ARLINGTON, TX – October 7, 2026 – One year ago today, the Louisville Kings, Orlando Storm, and Columbus Aviators were born. Each entered the UFL as an expansion market, and by the end of the season, all three had established distinct identities. For Louisville, it was a championship. For Orlando, it was dominance. For Columbus, it was resilience.
Louisville began the season 0-3 and battled back through a 10-game regular season to not only make the playoffs, but win it all.
After the 0-3 start, the Kings finally earned their first win in Week 4, conquering the Houston Gamblers in an overtime thriller. But everything changed that Sunday for head coach Chris Redman’s team. Redman made the decision to trade starting quarterback Jason Bean and turn the offense over to backup Chandler Rogers, a move that changed everything.
Rogers helped lead the Kings to a 5-1 finish to the regular season before Louisville went on a postseason run that ended with a United Bowl victory over the defending champions in their own house. Redman made risky, season-defining decisions throughout the year, and ultimately, those decisions led Louisville to the top of the UFL. First season, first championship.
The Orlando Storm were off and running from the moment Anthony Becht accepted the head coaching position. Becht was already established as a winning head coach in the league, having led the St. Louis Battlehawks to three consecutive winning seasons.
He brought that spring success to the Sunshine State, and the Storm quickly established themselves as the team to beat. Orlando finished atop the league with a dominant 8-2 record, while Becht helped guide quarterback Jack Plummer to league MVP honors. The Storm also produced five All-UFL selections.
Although Orlando fell in the UFL Semifinals, the Storm set the standard in year one. From start to finish, they looked like a championship-caliber team and established Orlando as one of the league’s top franchises from the very beginning.
The Columbus Aviators were defined by their fight in year one. Following a rocky 0-3 start, head coach Ted Ginn Jr. secured his first victory as a coach and the first victory in Aviators history, defeating the Dallas Renegades, who were the best team in the UFL at that point in the season.
Columbus then delivered arguably the game of the year in Week 9. With the Birmingham Stallions fighting for their playoff lives, the Aviators played spoiler in dramatic fashion. Jalen Morton started at quarterback and totaled 309 yards and four touchdowns, including a game-tying scoring drive in the final minutes. Then, with the game tied in the final minute, DJ Miller jumped in front of a pass and returned it for the game-winning pick-six, sending Historic Crew Stadium into a frenzy and cementing one of the signature moments of the season.
Although the Aviators didn’t make the postseason, Columbus got its first season, its first wins, its signature moments and, most importantly, a foundation to build on.
Three franchises entered the UFL one year ago today without a history, a record or an identity. One became a champion. One finished with the league’s best record. And one battled through a season of challenges while showing signs of what’s ahead.
One year later, Louisville, Orlando and Columbus are no longer expansion markets, they’re UFL franchises with a history of their own.