February 12, 2026
By Ryan Baker
The 2026 regular season schedule has been released! In light of that, we are going to go week-by-week to give you a key matchup that you will want to tune into for one reason or another. Whether it’s a revenge game, a game with critical playoff implications, or a matchup between two squads with a laundry list of history, you’ll want to mark your calendars.
Week 1: Carolina Flyers at San Diego Growlers | Friday, April 24
The opening night of the 2026 UFA season starts off with a bang. Last year, this matchup decided the third and final playoff spot in the South. And with this being the only game between these two teams on the calendar, it could play a major role come August. Will the return of Tobias Brooks give Carolina the edge this time, or will San Diego be able to hold this game in their back pocket all season?
Week 2: Salt Lake Shred at Oakland Spiders | Saturday, May 2
In Week 2, a rematch of the West Divisional Championship game will happen, which will be the first of three games played between the Shred and the Spiders. In two of three of their matchups last year, Oakland suffered one-point losses, including that Divisional Championship game. This should be an offensive barrage, as both these offenses were top four in the league in hold percentage and offensive-line conversion rate in 2025. Whichever offense makes the first mistake will likely see itself on the losing end of this one.
Week 3: DC Breeze at New York Empire: Saturday | May 10
The league’s best rivalry kicks off in Week 3, as New York seeks revenge after being dismantled in the first round of the playoffs last year by the Breeze. The 23-12 score in that game came as a shock to most of the league, and over the last two years, the Breeze has won four of the five matchups. This could be a matchup that will have home-field advantage implications for the first round of the playoffs.
Week 4: Minnesota Wind Chill at Indianapolis AlleyCats | Friday, May 15
This will be the first matchup between the two most active teams in free agency. Indy will have only played one game at this point against Madison, so it will be a matter if they can live up to the hype of their offseason signings. Expect these games to be defensive dogfights. Minnesota’s defense has been in the top three of blocks produced the last five years, and added defensive freaks Noah Coolman and Lukas Ambrose. However, the AlleyCats host three 2025 All-Defense selections in Nate Little, William Wettengel, and Xavier Payne. Those three, combined with James Pollard, bring in 58 blocks from 2025. It will be the first of two games played between these two, and could be a preview of the Central Divisional Championship.
Week 5: Atlanta Hustle at Carolina Flyers | Saturday, May 23
Atlanta and Carolina have one of the longest and closest rivalries in UFA history, having played 31 games with the Flyers holding a narrow 16-15 edge. The two have played nine times in the last two years, splitting five-to-four in Atlanta’s favor. This year, they will face off four more times, with this being the second. Expect one of the most entertaining games of the year, as they meet three times in as many weeks.
Week 6: San Diego Growlers at Oakland Spiders | Saturday, May 30
Since the Spiders relocated to Oakland in 2022, they are 5-4 against the Growlers. They will have played against each other two weeks prior to this game, but still expect this one to have playoff implications down the line. Both had divisional championship appearances in 2025, and both came up short. These are two squads with major chips on their shoulders.
Week 7: New York Empire at Boston Glory | Friday, June 5
This rivalry has shifted over time, but have always been showcases of grit and intensity. Since the most decorated UFA player of all-time, Jeff Babbitt, signed with Boston in 2024, each game has been decided by two or fewer points. That’s exactly what this game will be. The Empire has historically been a team that doesn’t turn the disc over, but ever since Boston was able to get the most decorated UFA player of all time, Jeff Babbitt, to switch sides, the Glory have claimed that same identity. Both teams have been in the top six for fewest turnovers the last two seasons.
Week 8: Minnesota Wind Chill at Oakland Spiders | Friday, June 12
For the first time ever, these two teams will face off to kick off the back half of the 2026 season. Including playoffs, Minnesota is 2-5 when playing an out-of-division team for the first time, plus it’s a doubleheader travel weekend for the Wind Chill, as they will have to play Las Vegas the day after. Meanwhile, Oakland is an explosive team that never quits. Last year, although they lost by one in the Divisional Championship game to the Shred, they separately completed three- and four-point comebacks in the first half. We could see the score get lopsided at times, but count on the Spiders to be within one or two come the last few minutes.
Week 9: Salt Lake Shred at Minnesota Wind Chill | Friday, June 19
There have only been two games played in history between these two dominant franchises. Both ended in heartbreak for the Wind Chill. When Minnesota hosted Championship Weekend in 2023, the two met in the semifinals. Before beating them in overtime, the Shred tipped a buzzer-beater huck into a score that tied the game at the end of regulation. Last year, Minnesota traveled to Salt Lake to suffer another loss. That heartbreak isn’t forgotten by the Wind Chill, and they are seeing red. It’ll be a doubleheader for Salt Lake as they play Madison the day before, and that gives Minnesota a shot to run them into the ground.
Week 10: Oakland Spiders at Colorado Apex | Friday, June 26
As we gear towards the final few weeks of the season, this matchup will be one to keep an eye on. It could be one that Colorado sneaks away with, given that Oakland has to gear up to play Salt Lake the following day. This will be the second of three games played between these two, and since 2023, it’s been back and forth. The Apex is 2-3 in that span, including two one-point losses and one nine-point loss that happened in last year’s playoffs.
Week 11: Indianapolis AlleyCats at Madison Radicals | Friday, July 13
This game will have major playoff implications. Depending on how the prior three games between these two go, and how the Central pans out, this one could determine home-field for the first round of the playoffs or a playoff berth overall. Surely, the emotions and atmosphere of this one will be intense. This game will be the second of back-to-back weeks Indy and Madison face off.
Week 12: Boston Glory at Minnesota Wind Chill | Saturday, July 11
All UFA fans will be tuning into this one simply because it’s a rematch of the 2025 Championship, where Boston took home the title. The difference in this game will be Minnesota having its home crowd behind it. Touted as one of the hardest places to play in the league, Sea Foam Stadium will be rocking for this revenge game for the Wind Chill. The last time we had a championship rematch was in 2024 when Empire (2023 Champion) took down the Shred 25-14.
Week 13: DC Breeze at Atlanta Hustle | Saturday, July 18
The Breeze and the Hustle are two franchises that have been at the top of the league for a while, but are also still looking for their first Championship trophy. These two teams haven’t seen each other since 2021, when they split games in the regular season, but these squads look completely different going into 2026. Despite not meeting in that span, these two franchises have combined for seven playoff losses.
Closing Thoughts
One recent trend is that the teams that have the more difficult schedules are the teams that typically make it to Championship Weekend. I know divisions play a huge part in that, but Minnesota and Oakland are two teams that rarely see any easy wins all year. They put themselves in a position to be the marquee matchups, and that’s why the game between the two could be a game of the year candidate.
Other games I could see being in that conversation are the Week 7 and Week 13 games.
Boston and New York (Week 7) already have a tight history, but add on the Jeff Babbitt story of him bringing home trophies to both franchises, and Alex Atkins joining New York. Sparks are going to fly in this one. There’s going to be major jawing, and emotions will be worn on sleeves.
Not only will Week 13 have playoff implications on both sides, but there’s more to fight for in this one. Since Atlanta and D.C. have seen struggles and suffered detrimental losses in the playoffs, both teams are going to want as much momentum as possible heading into the playoffs.
The final thought is that we have a slew of exciting matchups that will bring joy, heartbreak, animosity, highlights you’ll see all year long, and games that will be talked about for seasons to come.
