game is July 4th after all) when these two meet in back-to-back weeks in July, two games that could determine the final playoff picture out west.
