UFL Kickoff 2025: ESPN Readies a 22-Game Schedule for the Spring Football League's Second Season

UFL Kickoff 2025: ESPN Readies a 22-Game Schedule for the Spring Football League's Second Season The broadcaster continues to focus on player access, fan engagement By Dan Daley, Audio Editor

Friday, March 28, 2025 - 1:13 pm

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As the UFL's second season gets underway tonight, the spring football league is expected to be stronger and even more like an NFL experience - but with more video and sound. ESPN's productions will be built on last year's foundations, with a few new wrinkles planned.

The UFL gives us a lot of flexibility to try things out, says ESPN Operations Manager, Remote Operations Jim Birch, where the NFL might not have that flexibility with their rules, restrictions, or operating procedures.

Adds Samuel Dusenbury, technical operations manager, REMI operations, ESPN, It gives us a chance for experimentation. We're able to feel our way around in regard to [things] that we try on UFL.

Several audio and video novelties are possible for this season, Birch says, noting that they're still in the development stage and pending league approvals. Fans will again be treated to plenty of behind-the-scenes access, both inside the locker room through installed microphones and cameras - two handheld cams will also cover the locker rooms - and on the field during breaks in the action.

REMI Workflows Are Planned Once again splitting the schedule with FOX Sports, ESPN will broadcast 22 games, including 20 regular-season matchups over 10 consecutive weekends and the championship game. During the regular season, nine games will be on ESPN, 12 on ABC, and one on ESPN2; the championship game will be on ABC and ESPN . ESPN's full schedule will be available on ESPN .

ESPN will again deploy a 20-path REMI workflow from multiple control rooms in Bristol, CT, to produce its 22-game allotment - one more than last year.

ESPN will produce its UFL games from control rooms at its Bristol facility.

The schedule gets underway Sunday, March 30, with a doubleheader featuring the Michigan Panthers at the Memphis Showboats (noon ET) and the defending UFL Champion Birmingham Stallions at the DC Defenders (3 p.m.) on ESPN. ABC's 12-game slate begins on Saturday, April 5, when the Defenders host the Showboats under the lights in primetime (8 p.m.). The season will culminate in ABC and ESPN 's inaugural presentation of the UFL Championship in primetime (June 14, 8 p.m.).

On-air talent across ESPN platforms will feature some familiar voices from the league's inaugural season and signature college-football personalities making their spring-football debuts. ESPN and ABC college football play-by-play announcer Joe Tessitore will be joined in the booth by former Vanderbilt QB and SEC Network analyst Jordan Rodgers, both making their UFL debut. College football insider and 2001 XFL Championship-winning QB coach Tom Luginbill and NFL veteran and college-football analyst Sam Acho will return as sideline analysts.

The teams will cover ESPN's full 22-game slate across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN Deportes. The games will also be available on ESPN . Although the production team will be working in Bristol, all announcers will be onsite at the stadium.

The UFL on ESPN takes fans inside the game in innovative and engaging ways, says Bryan Jaroch, VP, sports production, ESPN, with unprecedented sideline communication with players and coaches, halftime access, going inside play calls and the review process in real time, ESPN BET integration, and so much more. Working closely with the league, we look forward to another season of showcasing the high level of play, while redefining what's possible in live sports production across our platforms.

The compound will house a different production-truck lineup this season. The A crew is going to be working from F&F GTX-17; the B crew from F&F GTX-16. The C crew, which has the one game each in Week 3 and Week 5, will be in LMG MU-14. All three trucks will have a fiber connection to Bristol through The Switch.

ESPN's UFL team includes Birch; Dusenbury; Mitch Workman, operations specialist, remote operations; Eric Kimmel, supervisor, REMI operations; and Jesse Kupec, associate manager, remote operations. The A crew comprises A1 Michael Bevers, submixer Steve Hanks, and Bristol A1 Cody Hardin; the B crew, A1 Thom Mangan and submixer Steve Miller. Also on the team are Bristol A1s Jacob Edelman, Jeff Linn, Brian Vigouroux.

Last season's complement of 20 cameras - seven hards, two RF handhelds, a SkyCam, a robotic in the booth, and various other robos and POVs throughout the venue - will be augmented by the A crew. A hard camera will be added in a low-end-zone slash position, depending on the venue.

It's extremely similar to last season, says Birch. One change is that we added eight hard cameras for the A crew. The other change is that our A crew will be running a 25-path REMI, with the B and C crews [again] running a 21-path REMI.

He also notes that the A crew will be working the Mindfly body camera. Last season, [the camera complement] worked extremely well; there wasn't much we needed to adjust. I think our production team wanted an additional iso camera to cover, and that's the difference from last year. I think we had a really good lineup and really good coverage last year. This year, we just tried to accommodate those POVs, the Mindfly, and miked players, so we can get a little more content on the iso side.

Emphasis on Sound From the Field Each team's head coach will be wired for sound, and six player and coach mics are supported by the league to capture communications among on-field personnel. ESPN will also be getting audio from the Mindfly cameras, a first for broadcast sports. In addition, wireless headsets will be used to connect the rule

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