April 24, 2025
By Sam Weiger
Games are listed in chronological order.
New York Empire at Oakland Spiders
Thursday, April 24 - 9:00 PM/ET - Watch link
For the first time ever, the UFA is breaking from its usual Friday/Saturday start, launching the season early with its very own version of TNF: Thursday Night Frisbee.
This matchup also represents a significant first: despite both being decade-long members of the league, New York and Oakland will face each other for the very first time.
Oakland will attempt to break New York's dominant active streak. Since their dynasty began in 2019, the Empire have been undefeated against the West Division, securing five wins against five formidable teams. Adding to this dynamic is Oakland's complete lack of exposure to East Division teams during that same timeframe. The game will be a compelling study in contrasts as the Spiders' dynamic energy meets the Empire’s careful and methodical play.
As with the Vegas game, the Empire's new look will command our attention in this contest. The same goes for Oakland, whose recent acquisitions have made their already exciting young team even more compelling.
Leading the charge of fresh talent is Leo Gordon, a highly touted player whose elite college performance earned him a spot on Ultiworld's prestigious 2024 D-1 Men's All-American First Team. Another UFA rookie to watch is Adam Rees, who was a game-changer for the San Francisco Revolver at last year's Club Championships. It’ll be a treat seeing these exciting prospects play alongside the consistently improving Evan Magsig and Raekwon Adkins.
One Big Number:
6 - New York has dominated their last five games against the West Division, winning each contest by an average of six goals.
10 - Almost ten years have passed since Oakland last faced an opponent from a different division.
New York Empire at Vegas Bighorns | Friday Night Frisbee (Free on YouTube)
Friday, April 25 - 10:00 PM/ET - Watch link
While the UFA has expanded with five new franchises since 2020, none were immediately thrown into the fire against a squad brimming with legends in their very first league game. We’ve got a truly unique Friday night showdown on the horizon.
The New York Empire's highly anticipated 2025 debut, featuring superstars Jack Williams, Ben Jagt, John Randolph, and Marques Brownlee, will unfold live and free on YouTube.
Thousands of fans will tune in to this game, with many wondering the same thing: will New York's dynasty endure, or have their championship years passed? The team's offseason overhaul has made their future a fascinating point of discussion.
The Empire's most significant offseason acquisition was undoubtedly Max Sheppard, the 2019 UFA All-Star Game MVP and a three-time All-UFA selection. This acquisition stands out as one of New York's most significant offseason gains in recent years, making the league eager to see how he performs alongside a team with years of built-in chemistry.
New York made several other offseason acquisitions, including Calvin Brown, Everest Shapiro, Oliver Fay, and Gavin May. Highlighting the Empire’s pursuit of versatile two-way players, Brown, Shapiro, and May each boast a season with double-digit goals, assists, and blocks. Fay was specifically brought in to reinforce their D-line following some notable departures.
All eyes will be on the effectiveness of the Empire D-line on Friday night. They lost several impactful D-liners this offseason – Mike Drost, Ryan Drost, Bretton Tan, and Josue Alorro. Losing the Drost brothers, who rank among the all-time leaders in defensive points played, means irreplaceable experience is gone. Tan's game-changing plays, like his four blocks in the 2023 UFA Championship Game, will also be missed.
The Empire D-line will be looking to re-establish itself against a Bighorns O-line shrouded in unfamiliarity. The majority of the Vegas roster is relatively unknown within the UFA, and they don't have a well-known club team, like PoNY in New York City or Johnny Bravo in Denver.
So which Bighorns deserve your attention? Leading the way is Joel Clutton, their only player with a significant recent impact in the league. This season, as team captain for Vegas, his performance is key. We're also keeping tabs on Stephen Poulos, their only other experienced former impact player, who has previously been teammates with Clutton and head coach Matt Bode.
Bode and the Bighorns are considered massive underdogs heading into this matchup. Regardless of Friday night's result, the game will offer valuable insights into the newly formed Empire (with the exception of Brown and May, who are inactive) and the true potential of Vegas.
One Big Number:
2 - New York had just two games last season with 10 or more blocks in 13 matches.
7 - Just seven of the 35 players on the 2025 Bighorns roster have played more than four UFA games.
Salt Lake Shred at Atlanta Hustle | Game of the Week
Saturday, April 26 - 7:30 PM/ET - Watch link
This unmissable game is brimming with compelling narratives, including big questions facing each team. Did Salt Lake discover their offensive identity in the offseason? And how will Atlanta integrate their new talent with their returning stars?
Atlanta's busy offseason generated considerable excitement within the UFA. Two noteworthy additions, Cameron Brock and Alec Wilson Holliday, both led their previous team in goals and receiving yards each of the last two seasons. Will two players who played very similar roles be able to coexist on a Hustle team with several other standout cutters?
Atlanta, a group that prides itself on having one of the strongest team cultures in the league, should make it work. Head coach Tuba Benson-Jaja has done an excellent job of transforming the Hustle into a group of selfless competitors who play the role asked of them, rather than focus on boosting individual stats.
Adding Brock and Wilson Holliday to the O-line will alleviate the pressure on 2024 Offensive Player of the Year Brett Hulsmeyer, who occasionally had to carry the team on his shoulders to secure victory.
In addition to Brock and Wilson Holliday, Sean Connole joins the O-line. Despite his reputation as a power thrower, Connole's skillset is broader. He's capable of taking on the QB1 role when needed and can utilize his speed as a dangerous receiver. Connole's first-ever revenge game against his former Salt Lake team will be another fascinating storyline to follow.
His departure from the Shred only complicates things further for Salt Lake, whose O-line already was struggling to find their offensive footing throughout last season. A roster this talented that had an entire offseason to recalibrate should show some improvements, but don’t be surprised if we see those same struggles in Week 1.
Because Connole was such an integral part of Salt Lake's attack, expect head coach Bryce Merrill to spend their first few games experimenting to determine the best ways to compensate within the O-line. The rumor is that McKay Yorgason and Will Selfridge will be asked to play larger roles to make up for Connole's absence. Connole led or co-led the Shred in huck attempts for all three years of the team's existence, so it’ll be especially intriguing to see which player takes on the deep-throwing responsibilities in their first game of the season.
Despite vastly different offseasons, these two teams find themselves on a strikingly similar path. Both finished last year with identical 10-3 records, securing impressive regular season victories against East Division heavyweights, yet ultimately fell short of reaching Championship Weekend. Now facing growing doubts from around the league, they'll each be determined to make a statement in this pivotal matchup.
One Big Number:
12 - The Hustle have won 12 consecutive regular season games at home.
61 - Connole had twice as many hucks (61) as any other Shred player in the team’s three seasons as a franchise.
