Shannon Harris, a former quarterback at Tennessee State University, made history Saturday night by becoming the first HBCU graduate to coach a team to a professional sports championship. Harris led the DC Defenders to a record-breaking 58-34 victory over the Michigan Panthers in the 2025 UFL Championship Game.

UFL season has come to a close. Here's a look at what will be on the league's docket as it prepares for the 2026 season.

The UFL has a new champion. The D.C. Defenders defeated the Michigan Panthers in St. Louis on Saturday night, 58-34. It was the most points scored by any team in two seasons of UFL action. The game was back and forth at first, with the Panthers leading 6-0 and 13-6 in the first half. By intermission, D.C. built a 37-19 lead.

Seven of the UFL's eight home markets had their average attendance drop in 2025, with the Michigan Panthers' 30.4% increase in attendance serving as the outlier. Four markets – Arlington, Birmingham, Houston and Memphis – averaged fewer than 10,000 fans per game.

A record-setting performance derailed the Michigan Panthers’ dreams of the franchise’s first title in more than 40 years, in a 58-34 loss to D.C.

The Baltimore Ravens could use more competition for rookie kicker Tyler Loop, who is looking to replace Justin Tucker. Thankfully, there's plenty of options for Baltimore, and all of them come from the UFL.

The UFL experienced declines in attendance and viewership in 2025, but the league still sees a path to long-term sustainability, discussing possible expansion.