February 23, 2026
By Sam Weiger
This year’s schedule is capable of sending shockwaves through the league’s elite, though the fallout will look different for everyone.
We witnessed this just last year, when Carolina’s brutal opening stretch dug them into an insurmountable hole; this season, similar scheduling wrinkles threaten to make or break teams at both ends of the calendar. Alongside schedule wrinkles are a handful of defining matchups that could shift teams’ momentum entirely as the playoffs approach.
Boston Glory: 1
There is plenty to talk about when it comes to Boston vs. DC and Boston vs. New York, but there is one specific matchup on the Glory’s schedule that truly captivates me.
Boston versus Minnesota: the championship rematch.
Even with several of Boston's stars not yet locked in for 2026, the consensus remains that the Glory will lead the division and handle their business throughout the season. But their showdown with Minnesota is much harder to predict.
The Wind Chill have retooled and look even scarier than they did last season. In Week 12, they finally get their shot at redemption against the Boston squad that took their crown—and they get to do it on their home turf at Sea Foam Stadium.
With a postseason rematch looming, expect a high-level game of chess. The strategic questions are mounting: Will Ben Feldman tip his hand on how to contain Tobe Decreane? Conversely, how will Boston account for Noah Coolman and Lukas Ambrose—two new Wind Chill stars the Glory have yet to encounter?
Minnesota Wind Chill: 8
Given the sheer brutality of Minnesota’s schedule, it honestly feels like they asked for this chaos. With eight of their 12 matchups featuring teams from this prestigious list, the Wind Chill face what is arguably the most grueling gauntlet in the league. Their schedule includes three clashes with Chicago, two with Indianapolis, their previously mentioned game against Boston, and one game against Salt Lake and Oakland. Calling this schedule a "monster" is actually an understatement.
Last season was a much smoother ride for Minnesota, with only four games against top-tier opponents. It raises the question: how will such a relentless 2026 campaign impact the Wind Chill by the postseason?
We can look at last year's Atlanta team for a potential answer. The Hustle navigated one of the most difficult regular-season schedules in UFA history, and the results were positive. Rather than folding, Atlanta reached new heights, making their first-ever appearance at Championship Weekend.
Salt Lake Shred: 50
50 percent of Salt Lake’s matchups this year are scheduled as back-to-back doubleheaders on consecutive days.
The Shred face a particularly vital road trip doubleheader mid-season, one that should be excellent prep for Championship Weekend.
During their eighth and ninth contests, they head north to face Madison and Minnesota. So they’ll return to the 2026 site of Championship Weekend, Breese Stevens Field. Should they return to the final four and face a Central Division team, this stretch will have perfectly prepared them for the hostile road environment they’re guaranteed to encounter.
I’m looking at Will Selfridge, a player who is very capable of finding another gear in tough road environments, as the X-factor in these two games. He had a massive showing in Atlanta last year and dismantled Colorado and Oakland on their own turf back in 2023.
Atlanta Hustle: 77.7
77.7 percent of Atlanta’s final nine games are against legitimate playoff threats. Starting May 9 and continuing through the regular season finale, they face a relentless stretch of difficult matchups. But the Hustle are battle-hardened after navigating a historically brutal 2025 calendar.
The most intriguing aspect of this stretch is a trio of back-to-back-to-back showdowns against Carolina.
Atlanta has never encountered Carolina three consecutive times. Could this impact their momentum? Past trends would indicate that the Hustle would prefer to avoid such a concentrated dose of their biggest rival.
Historically, consecutive meetings between these two tend to see the pendulum swing more violently than spaced-out games. In 2023, Atlanta nearly faltered against Carolina just a week after a dominant win. In 2024, Carolina secured a massive playoff upset only weeks after a regular-season loss to Atlanta.
This punishing nine-game stretch also includes matchups against revamped San Diego and Austin squads, a fourth meeting with Carolina, and a regular-season finale against DC.
Chicago Union: 17
With many roster details still up in the air, the Chicago Union enter the season as clear favorites in only 17 percent of their games.
After dictating the tempo last season, the Union head into 2026 facing a schedule defined by uncertainty. Outside of their two matchups against Pittsburgh, Chicago faces New York and nine divisional dogfights: three each against Minnesota, Indianapolis, and Madison.
While Madison appears to be the most beatable of those teams, they remain a dangerous threat. The Radicals have retained a core of high-end talent including Anthony Gutowsky, Noa Chun-Moy, and Pieran Robert. Madison also lured Victor Luo back from the Union and regained Sterling Knoche after his 2025 hiatus.
With Minnesota and Indianapolis boasting rosters that can outpace Chicago on any given day, the stakes are clear: unless the Union re-sign their top-tier talent, they may find themselves in a repeat of 2024—locked in a fight with Madison for the final playoff seed.
Indianapolis AlleyCats: 9
The first nine games of Indy’s season will feature just three different opponents, an uncommon occurrence in the UFA.
What makes this nine-game stretch so significant is that every single opponent is a playoff-caliber threat: two matchups with Minnesota, three with Chicago, and four against Madison.
The challenge is front-loaded, with three of Indy’s first four matchups featuring the Central Division's heavy hitters: Chicago and Minnesota.
Can this reconfigured Indy roster find its rhythm in time? I’ll be keeping a close eye on Elliot Hawkins, rookie Isaiah Mason, and especially Jake Felton during this opening stretch.
Felton, who served as the high-volume engine of Detroit’s backfield for the past two years, faces a potentially dramatic role change in Indy. After leading the league in throwaways in both of his professional seasons, his ability to adapt to Coach Nathan Bussberg’s new system will be a defining storyline of the season's first month.
Oakland Spiders: 3
Three clashes with the Salt Lake Shred await the Oakland Spiders in 2026—the most they have ever faced in a single regular season . The question remains: can Oakland finally topple their rivals this year?
The Spiders are still hunting for their first victory against the Shred. Finally proving they have the DNA to beat Salt Lake would provide a massive psychological boost before a potential postseason showdown.
However, a closer look at these Salt Lake matchups reveals some daunting logistical hurdles for the Spiders.
Two of their contests against Salt Lake occur on the tail end of back-to-backs, with Colorado serving as the opening opponent in both instances. And both of these tricky doubleheaders will take place on the road.
They will have only one game against the Shred at Fremont High School in Week 2, a weekend where they aren't burdened by a second game. Consequently, that Week 2 battle carries far more weight than your typical early-season matchup.
DC Breeze: .500
Could DC’s challenging 2026 finish actually serve as a springboard for their playoff ambitions?
The Breeze finish their season facing five opponents that all finished with a .500 record or higher last year: Carolina, Boston, Philadelphia (twice), and Atlanta.
This unforgiving finale is the perfect stage for the Breeze’s rising stars to shine, as their youthful energy could be the deciding factor when the veterans on other rosters begin to fade.
The spotlight now shifts to Jacques Nissen and Aidan Downey. While the Breeze’s D-line is famously dependable, they’ll be facing high-powered offenses from Carolina, Boston, and Atlanta. This is the moment for DC’s O-line to prove its worth—particularly with the absence of Jonny Malks and potentially Rowan McDonnell leaving a significant void.
San Diego Growlers: 87.5
Last year’s breakout quarterfinalists are thrown straight into the deep end this year, and they’ll be feeling the heat for a long time, as 87.5 percent of their first eight games will be against playoff contenders. San Diego opens their 2026 campaign against Carolina, Atlanta, and Oakland, before finally catching their breath in week four against Vegas. But the reprieve is short-lived, as they immediately dive back into a daunting run featuring Oakland, Colorado, and two dates with Austin (three of these are away games).
If they can emerge from this brutal eight-game opening stretch with a winning record, they’ll be perfectly positioned for another postseason run. Their final month is significantly lighter, featuring two matchups against Houston and Vegas, with three of those four contests being played on their home turf.
Last season offered a much more gradual build-up, starting with three games against LA in their first four. This raises a major question: can an aging Growlers team—including Travis Dunn (35), Khalif El-Salaam (32), Jesse Cohen (33), Steven Milardovich (36), Casey Shugarman (30), and Kyle Rubin (32)—effectively adapt to this front-loaded 2026 calendar?
Carolina Flyers: .458
A recurring hurdle for Carolina has been their tendency to stumble out of the gate in the regular season. Last year, they suffered their most disastrous opening stretch in franchise history, dropping four consecutive games to start the year.
So here’s some good news, Carolina fans. The combined 2025 winning percentage of their first four opponents this year sits at just .458, highlighted by two matchups where they should be favored (Vegas and Philadelphia).
However, it is worth noting that their two most difficult early tests against Atlanta and San Diego are both away games. While not an ideal road trip, even emerging with a 2-2 record would leave them in a far superior spot compared to last year.
So the pivotal early-season benchmark will be their clash with Philly, an unpredictable squad capable of toppling almost any opponent on their best day.
New York Empire: 5
The Empire should be able to fend off Philly for an East Division playoff berth, right?
The final five games of New York’s season could dictate their postseason fate, as they navigate a treacherous run against the Phoenix twice, Boston, and Chicago.
Their 2026 calendar is a true roller coaster; almost every favorable matchup is immediately followed by a heavyweight test. Given this volatility, it's easy to envision a scenario where New York enters their season finale with a 6-5 or 7-4 record, with a hungry Philadelphia squad led by Sean Mott and Scott Heyman sitting right behind them. New York’s season finale will be against the Phoenix.
Look for New York’s clutchest players, John Randolph, Ben Jagt, and Jack Williams, to lift the Empire during this stretch. They’ll host two of these critical late-season battles, including the finale, at their new home turf: The Stadium at Memorial Field.
