What's happened so far as the Ultimate Frisbee Association’s hot stove heats up.
January 20, 2026 by Alex Rubin in News
UFA teams across the continent are in the midst of tryout season. The 22 UFA teams are re-signing key players, holding open tryouts, and finalizing their rosters. We’ll have a full season preview closer to the start of the season as the battle to get to Madison for Championship Weekend begins. But to whet our appetites, here are some of the changes and developments expected ahead of the 2026 season.
League News
Clear Skies and Moving Parts
On November 12, 2025 the UFA announced that the Detroit Mechanix and Los Angeles Aviators would be departing the league ahead of the 2026 season. Detroit was one of the founding members of the UFA (neé AUDL) but struggled to find on-field success in any of their 13 seasons while compiling a 17-156 record. Los Angeles fared better, attending Championship Weekend in 2018 and reaching the playoffs five times.
“We thank the Aviators organization for more than a decade of contributions to our league, on and off the field,” said UFA Commissioner Tim DeByl in the league’s announcement. “And as one of the charter members, the Mechanix will always hold a special place in UFA history. We deeply thank Brent, the team’s players past and present, and everyone who’s been part of the Mechanix family for their commitment to pro ultimate as well.”
Players from both teams will be eligible to sign with other teams. So far, former Mechanix handler Jacob Felton made the biggest splash by signing with the Indianapolis AlleyCats.
Don’t Sleep on Naptown
Since returning from the COVID hiatus, the Indianapolis AlleyCats never reached the heights of their 2019 division championship. This coming season is shaping up to be their best effort yet at getting back to the final weekend of the season. Along with new coach Nathan Bussberg, Indianapolis has signed a starting lineups worth of contributors.
Let’s start the list with Cam Brock, the league’s all-time leading goal scorer and an AlleyCats franchise legend who returns to his hometown after one year in Atlanta. Likewise, Jeremiah Branson is returning after a year playing for Salt Lake. Similarly, Xavier Payne and William Wettengel spent last season in Chicago but will return to Indy for 2026. You may sense a theme here, but Carter Hawkins and Elliot Hawkins also signed on with the ‘Cats after spending last season elsewhere…and elder brother Spencer is joining the team too.
As for free agents, Jake Felton led the league in assists over the last two seasons, but his Detroit team was contracted and he’ll start anew in Indy. James Pollard and Nate Little played together in Philadelphia, and they’ll suit up instead for the ‘Cats this season. Their signing was likely inspired by Charlie Hoppes, the former New York Empire coach who is a paid consultant for the AlleyCats now.
In recent seasons, European imports have made major impacts. Belgium’s Tobe Decraene was the 2025 MVP and Championship Weekend MVP. Had he played in a few more games or made Championship Weekend himself, perhaps at least one of those awards would have gone to fellow Belgian Daan De Marrée instead. This year, Indianapolis is bringing in Max Squires from London club Deep Space. Squires had previously been connected to Hoppes through his independent consulting company and now will reconnect on the AlleyCats.
Lastly, Isaiah Mason will make his UFA debut this season. The Team USA U24 selection is another great signing for a team expanding its regional footprint.
Division Shift
With the Mechanix and Aviators leaving the league, the UFA needed to re-align the divisions once again to avoid having some divisions with as many as six teams and others with just four. The UFA opted for a fairly simple fix, with Vegas moving to the South Division and all other teams remaining in their 2025 divisions. This leaves the East and South with six teams and the Central and West with five apiece. The imbalance in the division opens the door for more interdivisional scheduling. The UFA announced last week that this season will feature several first-ever matchups including Minnesota at Oakland, Colorado at DC, Salt Lake at Madison, Toronto at Seattle, and Indianapolis at Toronto.
Colorado Staying On Top
Colorado Staying On TopTowards the end of last season, Denver’s new National Women’s Soccer League team announced that they would be taking the Summit name, leaving Colorado’s UFA squad needing to rebrand. This year, the former Summit players will be suiting up for the Apex. Their new logo features a unique purple and orange color scheme and includes the silhouette of a bear–adding the symbol of an apex predator to the Summit-connected concept of an apex as the top of the mountain.
Championship Weekend Back In Madison
For the second straight season and fifth time overall, Madison, Wisconsin, will host this season’s Championship Weekend. Breese Stevens Field, now 100 years old, seats around 5,000 people at full capacity. There are ample concession options and a rooftop terrace along the west end zone. In addition to a partially covered bleacher section, the stadium also has a number of field level VIP boxes. The stadium is a landmark in downtown Madison, having been added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.
Player Movement
Back to Base Camp
Their team name was not the only thing Colorado lost this offseason. Two of their star players will be suiting up for east coast teams this season. Alex Atkins moved to New York and signed a contract with the Empire early in the offseason, bringing him closer to his hometown of Philadelphia. Tobias Brooks announced in January that he will be returning to his hometown team, the Carolina Flyers, who he last played for in 2024.
Winds Blowing South
As you read above, it seems like the balance of power among Minnesota’s challengers in the Central Division is shifting from the Windy City of Chicago to Indy. Symbolizing that transition, two D-line stalwarts, Xavier Payne and William Wettengel, did not renew their contracts in Chicago and instead will play this season with the AlleyCats. Neither are Chicago natives, so they’re essentially choosing a shorter commute, but their decision nevertheless indicates that the best players in the region think the tradeoff of playing for a team with less recent success is worth it given the talent assembled this year.
Phoenix Flying West
Not to harp on Indy too much, but they poached more than in-division rivals. Nate Little and James Pollard (who did suit up last season for Minnesota) are both commuting from the Philadelphia area to play for the AlleyCats. Both players should bolster what is quickly becoming a very tall D-line, and their departure significantly lowers the ceiling (no pun intended) for Philadelphia.
Aviators Navigating Free Agency
There are several players who last took the field with LA who lost their team over the offseason and are still looking to find a new home. Some will surely find a roster spot on the nearby San Diego Growlers or Las Vegas Bighorns, and there will be a handful of veterans using this as a cue to hang up the cleats. Notable free agents include Michael Kiyoi, James Franklin, Dox Raskin, and Jonathan Lyle.
Free Agent Frenzy
In addition to the ex-Aviators and Mechanix, there are still several notable free agents yet to be signed. Pawel Janas, who has played for Chicago and Los Angeles, is still deciding which team he’ll play for. Janas was spotted at San Diego Growlers tryouts and also has connections to Chicago and Colorado from his club and college days, respectively. 2018 MVP Rowan McDonnell is hoping to play this season. The DC Breeze veteran plays with Boston DiG during the club season and lives in New England, so it would not be a surprise to see him end up in Boston.
