UFL Labor Dispute Exposes Tenuous Nature of Spring Football

Image via theufl.com

Sports Business Journal had the story on Thursday of what has become a tense labor negotiation between the UFL and the United Football Players Association, working on the 2025 contract on behalf of the UFL players. With players expected to report over the next few days and training camp set to begin on Monday, it’s imperative the two sides iron out an agreement as soon as possible.

The report noted that UFL quarterbacks were holding out of a scheduled “mini-camp” this week due to the impasse, sending a letter to management that the latest contract proposal was “unacceptable and insulting.” It’s an unfortunate turn, and from a public relations standpoint, something the UFL doesn’t need as it heads into its all-important second season.

Spring football leagues always seem to be walking a tightrope, trying to offer competitive pay to attract quality players without breaking the bank. Despite billionaire backers in Fox, Disney, RedBird Capital and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, the UFL is operating on a shoestring budget. These companies didn’t become billionaires by throwing money down a hole - in the end, they’re looking to make a profit, something the UFL has yet to produce.

And if player salaries continue to increase while ownership awaits that profit, it may result in the league not being around much longer. Good businesses get out when they don’t see a light at the end of the tunnel, and while management has spoken highly of the future of the UFL in public appearances this off-season, they’re just words. The money behind the league can dry up real quickly if that light doesn’t appear soon.

So it’s understandable that ownership would be hesitant to dole out additional funds to players while those players aren’t necessarily producing significant financial value for the league. Fox and Disney have a duty to their shareholders to make decisions in the best financial interest of the company, and that doesn’t necessarily include throwing money at the UFL for years on end. It was, after all, why Vince McMahon separated the XFL from WWE in 2020, using his own money on the project.

Conversely, from the players’ side, they come from a sports background where every major league increases the salary of its players each season. To not get offered an increase at all, it’s reasonable to find that insulting. Another key for players in these negotiations is the fact that their health insurance only lasts the length of their contract, which is only a few months out of the year. Then, they’re on their own. If you have a family or any kind of significant health needs, that can get complicated - and expensive. For some players, the health insurance aspect may be even more important than the salary increase.

It’s also understandable that players see the big money ownership behind the league and wonder why they can’t spring for a minor pay increase. If each player in the league was given a $5,000 salary increase, that would equate to roughly $2.5 million, a drop in the bucket for the mega corporations running the UFL. To cry poor could easily be seen as disingenuous. How much do you think the new UFL headquarters, purchased this off-season, set the league back?

The fact that the snag in negotiations has come out publicly now certainly seems like a strategic tactic. By putting the news out for public consumption, it does put pressure - on both sides - to get a deal done, and quickly. You’re seeing the debate play out on social media, and both sides have ammunition to use in this argument: The anti-union side will see this as the UFPA interfering in the growth of the league, potentially trying to take it down with their demands; and the pro-union side will see this as the protection of player rights, players that have all too often been taken advantage of in spring football and who deserve advocacy.

Things seem rocky now, but these issues have a way of working themselves out. Our teacher’s union negotiates with the school district on salary each year, and it can get pretty contentious. Just as quickly though, the sides can come to an agreement and shake hands when it’s all said and done. Odds are that’s exactly what will happen here. The idea of a player holdout seems unlikely - Stallions TE Jace Sternberger noted on Twitter/X that Birmingham QBs are not holding out, and the UFL Instagram page shared video of Brahmas QB Kellen Mond arriving in Arlington on Thursday. In the end, it’s likely the only damage done here will be to the reputation of the UFL, which is the one thing aside from money they can least afford to lose.