UFL playoff game finds new home in Daytona Beach. What to know

The United Football League playoffs are coming to Daytona Beach.

>On June 1, the league announced the relocation of its June 7 playoff game between the Orlando Storm and DC Defenders to Daytona Stadium.

>The Storm’s usual home of Inter&Co Stadium was unavailable due to prior commitments. The UFL previously unveiled plans to move the contest to a neutral field in Columbus, Ohio, but ultimately swerved back to a Central Florida alternative.

>The showdown will kick off at 3 p.m. and air on ABC.

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>“Our preference was always to keep this game as close to our Orlando fanbase as possible,” UFL president Russ Brandon said. “When we announced Columbus, we did so to ensure we had a venue confirmed to be able to play the game after exhausting every viable option in the market to that point.

>“Since then, a potential opportunity we had looked into further surfaced in Daytona Beach that warranted immediate on-site evaluation over the weekend. Once we determined the venue had the ability to work with the collective stakeholders on an expedited timeline, we felt it was important to pivot and bring this game back to Central Florida. We can’t thank the collective partners enough for working with us on this solution.”

>The league checked on UCF’s Acrisure Bounce House, Camping World Stadium, ESPN Wide World of Sports and other possibilities. But each was unavailable, under renovation or unable to accommodate the postseason game on short notice.

>Officials from the UFL, Bethune-Cookman University, the city of Daytona Beach, ESPN, Ticketmaster and other partners worked together last weekend to plan the event.

>General-admission tickets will cost $10. Season-ticket holders will gain free entry. The first 5,000 fans in attendance will receive a playoff T-shirt.

>The Defenders are the reigning champions of the UFL, an eight-team spring organization which started in 2024 after a merger between the XFL and United States Football League.

>This is the first season in Orlando Storm history. They carry an 8-2 record into their first postseason.

>“Our fans have been the driving force behind this inaugural season, and we know how important it is for them to be part of this playoff run,” Brandon said. “Keeping postseason football in Central Florida is the outcome we worked tirelessly to achieve. We are incredibly thankful for their passion, honesty, and we apologize for the ups and downs they have felt through this process.”

>This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Orlando Storm, DC Defenders to play UFL playoff game in Daytona Beach