August 4, 2026
By Evan Lepler
Year after year, this is the best weekend of the UFA season.
Obviously, Championship Weekend is exciting and historic too, but certain semifinals can sometimes disappear from conversations quite quickly, as they’re almost immediately overshadowed by the title showdown just 24 hours later. And let’s be real: for some teams—despite the persistent message that they are striving to win the whole thing—just making Champ Weekend as a division king is a huge freaking deal.
Look at Atlanta last year. The Hustle may have fizzled out in the semis, but advancing to the final four for the first time was a massive achievement in itself. Even though Championship Weekend didn’t go as planned, it was still the best season in the team’s history.
And to get there, they outlasted all of their divisional rivals.
That is a critical part of what makes this coming weekend so tantalizing and tremendous. Division title contests are always rivalry battles, and the loser has nothing to do for the next eight or nine months except to contemplate the excruciating outcome against a familiar (and oft-despised) foe.
Being among the elite eight is a great place to be, but legacies are often shaped by what transpires in these consequential quarterfinals. When the dust settles sometime late Saturday night, we’ll know who’s moving on, whose season is done, and have a whole new perspective on where teams stand heading into the home stretch.
The Full Field Layout
Perhaps no team will have their reputation reshaped by this weekend’s action more than the Austin Sol.
With a 45-15 regular season record over the past five years, the Sol have more regular season wins than anyone else in the South Division in that span. Across the entire league, only New York, Minnesota, and Salt Lake have won more games than Austin over the past half-decade.
But the Sol’s undeniably weaker schedules during this stretch have let skepticism linger about exactly how good they are. Among those 45 victories over the past five seasons, 28 have been against Houston and Dallas, two franchises that have won 14 and lost 70 since 2022. In this span, the Sol have gone 28-0 against their fellow Texans and 17-15 against everyone else, fueling doubts about whether Austin is truly an elite outfit.
At the same time, the 2026 squad does feel different. Despite four games going to overtime, the Sol still finished 11-1, only falling by a single score in fluky fashion at Carolina in Week 12. They will be hosting the South final for the first time, and they fully believe that they are ready for this opportunity.
“We’re so much deeper than we have been,” said Evan Swiatek. “So if one person is having an off-night, another will step up to make a play. The close games prepare us for big moments, and we’re grateful for that.”
Certainly, aside from Kyle Henke’s rough hiccup in the closing moments at Carolina, the Sol have excelled in clutch situations. The team’s O-line has gotten far more ink, but team leaders repeatedly credit the squad’s defense as the Sol’s unrelenting engine.
“I think our D-line is one of the best in the league and has either won or kept us in every game this season,” said Joey Wylie, one of four Sol contributors with double-digit blocks on the year.
George Gust and Connor DeLuna both finished the season with 12 blocks apiece, while Matt Armour’s presence as a D-line quarterback has given Austin a foundational anchor to help grind out breaks. Collectively, the Sol have broken their opponents on almost 39 percent of D-points this season, the highest rate in the team’s 10-year history.
And offensively, Henke’s had a First-Team All-UFA caliber campaign, even with the late error in the team’s lone loss. With 73 scores, 503 completions and 6,369 total yards—ranking top five in the league in each category—Henke has established himself as a consistent, reliable, and explosive playmaking presence. The way he handled the late mistake against Carolina, dominating Atlanta the very next night, spoke volumes about his growth and maturity as the team’s O-line leader.
Overall, the team’s new Co-Head Coaches, Joe Iannacone and Casey Hogg, have consistently pushed the right buttons, pulled the right levers, and empowered a communal team leadership dynamic, which has repeatedly paid off late in close games.
“It’s been a wild ride, no doubt about it, but we like it that way,” said Swiatek. “This season has felt much more like leadership by committee compared to previous seasons. In addition to Coach Casey and Joe, Jason Holleran has been instrumental as an assistant, and Matthew Armour and Kyle Henke have taken on a lot of captain duties, even though they don’t hold an official title.”
Deep down, the Sol recognize what’s at stake with this Friday’s South Division final against the Flyers, but they fully believe they are ready.
“I am excited to prove to the rest of the league that just because we played Houston and Vegas six times does not mean we cannot compete with the big dawgs,” said Wylie. “Excited to put on a show and hopefully lock in my Champ Weekend plans.”
The Picks
South Division: Carolina Flyers (11-2) at Austin Sol (11-1) | Friday, August 7 | 8:00 PM/ET
Can the Flyers avoid another semi-slow start on offense this Friday?
In their last two games—against Austin in the regular season finale and San Diego in the postseason opener—Carolina was broken five times in the first quarter and only three times thereafter. In the Growler game, the Flyers were virtually flawless over the final 36 minutes, refusing to yield a single break following the scratchy first.
Starting games fast was something that Carolina Coach Michael Avila was focused on coming into the season, as he acknowledged how poor first quarters had been a problem during the team’s 2025 campaign. This year, the Flyers have led after 11 of their 13 first quarters, but their poorest first period came against the Sol on July 10, when they trailed 6-3 after 12 minutes.
It’s one thing to play from behind at home, but if the Flyers stumble again early in Austin—where it’s expected to be triple-digit temperatures during the day on Friday—the road back is far more precarious.
Meanwhile, Austin currently has four players listed as questionable: Cole Chanler, Brandon Dial, Duncan Fitzgerald, and Jackson Potts. While all of the players could positively impact winning if they’re in the lineup, the most noteworthy name is probably Potts, who hasn’t played in the UFA all season after he tore his ACL 13 months ago in Houston. A Potts return, if he’s ready, could be a huge emotional boost.
As for the Flyers, all the familiar faces appear to be available and active, and having their O-line intact, with Tobias Brooks, Jacob Fairfax, Dylan Hawkins, Allan Laviolette, and Zeke Thoreson all ready to go, gives Carolina more than enough firepower to go get this victory on the road.
Personally, I view this game as a virtually 50/50 toss-up. Carolina’s got the historical edge and slightly higher metrics, but Austin honestly looked like the superior squad much of the night when they met in Durham last month.
I am very tempted to select the Sol at home in overtime, as it would feel like a microcosm of the team’s season to see them prevail at the last second again. But deep down I just like the Flyers’ defensive depth a little bit more, and in a game that could come down to a buzzer-beating grab or two, it’s tough to bet against Fairfax and the Flyers. (Even though Henke’s buzzer-beating history is nothing to laugh at.)
My Pick: Carolina 22, Austin 21
East Division: New York Empire (11-2) at Boston Glory (11-1) | Saturday, August 8 | 7:00 PM/ET
While referring to the East Championship game as the de facto UFA final is slightly hyperbolic, it is completely reasonable to expect the survivor of Saturday’s tussle to feel like the Champ Weekend favorite heading into Madison.
Truly, this game is monumental in so many ways, on individual, team, and even international levels.
Individually, it could very well determine whether Alex Atkins or Tobe Decraene earns the MVP. Both of these stars have had awesome seasons, and either could win the award. It’s easy to argue that both deserve it, but ultimately, only one can claim the honor. And while it’s an individual prize, it’s foolish not to acknowledge that, fairly or unfairly, team success is sometimes the deciding factor.
Speaking of teams, both of these squads are absolutely stacked.
Superstars in their prime? Check.
Veterans who’ve been there before? Check.
Young, talented playmakers that are steadily raising their level? Check.
Up and down these rosters, you see elite ultimate credentials and unquestioned championship experience. Which likely means that Saturday’s outcome comes down to one single thing: execution.
And it’s not hard to imagine the international execution being a decisive dynamic, as two extraordinarily gifted and motivated Belgian beasts, Daan De Marrée and Tobe Decraene, each try to elevate their teams in the biggest moments. Even if they are not guarding each other directly, they will be battling one another for international prestige. After all, only one can advance to Championship Weekend.
Like any close game, the smallest of margins could loom large. And New York’s Nick Whitlock, another international standout, offered an interesting perspective on the Empire Podcast this past week.
“It could really come down to who performs end of quarters better,” said Whitlock, who led the UFA with 11 blocks in the final five seconds of quarters this season. “And I’m assuming Boston’s putting a lot of time into the end of quarters because we’ve done the same. We’ve spent many reps at practice going through different times on the clock scenarios: 40 seconds left, 20 seconds left, five seconds left. And we’ve written down the things we look to do in these moments, both offensively and defensively, and I think that’s showing when we come to these situations, we don’t need to think about X’s and O’s once we get into the game. We can just go out there and try and execute.”
The last time New York battled Boston in the UFA playoffs, the difference in the game was a Jeff Babbitt buzzer-beater. But the Glory are not expected to have Babbitt in the lineup this Saturday, a huge missing piece considering Babbitt’s unique stature and championship experience. Boston should still have plenty of size, and perhaps Orion Cable, Tannor Johnson-Go, or Lander Decraene can make a legendary last-second grab to change a game. But New York’s core of Whitlock, Ben Jagt, Atkins, and De Marrée will also be tough to stop in a last-second situation.
We’ve seen the Empire win in Boston already, and we know that the Glory are missing their greatest champion. Like the South matchup, this feels like a super intense, down-to-the-wire finish, but my gut says that New York has a just a little bit more firepower and that the East title is heading back to the Big Apple.
My Pick: New York 19, Boston 18
Central Division: Indianapolis AlleyCats (7-6) at Minnesota Wind Chill (11-1) — Saturday, August 8 — 7:00 PM/ET
With the Central and West games, I’ve been contemplating where exactly road team victories might stack up in the realm of the biggest upsets we’ve witnessed in the history of the UFA’s divisional title bouts.
Three games immediately come to mind:
- New York winning at Toronto in 2018, as the Empire improved to 1-17 all-time against the Rush.
- Austin’s double-overtime triumph in Atlanta in 2023, sending the Sol to Championship Weekend for the first time
- Minnesota’s magical night in Chicago last August, when the Union became the first team ever to go undefeated in a regular season but fail to advance to the final four.
To be clear, I have listed these chronologically, not necessarily based upon which ranks as the craziest upset.
But if the AlleyCats somehow win over the Wind Chill on Saturday night in St. Paul, it might immediately vault to the top of the list. Indy’s the biggest underdog across the league this weekend, but that also doesn’t mean that the ‘Cats can’t cause problems for Minnesota.
Aside from Atkins and Decraene, Elliot Hawkins is the league’s leading MVP candidate. Still just 20 years old, it’s utterly astonishing how dominant he has been and how much he has galvanized this Indianapolis team. Jake Felton, Seth Gudeman, and Sofiene Bontemps are other legitimate weapons that Minnesota needs to worry about, and the ‘Cats have a bunch of D-line grinders that will make the Wind Chill offense work.
But from a depth perspective, Minnesota far outclasses Indy. And the Wind Chill’s stars, with Will Brandt, Gordon Larson, and Nate De Morgan leading the offense as Justin Burnett, Noah Hanson, and Paul Krenik anchor the defense, should be too much for the AlleyCats to endure across four quarters.
If Indy avoids a disastrous first quarter, the game will be close. But expect Minnesota to manage the game and make the plays when it counts most.
My Pick: Minnesota 23, Indianapolis 20
West Division: Salt Lake (6-7) at Oakland (11-1) | Saturday, August 8 | 8:00 PM/ET
A couple key injuries for the Spiders make them a slightly smaller favorite than Minnesota, but make no mistake, the Shred are still big underdogs in Oakland. Even after putting together a strong 48-minute performance in Seattle last week, Salt Lake’s top level in 2026 still feels several notches below the Spiders’ collective ability.
But in part because the Shred struggled so badly against the Spiders, they dramatically reshaped their approach, hoping to get one more crack against Oakland in this exact matchup.
“When we got crushed by Oakland back in May, we made the difficult decision to abort our season game plan,” said Salt Lake Coach Bryce Merrill. “We had to radically retool our practices, lineups, and playbook because we couldn’t see a path to success incrementally improving the way we were playing at the time. That, to me, is thrilling, and I’m grateful to see an Oakland team playing at their full potential. Their dominance this season has forced us to stop merely rehearsing frisbee and instead learn to process and improve in the midst of the chaos they’ve created. I hope it’ll make us better in time to win in Oakland. But regardless, we’re better as a team, as players, and as coaches because of the level they’re playing at this season.”
If Merrill’s message is accurate and the Shred have actually raised their ceiling, well they are catching the Spiders at the right time. After another unfortunate hamstring injury, Oakland star Dan Ritthaler is out this Saturday night. Another key O-line cog, Walker Frankenberg, is listed as ‘questionable,’ and I would be surprised if he played.
The Spiders can certainly still win without these guys, but the margin for error, which would’ve felt pretty wide if Oakland was at full strength, has clearly narrowed.
Spiders Coach Liam Kreiss remains confident, emboldened by the way the team has utilized its depth throughout the season.
“Very sad for their injuries, but glad that we’ve given our entire roster chances to shine all season since we’ll definitely be leaning on them Saturday,” said Kreiss.
Without Ritthaler, Jason Vallee’s role as a distributor and defender is amplified. If Frankenberg cannot go, then the Spiders lean more on Raekwon Adkins, Dexter Clyburn, Leo Gordon, and Adam Rees.
As for the Shred, there are reasons to believe this team, despite going 5-7 during the regular season—and 0-3 against the Spiders—can pull off another West Division title game stunner. Jordan Kerr has looked super sharp down the stretch, and in the Yorgason department, Salt Lake outnumbers Oakland three to zero. Between Chad, Luke, and McKay, the Yorgasons are capable of combining their forces to carry their team. Furthermore, Oscar Brown and Grayson Rettberg have proven to be clutch and dynamic O-line playmakers down the stretch, while Joe Merrill should return to bolster the D-line after missing the Seattle game.
Overall, the Shred have a lot of guys that know what it feels like to win this game, and that confidence should make this game close. I’m definitely not counting out the possibility that a guy like Tony Mounga could deliver a ridiculous game-changing block late in the fourth quarter again.
But overall, even shorthanded, the Spiders are impossible to ignore. They went 11-0 against West Division opponents this season, winning those games by a combined score of 277-177. Yea, they outscored the rest of the West by 100 goals in those 11 games.
There’s a chance they absolutely dominate Salt Lake on Saturday night, and even if they don’t control every aspect of the game for four quarters, I can’t fathom the Spiders blowing it against the Shred for the second straight season.
My Pick: Oakland 22, Salt Lake 17
The Hammer
We’re skipping “Seven on the Line” this week, but one need not be a clairvoyant soothsayer to anticipate that next week’s two-part Toss will be overflowing with juicy material. By then, we’ll know who will be at Championship Weekend, what the matchups will look like, and how the division title games reframed the main narratives of the entire 2026 journey.
For the seventh straight season, I am privileged and thankful for the opportunity to broadcast two of these gigantic games, though this is the first year my weekend will feel a little bit like a Dr. Seuss rhyme, as my travels bring me through Austin and Boston.
From Austin to Boston, where legends may grow,
The fate of the frisbee, no one can know.
Eight teams have arrived, but just four get to stay…
We’ll find out together by the end of Saturday.
