UFL players secure salary boost, year-round healthcare in new collective bargaining agreement
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - Today, players in the United Football League ratified a two-year collective bargaining agreement for the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
The new CBA will raise the annual salary for active players from $55,000 to $62,005 in 2025 and to $64,000 in 2026.
In addition, players will now be eligible for year-round healthcare in the form of seven months of active coverage and a five-month COBRA subsidy. Previously, players were on their own for healthcare outside the four-month season.
“UFL players are not millionaires. Like many Americans, they are simply hard workers looking for fair pay and healthcare from an employer who can afford it,” said Harry Marino, President of Sports Solidarity and lead negotiator for the CBA. “Our team at Sports Solidarity was honored to fight for and alongside these Players throughout this negotiation. We are gratified to have ultimately reached a fair agreement that will benefit all parties.”
The 2025/2026 CBA that the Players have ratified includes the following improvements:
- Health Insurance: Year-round healthcare (four months of in-season coverage, plus three months of offseason coverage, plus five months of subsidized COBRA for eligible players and dependents)
- Salary Increase: Weekly salary increase from $5,500 to $6,205 in 2025 and $6,400 in 2026 (includes reallocation of $400/wk housing stipend)
- Bonuses: Actual payment of player bonuses ($500 for Players of the Week; $5,000 for Players of the Year; $7,500 for League MVP; and $5,000 for all players on the UFL Championship Team)
- Roster Size: Increase in active roster from 42 to 43; Increase from 58 to 64 Training Camp invitees
- Discipline and Grievances: Players given notice and an opportunity to cure before being disciplined, written notice and an explanation for all discipline, and a longer time to file grievances
- Practices: Maximum of two padded practices per week instead of three; guaranteed warmup of at least 30 minutes instead of 20 minutes; shortening of maximum workday from 12 hours to 10 hours
- Meals: Three meals instead of one on game days; one meal in addition to per diem on travel days
- Access to Medical Records: Players are guaranteed access to their medical records
- Agents: Teams cannot go around agents to negotiate directly with players without a player’s consent
- Uniforms: Players can now wear preferred cleats
- Player’s Council: A new labor-management committee that will meet 3x per year to discuss day-to-day issues
“Throughout the CBA negotiations, the players were consistent with the league; we just wanted to have our basic healthcare and financial needs met; nothing we were asking for was ever an existential threat to the league in any way,” said Danny Etling, quarterback for the Michigan Panthers. “Without the UFPA and Harry and his team at Sports Solidarity, we would not have won this contract. They helped us to get organized, stay organized, and fight relentlessly and strategically until we achieved our goals. I’m proud of the many players who were involved in this process. It is thanks to their hard work and dedication that every player in the UFL will receive a well-deserved raise and an option for year-round health coverage. I am also grateful that at the end of the day the league did come to the table with an offer that met our needs.”
The CBA will be effective retroactively from the start of the 2025 training camp.
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