The Orlando Storm’s playoff game on Sunday, June 7, will be played at Daytona Stadium.
UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE PHOTO
Dustin Markland/UFL
The United Football League (UFL) is making a stop in Daytona Beach.
The Orlando Storm (8-2) will host the D. C. Defenders (5-5) in the UFL semifinals at Daytona Stadium on Sunday, June 7, the league announced on Monday.
Kickoff is at 3 p.m. The game airs live nationally on ABC. Tickets can be purchased for as low as $10 at Ticketmaster.com. Free T-shirts will be handed to the first 5,000 fans.
The UFL originally announced having the game in Columbus, Ohio at Scotts-Miracle Grow Field, which is home to the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer (MLS) but was moved to Daytona due to that venue’s unavailability.
“As we said from the beginning, our preference was always to keep this game as close to our Orlando fanbase as possible,” said UFL President and CEO Russ Brandon. “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 onsite evaluation over the weekend.’’
He added, “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.”
A collective effort
Having the game in Daytona gives Orlando Storm fans a chance to see the game closer to home.
“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. We appreciate their patience and understanding as we navigated a complex and rapidly evolving situation.”
Daytona was chosen after the UFL conducted a search that included UCF’s Acrisure Bounce House Stadium, Camping World Stadium, IMG Academy, Walt Disney Wide World of Sports. All other venues were either under renovation or unable to meet game day broadcast requirements.
Even after announcing Columbus as the playing site, the UFL continued working on options in Florida.
A group consisting of officials from the UFL, Bethune-Cookman University, the City of Daytona Beach, Daytona Beach Police Department, ESPN, Ticketmaster, and concession partners, worked throughout the weekend including site visits to the venue and were able to collectively create a plan to bring the game to Daytona.
The Orlando Storm are the top seed for the UFL playoffs.
They normally play their home games at Inner & Co Stadium in Orlando which is hme to the Orlando City SC of Major League Soccer and Orlando Pride of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). The stadium wasn’t available due to prior commitments, including an international soccer match.
The UFL is a professional spring football league. It consists of eight teams that play a 10-game schedule from March through June. The top four teams make the playoffs.
For more on the UFL its teams, schedule and more, visit www.theufl.com