2026 Louisville Kings season

Week 1: vs. Birmingham Stallions

The Louisville Kings’ inaugural drive began with a dropped pass that was deflected and intercepted by the Stallions’ Dyontae Johnson. The Stallions capitalized on the turnover, scoring on their ensuing possession with a five-yard run by Snoop Conner, though the extra point attempt was unsuccessful. Louisville responded on its next drive with a 12-yard touchdown pass from Jason Bean to Lucky Jackson. The Stallions then had a field goal attempt blocked on their next possession, but later converted a 31-yard field goal by kicker Jonathan Garibay following a Kings punt. With under a minute remaining in the first half, Kings running back Ian Wheeler fumbled at the goal line, and the Stallions maintained a 9–7 lead at halftime. Singer Russell Dickerson performed during the halftime show.^[13]

To start the second half, following a Stallions failed fourth-down conversion, Kings kicker Tanner Brown made a 37-yard field goal. Louisville then stopped Birmingham on a fourth-down attempt at the 38-yard line. Brown added a 21-yard field goal to extend the Kings’ lead to 13–9 with 8:42 remaining. On the Stallions’ next drive, Matt Corral threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Justyn Ross, but Garibay missed the extra point, giving the Stallions a 15–13 lead with under two minutes remaining. Jaden Shirden returned the ensuing kickoff to midfield, but Bean was ultimately intercepted by Hudson Clark. The Stallions were forced to punt with under a minute remaining, but their defense held Louisville, securing the victory.

Week 2: at Orlando Storm

After both teams exchanged field goals in the first quarter, Kings quarterback Jason Bean was replaced by backup quarterback Chandler Rogers, who led the team to two additional field goals by Tanner Brown, giving the Kings a 9–6 lead.^[14] Late in the first half, Storm starting quarterback Jack Plummer left the game due to injury. His replacement, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, made his UFL debut and completed two of three passes for 19 yards before Plummer returned on a third-and-19 play, connecting with wide receiver K. J. Hamler for a 41-yard touchdown reception with under a minute remaining. The extra point was missed, and Orlando led 12–9 at halftime.

After a scoreless third quarter, Plummer found wide receiver Elijhah Badger for a 39-yard touchdown pass. Following a near interception return touchdown by Mishael Powell off Rogers, Kings cornerback Deantre Prince intercepted Plummer in the end zone, giving the Kings one final opportunity. Bean re-entered the game at quarterback, but the offense was unable to score and was shut out in the second half. The Kings ultimately lost 19–9, finishing with just 27 rushing yards on 13 carries and 216 yards of total offense.^[15]

Week 3: vs. Orlando Storm

In a rematch from the previous week, the Storm took a 10–6 lead into halftime, highlighted by an 8-yard touchdown pass from Jack Plummer to Chris Rowland. Kings quarterback Jason Bean made his third consecutive start after being benched the prior week and played most of the first half, briefly exiting for a few plays due to injury.

To open the second half, Bean connected with Zach Davidson on a 23-yard touchdown pass, marking the Kings’ first touchdown since the first quarter of their season opener and ending a scoring drought of over 100 minutes of game time. Orlando responded with a 20-yard touchdown pass from Plummer to Jashaun Corbin. Plummer later added another second-half touchdown pass to K. J. Hamler. Bean answered with three second-half touchdown passes of his own, including one to Lucky Jackson and a second to Davidson in the final two minutes to tie the game at 27–27.

After neither team scored in the best-of-three shootout, the Kings were stopped on their fourth sudden-death attempt. Orlando then secured the victory after Louisville committed two consecutive defensive penalties, resulting in an awarded two-point conversion.^[16] The overtime format drew significant scrutiny from fans and media following the game.^[17][18] League owner Mike Repole commented on X, stating, “Fans don't like the rule. I don't like the rule either. I hear you guys... We owe our fans better.”^[19]

Week 4: at Houston Gamblers

Prior to Week 4, the UFL revised the rule to prevent games from being decided on defensive penalties in overtime; instead, such penalties would only move the ball closer to the goal line.^[20] The Kings also re-signed former NFL running back James Robinson, who had previously been released during training camp.

The first quarter featured 50-plus-yard field goals from both teams, as Tanner Brown and John Hoyland each connected from long distance. On a fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line, Robinson scored on a one-yard run—marking the Kings’ first rushing touchdown of the season—and the touchdown was upheld after replay review. The remaining scoring in the half came via field goals, including a 59-yard kick from Hoyland and two from Brown, one of which was a 58-yarder just before halftime, giving the Kings a 16–6 lead.

Gamblers quarterback Nolan Henderson was replaced to start the second half by Taulia Tagovailoa. On the first play of the half, Houston running back Marcus Yarns scored on a 68-yard run, though Hoyland missed the extra point. Houston took the lead on its next possession when Tagovailoa scored on a six-yard run. Hoyland added his third field goal of 50 yards or more to cap the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Brown made two additional field goals, finishing 5-of-6 on the game, with three from 50 yards or longer. Hoyland went 3-of-4 but missed a 38-yard attempt in the final minute of regulation.^[21]

In overtime, the Kings converted on their second attempt when quarterback Jason Bean completed a two-point conversion pass to Tre' McKitty, giving Louisville the lead. The Kings' defense then stopped Houston on all three of its conversion attempts to secure the victory.^[22]

Week 5: at Dallas Renegades

Prior to the matchup, the Louisville Kings made a series of significant roster moves. The team traded starting quarterback Jason Bean to the DC Defenders in exchange for quarterback Mike DiLiello.^[23] They also released running back Benny Snell, who had started all four games and recorded 31 carries for 72 yards. Following Bean's departure, head coach Chris Redman named Chandler Rogers as the new starting quarterback.^[24] In addition, the Kings signed center Dohnovan West and offensive tackle Kellen Diesch, while releasing guard Nash Jensen and offensive tackle Leroy Watson.^[25]

Louisville secured its second consecutive victory of the season as quarterback Chandler Rogers made his first professional start. Dallas quarterback Austin Reed, who entered the game leading the league in passing yards and touchdowns, was intercepted four times—twice by Corey Mayfield Jr. and once each by Bryce Hall and Antonio Grier, with Hall and Grier each returning their interceptions for touchdowns.^[26] The Kings never trailed and rushed for 147 yards on 29 carries, led by running backs James Robinson and Ian Wheeler, with Wheeler scoring four rushing touchdowns. Kicker Tanner Brown converted both field goal attempts and leads the league with 14 made field goals through five games. Rogers was efficient in his debut, completing 13 of 18 passes for 150 yards without committing a turnover. For Dallas, running back Ellis Merriweather scored two rushing touchdowns. On the final play of the game, wide receiver Greg Ward—a former standout quarterback at Houston—threw a consolation touchdown in his lone series at quarterback as Louisville won 47–25.

Week 6: vs. St. Louis Battlehawks

The Kings struggled offensively against a stout Battlehawks defense, led by 2025 UFL Defensive Player of the Year Pita Taumoepenu, who recorded two sacks. The unit totaled six sacks, nine tackles for loss, four pass breakups, and one interception. Louisville managed just 12 net rushing yards on 13 attempts and finished with only 166 total offensive yards, with their only points coming on the opening drive when Tanner Brown converted a 40-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Ramiz Ahmed tied the game with a 42-yard field goal for St. Louis. Battlehawks quarterback Harrison Frost later threw touchdown passes to Gary Jennings Jr. and Steven McBride. With the 16–3 victory, St. Louis improved to 4–2, while Louisville fell to 2–4.^[27]

Week 7: at DC Defenders

In the first of two consecutive games against the defending UFL champions, the first quarter was scoreless after both teams missed a field goal attempt in their only scoring opportunities. Louisville kicker Tanner Brown opened the scoring in the second quarter with a 48-yard field goal. D.C. responded on its ensuing drive when quarterback Jordan Ta'amu connected with Javon Antonio for an 81-yard touchdown on a third-and-15 play. Ta'amu later threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Ty Scott to extend the Defenders' lead to 13–3. Trailing 13–3, Louisville responded with quarterback Chandler Rogers' first passing touchdown of the season, a 9-yard strike to Tarik Black. The score ended a streak of 14 consecutive offensive possessions without a touchdown and cut the deficit to 13–10 at halftime. D.C. later drove into the red zone before halftime, but failed to run another play due to clock mismanagement.^[28]

After Brown connected on a 50-yard field goal to tie the game, Rogers once again found Black for a 6-yard touchdown pass to give Louisville a 20–13 lead. On D.C.'s next possession, Louisville defensive back Keaton Ellis intercepted Ta'amu, setting up a 1-yard touchdown run by James Robinson. Brown capped the scoring with a 49-yard field goal, his third of the game, securing Louisville's 30–13 victory and snapping the Defenders' five-game winning streak.^[29]

Week 8: vs. DC Defenders

The contest was delayed for more than 35 minutes due to lightning warnings. DC's Xazavian Valladay returned the opening kickoff 54 yards into Louisville territory. On the first offensive play of the game, quarterback Jordan Ta'amu connected with Ty Scott for a 41-yard touchdown. Louisville responded on the ensuing kickoff, as Tyler Hudson returned the kick 92 yards for a touchdown to tie the game. On DC's following drive, Louisville cornerback Corey Mayfield intercepted a pass from Ta'amu, leading to a 39-yard field goal by Tanner Brown. On the Defenders’ next possession, Ta'amu's pass deflected off the hands of wide receiver Cornell Powell and was intercepted by Mekhi Garner, who returned the ball inside the red zone. Louisville capitalized with another Brown field goal from 28 yards out. Ta'amu suffered an injury on DC's next drive and was replaced by quarterback Spencer Sanders, who had previously appeared in only one game as a receiver two weeks earlier against the Dallas Renegades, recording three receptions for 13 yards. Following a DC turnover on downs, Louisville quarterback Chandler Rogers was intercepted inside the red zone by Bryce Thompson. Ta'amu briefly returned for one play before Sanders re-entered the game, while Ta'amu was later ruled out with a right knee injury.^[30] After a DC punt, Brown converted a 60-yard four-point field goal to extend Louisville's lead to 17–7. On DC's next drive, Louisville defensive tackle Travis Bell forced and recovered a fumble by running back Abram Smith. However, Rogers lost a fumble on the following play after being sacked, giving possession back to the Defenders. Matt McCrane subsequently converted a 51-yard field goal for DC. Following a Louisville punt, Smith scored on a 21-yard touchdown run in the final minute of the half, tying the game at 17–17 entering halftime.^[31]

Both teams scored on their opening possessions of the second half, as Brown converted a 35-yard field goal for Louisville, while DC answered with a 14-yard touchdown run by Valladay. Louisville later regained the lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by James Robinson following a 16-play drive that consumed more than eight minutes of game clock. Brown's extra point attempt was blocked, making the score 26–24. After a Defenders three-and-out, Rogers connected with Isaiah Winstead for a 24-yard touchdown pass. Sanders was intercepted on DC's following drive by Steele Chambers, though the Defenders later forced a turnover on downs near midfield to regain possession. Running back Deon Jackson scored on a 3-yard touchdown run in the final 30 seconds, but Sanders’ three-point conversion pass attempt to Erik Ezukanma fell incomplete, cutting Louisville's lead to 33–30. The Defenders then attempted a fourth-and-12 conversion from their own 28-yard line in an effort to retain possession, though Sanders’ pass was incomplete.^[32]

Week 9: vs. Dallas Renegades

Louisville entered the matchup needing consecutive victories to clinch a playoff berth, while Dallas entered on a five-game losing streak and also needed consecutive wins to avoid playoff elimination. On the first play from scrimmage, Renegades running back Ellis Merriweather suffered an injury after a 20-yard run and did not return; he had scored two touchdowns in the teams’ previous meeting. Later in the opening drive, quarterback Austin Reed connected with Tyler Vaughns for a 36-yard touchdown on fourth-and-two. On Louisville's opening possession, Dallas forced a fumble by James Robinson at the goal line to prevent a scoring opportunity. Following a Dallas punt that Lucky Jackson initially returned for a touchdown, a successful super challenge overturned the score due to a block in the back penalty. Tanner Brown later converted a 45-yard field goal for Louisville, while Dallas answered with a 49-yard field goal by Colton Theaker. On the Kings’ ensuing drive, Chandler Rogers connected with Kaden Prather to set up first-and-goal at the 1-yard line before scoring on a quarterback sneak. In the final minute of the half, Brown added a 35-yard field goal to give Louisville a 13–10 halftime lead. At halftime, Reed had completed just one of eight passes for a 36-yard touchdown to Vaughns, while Rogers completed 11 of 12 passes for 164 yards as Louisville outgained Dallas 250–88 in total yardage.^[33]

On Louisville's opening drive of the second half, Brown converted a 54-yard field goal, which accounted for the only points of the third quarter. Dallas’ lone scoring opportunity in the period ended with a missed field goal attempt by Theaker. The Renegades regained the lead in the fourth quarter when Reed connected with Curtis Hodges for a 12-yard touchdown pass. Louisville responded when Rogers found Isaiah Winstead for a 40-yard touchdown. Following an interception by Eric Garror on a Reed pass, the Kings extended their lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by Ian Wheeler, who finished the game with 93 rushing yards on 13 carries. After a Dallas turnover on downs, Rogers threw his second touchdown pass of the game, connecting with Tarik Black on a 22-yard score. Backup quarterback Luke Lehnen later led the Renegades on a scoring drive in his lone possession, capped by a 12-yard touchdown run by Lorenzo Lingard. With the 37–23 victory, Louisville earned its third consecutive win.^[34] The Kings rushed for 205 yards on 32 carries and scored two rushing touchdowns. Despite committing penalties totaling 156 yards, Louisville outgained Dallas 470–234 in total offense. Linebacker Cam Gill recorded two sacks, increasing his season total to 10, which led the UFL through nine games. The loss eliminated Dallas from playoff contention, while the victory created a win-and-in scenario for Louisville.^[35]

Week 10: at Columbus Aviators

On May 30, the Houston Gamblers defeated the Birmingham Stallions, helping Louisville clinch a playoff berth. As a result, the Kings rested several key players, including running back James Robinson, who led the UFL with 50.0 rushing yards per game.^[36] Columbus entered the game coming off a victory over Birmingham that had also improved Louisville's playoff position. The Aviators were led by quarterback Jalen Morton, who had accounted for four touchdowns and 309 total yards the previous week, earning UFL Offensive Player of the Week honors.^[37]

The game began with Morton's opening pass being intercepted and returned for a touchdown by Eric Garror. Columbus answered on its next possession with a 58-yard field goal by Jonah Dalmas. The ensuing kickoff was fumbled by Tyler Hudson, giving the Aviators favorable field position. Columbus capitalized on the turnover when Morton connected with Keke Chism for a 22-yard touchdown pass. On his first and only possession before being rested for the playoffs, Louisville quarterback Chandler Rogers scored on a 16-yard read-option run. An eventful first quarter concluded with an on-field altercation that resulted in the ejection of Cameron Dantzler. The drive later ended with Dalmas converting a 61-yard four-point field goal to tie the game at 14–14. The teams traded touchdowns in the second quarter, with Ian Wheeler scoring for Louisville and Columbus' Toa Taua finding the end zone for the Aviators. Backup quarterback N'Kosi Perry then threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Winstead in the final minute of the half, giving Louisville a 28–21 lead at intermission. The third quarter featured two more Dalmas field goals. After Louisville turned the ball over on downs, Dalmas missed a potential go-ahead 61-yard field goal attempt. In the fourth quarter, third-string quarterback Mike DiLiello led two scoring drives, both ending with touchdown runs by Jaden Shirden, his first and second touchdowns of the season.^[38]

Louisville secured a 42–27 victory and finished the regular season by winning six of its final seven games. The Kings became the first UFL team to qualify for the playoffs after starting the season 0–3.^[39]

First half

Following punts on both opening possessions, scoring opened with a Matt McCrane 48-yard field goal for DC. After Louisville's second consecutive punt, DC running back Xazavian Valladay broke free for a 54-yard run before being chased down and tackled by Keaton Ellis, who forced a fumble that bounced 35 yards into the end zone where Cameron Dantzler recovered for a Louisville touchback.

Early in the second quarter, Rogers was intercepted by Kai Gray. On DC's ensuing possession, a completion from Bean to Ty Scott was forced loose by Corey Mayfield, and the fumble was recovered and returned 12 yards for a Louisville touchdown by Eric Garror, giving the Kings a 7–3 lead. Valladay later redeemed himself on DC's next drive, scoring on a 51-yard touchdown run to regain the lead. Following a Louisville punt, McCrane added a 57-yard field goal for DC. On Louisville's next possession, Rogers was intercepted again by Gray, setting up a 28-yard McCrane field goal that extended DC's lead to 16–7 at halftime. Despite both quarterbacks being held to fewer than 50 passing yards, the Defenders outgained the Kings 227–62 and held a 209–41 advantage on the ground, while both teams committed two turnovers. Artist 50 Cent performed the halftime show.^[43]

Second half

Louisville scored its first offensive points of the contest on its opening drive with a Tanner Brown 57-yard field goal, set up by a 19-yard run from James Robinson. On DC's ensuing possession, Bean suffered a left shoulder separation on an incomplete third-down pass attempt, ruling him out for the remainder of the game. Brown later cut the deficit to three points with his second field goal of the game, a 38-yard kick. DC then turned to quarterback E. J. Perry, who had been signed on May 25 and had not appeared in the Week 10 game or playoffs to that point. Following a DC three-and-out, Louisville running back Ian Wheeler broke free for a 44-yard go-ahead touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter, his eighth touchdown of the season.

After generating just six offensive yards in the third quarter, DC's ensuing drive was derailed when Perry's long completion to Cornell Powell was negated by offensive pass interference. On the same drive, Perry was shortly afterwards intercepted on a deep post route by Dantzler, who returned it 47 yards to the DC 25-yard line. Two plays later, Robinson broke multiple tackles on a 16-yard touchdown run, extending Louisville's lead to 27–16 with just over 12 minutes remaining. A strong kickoff return by Valladay to midfield sparked a promising drive, but multiple penalties stalled the possession. McCrane salvaged the drive with a 60-yard four-point field goal, his fourth of the season, cutting the deficit to 27–20 with just over nine minutes remaining. Following a Louisville three-and-out, Perry led DC inside the red zone. On fourth down from inside the Kings’ 10-yard line, his pass sailed over Powell and fell incomplete with under two minutes remaining. With no timeouts remaining, DC was unable to stop the clock, and Louisville ran out the clock to secure a 27–20 victory and the championship. The Kings finished the season winning eight of their final nine games.^[44]

Running back Ian Wheeler was named the game's most valuable player, rushing for 81 yards on 10 carries, including the go-ahead 44-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. He also returned a kickoff for 28 yards.^[45]