D.C. Defenders 2024 UFL Schedule Analysis
The United Football League unveiled its 2024 team and TV schedule on Monday.
At an impressive 9-1 in 2023, the D.C. Defenders sported the best regular-season record of any spring pro football team last season. Reggie Barlow's squad is looking to return to the championship game again, but this time, they hope to close the deal with a UFL title on June 16.
The Defenders proudly carry the distinction of having never lost a home game. Dating back to 2020, D.C. boasts a 9-0 record in the home-friendly but foe-deadly confines of Audi Field.
D.C.'s dominance in the District, aided by a fantastic game-changing fan base, has already seen the Defenders surpass season ticket sales at Audi Field from a year ago. A venue that produced sellout attendance by year's end.
D.C. Defenders Schedule Analysis
Breaking down all 10 regular-season games (all times ET):
Week 1: D.C. Defenders at San Antonio Brahmas, Alamodome, Sunday, March 31, Noon, (ESPN)
D.C. begins its 2024 UFL campaign, where its 2023 XFL season ended in a soul-crushing championship game loss.
Last April, the Defenders squeaked out an exciting 29-28 victory in San Antonio. However, this time around, D.C. will be squaring off with an entirely different-looking Brahmas team led by Wade Phillips. As a result, San Antonio has a 2023 Roughnecks vibe with several coaches and players from last season’s South Division-winning Houston team.
This game between D.C. and San Antonio represents the first conference game of the merged UFL season. The Defenders and Brahmas now share space in the newly formed XFL conference with the Arlington Renegades and St. Louis Battlehawks.
Week 2: Houston Roughnecks at D.C. Defenders, Audi Field, Sunday, April 7, 4 pm (FOX)
The Defenders get an extra day of rest for their home opener. This matchup will feature two of the league’s best running backs in D.C.’s Abram Smith, and Houston’s Mark Thompson.
Similar to Week 1, on paper, this game represents an XFL 2023 rematch for D.C. with a familiar name but an unfamiliar foe.
Last season, the Defenders flexed their muscles, improving to 6-0 on Monday Night Football, besting the Roughnecks 37-26 at Audi Field.
The site for this D.C.-Houston showdown may be the same. But nothing about this 2024 Roughnecks team resembles its 2023 version.
The USFL’s Gamblers, led by Curtis Johnson, have overtaken the Roughnecks brand. A year ago, under Johnson’s leadership, the Gamblers drew the shorthand in an ultra-competitive South, missing the playoffs at 5-5 while watching two 4-6 USFL teams from the North make the postseason.
Drawing the Defenders on the road is a tall task for the new Roughnecks. On the flip side, D.C. faces a must-win situation to get off on the right foot at Audi and maintain their perfect status at home.
Week 3: D.C. Defenders at Arlington Renegades, Choctaw Stadium, Saturday, April 13, 1 pm (ESPN)
The Defenders and Renegades square off in a rematch from last year’s XFL Championship game, which saw Arlington and an always-game Luis Perez stun D.C. 35-26 at the Alamodome.
The XFL championship rematch may not have the same feel with D.C. quarterback Jordan Ta’amu potentially missing in action. But this game represents two teams with great continuity on the coaching side.
The battle of Bob Stoops and his troops against Reggie Barlow’s squad delivered two exciting games last season. Including a thrilling 28-26 overtime shootout in D.C. Both teams know each other very well, and that should make for another thriller, only this time it will take place in Arlington.
Week 4: D.C. Defenders at Birmingham Stallions, Protective Stadium, Saturday, April 20, 7 pm (FOX)
It’s the USFL’s very best versus arguably the XFL’s best overall team from a season ago.
The Stallions’ Zachary Potter and Defenders’ Von Hutchins represent two of the best young minds in all of spring pro football; seeing how their teams stack up against each other will be fascinating.
Another unique element to this matchup is that it’s one of two UFL games currently slated to air at the same time in prime time on FOX. The other game is the Michigan Panthers versus San Antonio. The likelihood is that D.C. and Birmingham get top billing in non-regional markets.
Week 5: St. Louis Battlehawks at D.C. Defenders, Audi Field, Sunday, April 28, Noon ET (ESPN)
In the modern era of spring pro football. Very few rivalries hold a candle to D.C. versus St. Louis. The UFL’s two most popular teams went to war twice last season head-to-head, with the Defenders coming out on top each time.
Last year’s meeting at Audi Field saw both teams brawling to end the game. There’s no love lost between Anthony Becht and Barlow’s squads. You just know that this one is circled on both team’s calendars.
One thing that could change the dynamic of this meeting greatly from a year ago is the quarterback battle. A year ago, Ta’amu and STL’s A.J. McCarron were pivotal figures in their team’s success. Will both make triumphant returns to the league, or will an entirely new QB duel happen when late April rolls around?
Week 6: San Antonio Brahmas at D.C. Defenders, Audi Field, Sunday, May 5, 4 pm (FOX)
A midseason rematch from the opening week. And one of four Defenders telecasts on FOX. As D.C. continues what is a crucial three-game home stretch.
Eight of D.C.’s regular season contests take place on Sundays, with all of them taking place in the afternoon. Perhaps home games in the afternoon would limit the amount of alcohol intake if beer snakes had stretched into the evening night.
Week 7: Michigan Panthers at D.C. Defenders, Audi Field, Sunday, May 12, Noon (ESPN)
The third straight Defenders home contest sees Mike Nolan’s Panthers visit the DMV.
This is D.C.’s fourth and final showing of the 2024 UFL season on ESPN. The rest of the path, if the postseason is involved, will all be big network games.
Week 8: D.C. Defenders at St. Louis Battlehawks, Sunday, May 19, The Dome, Noon (ABC)
Major playoff implications should be at stake when D.C. makes its way into St. Louis three weeks before the close of the regular season.
This is the Defenders’ first game on ABC in 2024, And it’s another early game tilt for them.
D.C. has four noon showdowns on its schedule. And this one might be the most important. The Defenders will try to duplicate what they did last season, beating the Battlehawks on their home turf in front of 38,000 fans.
The early word since last year’s XFL season ended was that St. Louis would play host site to a league championship game. Despite reports out there that The Dome will host the UFL championship game. The newly merged league has yet to confirm it. But if St. Louis is the UFL championship game site, D.C. would love to be back here a month later, playing for the grand prize.
Week 9: D.C. Defenders at Memphis Showboats, Liberty Stadium, Sunday, May 26, 2:30 pm (FOX)
Typically, this game would represent a trip down south for an east coast squad. But since all UFL teams are stationed in Arlington during the season, that’s not the case here for D.C.
This game does, however, represent the final non-conference regular season game for the Defenders.
On paper, Memphis has one of the more formidable rosters in the league. The Showboats showed out in the dispersal draft process, adding standouts like quarterback Case Cookus and running back Darius Victor, among other stars.
Therefore, it’s likely that D.C. will be facing an opponent that could be playing for a championship less than a month later.
Week 10: Arlington Renegades at D.C. Defenders, Audi Field, Sunday, June 2, Noon (ABC)
XFL Championship Game rematch Part 2 in the final weekend of the UFL regular season.
This game could have playoff implications in the XFL conference. The question is, exactly what will be at stake for D.C. home against Arlington? A division title, a playoff berth, or perhaps the least desirable scenario of playing spoiler. Or perhaps this could be a preview of the XFL conference championship game a week later.
One thing is clear: this showdown represents the final XFL conference game of the regular season, with St. Louis and San Antonio playing one another the day prior.
Theoretically, things could be wrapped up in the penultimate week, creating a scenario like last year where Arlington and D.C. didn’t need to win in the final regular season weekend. But something tells me that won’t be the case this year.
Either way, it should be a fun ride from late March to mid-June.
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Mike Mitchell is a pro football writer/insider with decades of experience covering and following multiple leagues. He covers the New York Jets for TheJetPress.com at FanSided. He has also written for XFL Board and at Hub Publishing covering the CFL, XFL and USFL.