A new team will take home the title on Saturday, June 14 when the Michigan Panthers square off with the DC Defenders in the UFL Championship at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis.
The championship game is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. EDT and will be broadcast on ABC and ESPN Deportes. Fans looking to watch can do so for free by using DIRECTV, which offers a free trial, or FuboTV, which also offers a free trial as well as up to $25 off your first month. SlingTV doesn’t offer a free trial but has promotional offers available for streaming the game. You can stream ESPN+ on your phone, tablet, smart TV or gaming console for $11.99/month or bundle with Disney+ and Hulu for just $16.99 per month.
The Panthers and Defenders both went 6-4 this season and finished second in their respective conferences.
In the XFL Conference Championship last week, the Defenders went on the road and toppled the league-best St. Louis Battlehawks, 36-18. in the same stadium where the championship will take place. The Defenders handed the Battlehawks one of their two regular season losses in Week 3, also at The Dome at America’s Center.
However, in one regular season meeting against their championship opponent, DC did not fair nearly as well as it did in any of its three contests with St. Louis.
The Panthers were also on the road in the USFL Conference Championship last week, picking up their first win against the Birmingham Stallions in three tries. The 44-29, 15-point victory was the third-largest margin of victory for the Panthers, behind only a 27-9 win over the conference-worst Memphis Showboats and a 38-14 win against the Defenders in Week 6.
Last season, the Panthers lost to the Stallions in Birmingham in the USFL Conference Championship, and they went on to beat the San Antonio Brahmas, 25-0 for the first UFL title.
Who: DC Defenders vs. Michigan Panthers
When: Saturday, June 14 at 8 p.m. EDT
Where: The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis
Stream: DIRECTV (free trial); FuboTV (free trial); SlingTV; ESPN+
Betting: Check out our MA sports betting guide, where you can learn basic terminology, definitions and how to read odds for those interested in learning how to bet in Massachusetts.
What is DIRECTV?
DIRECTV is an internet TV service that offers your favorite entertainment, news and sports channels, as well as local TV stations and regional sports networks. Sign up now and get three free months of premium channels including MAX, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME and Starz.
What is FuboTV?
FuboTV is an internet television service that offers more than 200 channels across sports and entertainment including Paramount+ with SHOWTIME. From the UEFA Champions League to the WNBA to international tournaments ranging across sports, there’s plenty of options available on FuboTV, which offers a free trial and up to $25 off the first month for new customers.
What is Sling TV?
Sling TV offers a variety of live programming ranging from news and sports and starting as low as $20 a month for your first month. Subscribers also get a month of DVR Plus free if they sign up now. Choose from a variety of sports packages without long-term contracts and with easy cancellation.
What is ESPN+?
ESPN+ is a one-stop shop for content from almost every single sport. In addition to on-demand replays of games across all sports shown on the ESPN and Disney family of networks, there is also exclusive access to select college football games, NHL games, soccer matches, UFC programs and the entire 30 for 30 catalogue. Additionally, there is ESPN+ exclusive original programming like NFL Primetime, Dana White’s Contender Series and The Breakdown with Peyton and Belichick. You can stream ESPN+ on your phone, tablet, smart TV or gaming console for $11.99/month or bundle with Disney+ and Hulu for just $16.99 per month.
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Titans rookie QB Cam Ward talks nonstop, but never misses anything his coach says
By TERESA M. WALKER AP Pro Football Writer
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Cam Ward talks so much that Tennessee coach Brian Callahan asked the rookie if he needed to wait until the Titans quarterback stopped before calling a play during practice.
The answer?
Nope. Ward listens even while talking. The rookie then proves how closely he pays attention by never missing a beat running the next play.
“He enters right into the huddle, and he calls the play and doesn’t screw up the play call, and I thought that was actually kind of remarkable,” Callahan said. “I know I couldn’t do that.”
Ward said Thursday that it’s pretty simple for him. The No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft out of Miami is always locked in. The talking comes naturally.
“What’s the point of playing something that you love if you can’t have fun with it?” Ward said. “So that’s where it comes from. But I mean, I love the game. And so any chance I get, you know, to let somebody know that they can’t (mess) with me it really doesn’t matter.”
Ward wrapped up his first offseason Thursday as the Titans completed their three-day mandatory minicamp in front of family and a batch of food trucks. Rookies work until June 20, then there’s a break until July 22 for training camp when the quarterback competition that really isn’t resumes.
Callahan has done his best to limit the pressure on the rookie by rotating the start of drills among all four quarterbacks on the roster even as Ward got more work during this minicamp for a simple reason: As a rookie the Titans need to give him as much experience as possible.
Ward has been doing his part, showing up early working with fellow rookies and staying late. They have watched the Titans’ 2024 games, practice tape, review the plays being run in practice later that day. All designed to grow together and be on the same page.
It’s been noticeable enough that Callahan has talked with the rookie about having grinding months ahead.
“I’m not telling him what to do, I’m just making the point that there’s a lot ahead of him that he’s not aware of yet when it comes to this, the length and the week-to-week-to-week grind that comes up for these guys,” Callahan said. “It is a marathon.”
Tyler Lockett is a veteran receiver going into his 11th NFL season and has watched Ward since he played at Washington State. Lockett has been impressed with how Ward understands defenses, gets the ball out and understands timing this early.
“I think everybody’s able to see exactly what they saw on the film,” Lockett said.
Ward has had rookie moments. He was picked off twice Thursday, once by linebacker Cody Barton. He rebounded by throwing a nice pass into tight coverage to Bryce Oliver later in a red zone drill for a touchdown.
Quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree said Ward has worked hard on his footwork and timing and improved on mechanics such as breaking the huddle and recognizing defenses. Ward’s hard work is noticeable in other ways too in how he takes coaching points or corrections.
“If he makes a mistake, never make the same mistake twice,” Hardegree said. “And that’s important to him.”
Once the rookies start their break, Ward knows he’ll be busy studying the playbook and throwing lots of footballs.
The quarterback who worked his way from Incarnate Word to Washington State and Miami before becoming the NFL’s top draft pick in April knows he’ll likely be thinking about football even while showering during the break.
Even with his first NFL game still months away, Ward knows his biggest goal for his career: Wins.
“The quarterback position will always be judged off wins,” Ward said. “So you know I’m just trying to win a lot of games in the NFL in my career. Try to … help my team win a lot of games.”
The Associated Press contributed to this post
