May 28, 2026
By Charlie Hoppes

“Friday Night Frisbee” has already had some outstanding games thus far, starting with the Flyers' win over the Growlers to open the season, and the latest installment of the best rivalry in the league became yet another instant classic, as the Breeze upset New York at the overtime horn. Just last week, we saw Carolina avenge their recent double OT loss at the hands of the Hustle, completely shutting down the powerful Atlanta offense.

It might seem like a battle between two winless teams–one that finished 4-8 last year, and another that is dealing with significant roster turnover–would be an uninteresting game, even if it is free on YouTube. But the Chicago Union and Indianapolis Alleycats are each looking up from 0-2 and daydreaming about playing for the Central Division title this August. And neither team’s aspirations are remotely unrealistic, which means that this game, the first of three between Chicago and Indianapolis, will go a long way towards settling the Central playoff picture.

It’s already Week 6, but for the Central Division, the season is really just getting started. Minnesota stands atop the standings at 3-0 with dominating wins over the Alleycats and the Union (twice). The rest of the teams are tied for the fewest games played in the league thus far this season–the Madison Radicals are 2-0, and the Alleycats, the Union, and the Pittsburgh Thunderbirds are 0-2. That means there is a ton of season left in this new, Detroit-less division.

The Chicago Union cruised through last season undefeated, only to be usurped by the Wind Chill on their way to their third straight appearance at Championship Weekend. With the loss came some high-profile departures, including rookie superstar Daan De Marrée. The season opener against Minnesota was a bit of a rude awakening, with the Union jumping out to a 3-0 lead, before giving up a 9-0 run to end the first quarter en route to a 22-12 drubbing. But the rematch just under two weeks ago showed a bit more of what Chicago can be, as they were within two of the Wind Chill late in the third quarter before fading down the stretch. 

The difference in the two games included the return of all-time UFA assists king Pawel Janas to the offensive unit. The Union offense will have its floor raised considerably, as the future first-ballot Hall of Famer remains one of the best in the business at keeping the disc alive and unsticking a stuck offense. That ability will buy some time for the inexperienced O-line to learn the ropes–of the eight players who have played at least 20 O points for Chicago this season, only Janas, Wilson Matthews, and Sam Kaminsky had played in more than 16 games in their careers prior to the start of 2026. But one of the biggest challenges for the new look unit will be to harness the ability to get the disc back. In Chicago’s two games against Minnesota, the Wind Chill converted 73.5 percent of their D-line break opportunities. If that rate held, Chicago would be yielding the highest opponent D-line conversion rate of all-time, and by nearly 12 percentage points.

But an inexperienced O-line struggling against a historically great Minnesota defense is nothing to be ashamed of. Indianapolis faced the same issue in their home loss to the Wind Chill. The Alleycats were the darlings of the off-season, adding elite talent on both sides of the disc. But, in the words of first-year Indianapolis Head Coach Nathan Bussberg, “We’ve accrued talent, but talent doesn’t mean [expletive] unless you win.” So far, the talent is still gelling. The offense ranks 16th in the league in hold percentage, and the D-line is 16th in break percentage. Those numbers are not nearly good enough to make the playoffs were they to stand. 

That said, there are plenty of reasons to think the Cats will heat up as the summer goes along. Elliot Hawkins will make his season debut on Friday night, and his brother Carter will return after a week out of the lineup. Elliot is one of the most dynamic young players in the league, a 6’1 cutter with the ability to attack most anywhere on the field with both his legs and his throws, and should slot in as an impact initiator right out of the gate. The presence of both players will have a significant trickle-down effect on the whole roster, lightening the throwing and initiation cutting load on a core of players who are still building chemistry–of the 11 players who have played double-digit O points this season, only Jack Havey was so much as on the team in 2026. The Hawkins brothers will also return Second Team All-Defense quarterback Xavier Payne to the defensive line, where he will surely improve the counterattack on Indianapolis break attempts. To grow something completely new is a challenge alone, but to do so with a punishing schedule (no team’s 2026 opponents had a better 2025 winning percentage) only raises the difficulty. 

I know I am personally very excited. I’ll be on the Indy sideline this weekend in my role as coaching consultant, my first time on a UFA sideline since the end of the 2023 season. So perhaps I’m biased to look so forward to this game. But with last year’s Central Division juggernaut visiting the shiny new Cats, with both teams looking to find their footing in 2026, in a game that has undeniable playoff implications–I believe that Friday Night Friday viewers are once again in for a good one. 

ABOUT CHARLIE HOPPES

Charlie Hoppes has coached ultimate for 20 years, including several stints in the UFA. He was co-head coach of the New York Empire–helping to lead them to undefeated championship seasons in 2022 and 2023–and is currently a coaching consultant for the Indianapolis Alleycats. Hoppes provides individualized coaching services to players, coaches, and teams at all levels through Charlie Hoppes Ultimate Coaching & Consulting (CHUCC). Learn more at charliehoppes.com