January 6, 2026
By Evan Lepler

While regional rivalries will presumably always remain the foundational framework of UFA competition, the league has also gradually embraced more and more interdivisional action, creating must-see matchups between teams that rarely face one another. These games are usually fascinating measuring stick opportunities, giving contenders the chance to test themselves in potential Championship Weekend previews. 

The 2026 UFA schedule is not fully set yet, but the interdivisional pairings have been confirmed, and we’ve got arguably the juiciest slate in the history of the league. Overall, there will be two dozen interdivisional battles in the regular season, including a handful of matchups that fans have never seen before.

Next week, the "Tuesday Toss" will delve into five unprecedented matchups that fans will experience for the first time in 2026. 

But today, we focus on the best of the best.

Without further ado, here are the five most anticipated interdivisional matchups that are coming up in the 2026 UFA season. The dates and times of these games are still TBD, but you can count on these marquee showdowns being on the schedule when it’s released next month.

Boston at Minnesota

A battle between the UFA’s last two champs and a rematch of last August’s title game easily tops this list. 

The Minnesota Wind Chill shocked the frisbee universe when they took the title in 2024, but they backed up their improbable rise by magically making it all the way to the finals again this past August. Unfortunately for all the rowdy fans from the Twin Cities, the Boston Glory had a tad too much poise and firepower in the 2025 championship tilt, using an inspired defensive performance—and a brilliant distribution display from Championship Weekend MVP Tobe Decraene—to narrowly prevail 17-15. 

The 2026 rematch, however, will be on Minnesota’s home turf, and regardless of whether the game is held at Sea Foam Stadium in St. Paul or TCO Stadium in Eagan, the Wind Chill crowd will undoubtedly be rocking. Whatever the atmospheric conditions, Boston will be looking to make a strong statement in its quest to go back-to-back. The Glory did not have any interdivisional competition—prior to Championship Weekend, of course—in their run to the title last year. The East is always a gauntlet, and adding a road trip to Minnesota only adds sizzle and spice to the Glory’s riveting regular season slate.

The outcome here won’t determine a champion, but it will definitely send a powerful message about which one of these two teams has the best chance to transform an undeniably successful era into an indisputably dominant dynasty.

DC at Atlanta

These two franchises have experienced virtually the same successful yet traumatic arc over the past half-decade. 

Always really good. Never quite good enough. 

Over the past two seasons, the Breeze and Hustle both made their first trips to Championship Weekend, joyously vanquishing their elite rivals along the way, only to painfully fall short as a semifinal favorite against those pesky, unrelenting Minnesotans. 

But completely dwelling on the shortcomings also misses the point. 

With 47 and 46 regular season wins, respectively, over the past five seasons, Atlanta and DC are clearly two of the premier teams in the UFA, and both are likely heading into 2026 with the fierce and unyielding conviction that this, finally, will be their year. 

Looking back, the Hustle and Breeze have only met twice before, both during the post-pandemic 2021 season when they were members of the one-year-only Atlantic Division. Each team won on the other’s home field in the regular season, and it felt inevitable that we would see a rubber match in the semis or finals. Of course, in eerily parallel paths, DC and Atlanta each endured quarterfinal heartbreak, coughing up leads on back-to-back nights in truly unbelievable fashion. 

But here in the present, despite any lingering disappointment, these are unquestionably two of the first-class franchises in the Association, and seeing them both continue to pursue that elusive championship feeling makes for genuinely tantalizing TV.

Salt Lake at Minnesota

Between these two teams, Minnesota clearly has the superior postseason track record. The Wind Chill are the only team in the league that’s competed in each of the last three Championship Weekends, and their recent trend of surpassing expectations is well-documented. 

One thing the Wind Chill have never done, though, is defeat Salt Lake. 

In the ’23 semi, Joel Clutton’s last-second heroics paved the way for the Shred’s stunning 19-18 victory in overtime. And when they met on the final weekend of the 2025 regular season, Salt Lake navigated through one ugly quarter in an otherwise convincing 22-18 triumph. 

Consequently, the Wind Chill will be seeking their first win over the Shred here in 2026. But let’s also remember that Salt Lake has set new standards for regular season success in recent years. While the team has never gone undefeated, they have registered double-digit wins in each of their four regular seasons in the league. Overall, the Shred are 46-10 since joining the UFA, and that record includes four postseason defeats. They are consistent, feisty, and—much like DC and Atlanta—very determined to prove to the world that they have what it takes to win the whole thing.

Whenever this game arrives on the 2026 schedule, these two programs will be ready to compete and put on a show.

Colorado at New York

My lasting memory from watching the first-ever meeting between these two teams—back on July 14, 2023—was seeing Ben Jagt and Alex Atkins chirping back and forth at each other over the course of four intense quarters of mile-high ultimate. Much of the banter was friendly and fun. And some of it pushed spirit to its limits.

By the end of the weekend, the Jagt/Atkins feud was thoroughly overshadowed by Jagt’s triple-spike ejection in Salt Lake City, with Shred Coach Bryce Merrill using the UFA’s Integrity Rule to bring Jagt back onto the field in the late-season interdivisional battle between unbeatens. 

But back to Colorado and New York, two teams that both finished third in their divisions and were completely embarrassed in lopsided opening round playoff games this past summer. The newly rebranded Apex have clearly fallen short of their lofty expectations over the last two seasons, and the Empire have firmly dipped below Boston and DC in the East Division’s pecking order after two straight third-place finishes and first-round postseason exits. 

So heading into 2026, these are two teams that are arguably mirrors of each other, both hoping to rise back into the top tier of title contenders after a couple seasons of frustrating shortcomings. That, in itself, makes this a fascinating interdivisional battle. 

Oh, and by the way, Atkins signed with the Empire and will be teammates with Jagt in 2026, meaning the two will join forces and try to chirp their way past Colorado together. 

Can we get these guys miked up for this game please?

New York at Chicago

The last two UFA teams to complete undefeated regular seasons, New York and Chicago have only met twice in their respective histories, which both began in 2013.

Back in ’14, the Empire prevailed 22-17 in a crossover playoff game to advance to Championship Weekend. Eight years later, New York’s 22-14 victory was even more convincing in the 2022 title game, forcing the Union to settle for second place. 

Now, these two teams are both at a bit of a crossroads. The Empire, as already mentioned, are clinging to their stature as a top contender after back-to-back first-round exits. Similarly, the Union have also lost their first postseason game in each of the past two seasons, with last summer’s heartbreaker at the hands of the Wind Chill ending Chicago’s dream of joining New York in the realm of undefeated UFA champions. 

With Xavier Payne and William Wettengel signing with Indy, the Union have already lost a couple key contributors to a rising division rival, and the status of many of Chicago’s other brightest stars heading into 2026 remains unclear. Meanwhile, the Empire should have decent continuity with many of their talented young players planning to return, but will their level be high enough to surge beyond another abrupt first-round exit? 

Like DC and Atlanta, New York and Chicago reside among the five winningest UFA franchises over the past five years. But as the season nears, the Empire and Union are two teams still looking to show that their potential championship windows remain open amidst a growing field of legitimate contenders. 

Honorable Mentions

Here are five more interdivisional matchups that you’ll see in 2026. These are games that we’ve seen before, but they’ll be battles you still won’t want to miss: 

• Carolina at DC - The Flyers and Breeze have met nine times dating back to 2017, with almost every collision feeling like a postseason duel. 
   
• San Diego at Oakland - No longer division rivals, the Growlers and Spiders both fell one step short of Championship Weekend in 2025. Can one of these California teams make it all the way to Madison in ’26? 
   
• Seattle at Austin - The ‘Scades and Sol split two meetings in the 2021 campaign, when Austin was part of the West. Both franchises have made surprising runs to Championship Weekend within the past three seasons, but they each have considerable ground to make up to get back in the mix in ’26.
   
• Pittsburgh at Philadelphia - The “Battle of the Birds” continues for the fourth consecutive season, as the Thunderbirds and Phoenix will tangle for Pennsylvania pride once again this summer. Philly has won five of the six rivalry games all-time in this series, including three straight. 
   
• San Diego at Colorado - San Diego and Colorado, who met four times as West Division rivals from 2022-24, will both have undeniably grueling schedules in 2026, which should make this matchup especially important as they jockey for postseason positioning. 

Coming next Tuesday, the Toss will reveal five unprecedented interdivisional matchups that fans will enjoy in 2026.