The 2026 United Football League season officially kicks off on Friday, and there's a ton to be excited about this season!

The league stays at 8 teams once again this season but has shifted to reach new audiences in Columbus, Orlando, and Louisville.

Here's your nuts-and-bolts preview of what's ahead this season in the UFL.

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First, here's a look at the teams and the Head Coaches:

Birmingham Stallions - HC AJ McCarron

Columbus Aviators - HC Ted Ginn Jr.

Dallas Renegades - HC Rick Neuheisel

DC Defenders - HC Shannon Harris

Houston Gamblers - HC Kevin Sumlin

Louisville Kings - HC Chris Redman

Orlando Storm - HC Anthony Becht

St. Louis Battlehawks - HC Ricky Proehl

Here's a look at the area players that will be putting their talent on display in the UFL this season:

Now, here's a look at the latest odds for the title in 2026:

*Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook and are subject to change.

Birmingham Stallions +340

DC Defenders +360

Dallas Renegades +500

Orlando Storm +550

Columbus Aviators +600

St. Louis Battlehawks +700

Louisville Kings +1400

Houston Gamblers +1700

Here's a look at the full schedule for the season. Action begins this weekend with the following Week 1 slate of games:

Stallions @ Kings - Friday, March 27th @ 7:00 FOX

Defenders @ Battlehawks - Saturday, March 28th @ 11:00 ESPN

Gamblers @ Renegades - Saturday, March 28th @ 3:00 FOX

Aviators @ Storm - Saturday, March 28th @ 7:00 ESPN

Games will appear this season on ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, FOX, FS1, and the NFL Network.

Lastly, here's a preview of what's to come from ESPN.com:

ARLINGTON, Texas -- About a week before last season began, Shannon Harris was named the interim head coach of the DC Defenders when Reggie Barlow left to become head coach at Tennessee State. By the end of the season, Harris and the Defenders won the UFL championship.

Now the permanent coach, Harris knows things will be different for the Defenders.

"In the words of Nick Saban, stay away from the rat poison," Harris said. "That's the one thing that we do: stay away from the rat poison. We don't read that stuff. We just come to work every day with a hard hat, our lunch pail and our work boots, and approach every day the same way."

It helps the Defenders that Jordan Ta'amu is back for his fourth season at quarterback. Last year, Ta'amu threw for 2,153 yards with 17 touchdowns and four interceptions. In the championship game against the Michigan Panthers, he had 390 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for a score.

"I'm still driven," Ta'amu said. "I still want to run it back."

Though there has been roster change around the league with new teams in new places (Louisville, Columbus, Orlando), the Defenders believe they have continuity, starting with Harris and Ta'amu but continuing throughout the coaching staff and roster.

"For them to bring more than half our guys back, it's amazing," Ta'amu said. "I'm just happy we have our coaching staff back as a whole. I feel like we're ahead of the game compared to some of the other teams. We're just right now fixing our mistakes that we did last year and making ourselves better through that."

Here's a look at what is old, new and different about the UFL as it heads into the 2026 season.

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Sources: DraftKings Sportsbook, ESPN.com and UFL