Seven Camps in Sixteen Days: Local Marketing at Its Best!
- SABrahmabullpen
- Jun 29
- 4 min read
San Antonio Snap Count
Since the relaunch of the USFL in 2021 and the XFL in 2023, the leagues have faced many pressure points, but one constant source of criticism from the fans has been local marketing. The regional marketing argument has carried over into the merger of UFL right down through the end of its second successful season. Local marketing is not a topic for just the fans either. UFL CEO and President commented before the start of the 2025 season, the league was "investing in more boots on the ground" and that "the league had markets they needed to invest more resources into".
Some proponents argued that investment never happened. Before the 2025 season kicked off, James Larsen commented, "The UFL's lack of marketing at the local, grassroots level in these cities has been a major oversight. We haven't seen many pushes to connect with those communities, at least to the extent that we thought we would". (Larsen, 2025) Larsen wasn't the only one who felt the off-season marketing was lacking. A story by UFL Rumors noted, "The UFL entered 2025 with minimal buzz. Outside of hardcore fans, many casual viewers didn't even know kickoff had arrived. There was no major media push, limited presence on mainstream sports shows, and almost no viral campaigns to capture attention in a crowded sports calendar." (Kummer, 2025)
The narrative about the lack of local marketing has continued into the offseason, and UFL content creators, writers, and fans alike have taken to their social media platforms to critique and share thoughts on what the league needs to do to help build local markets. But this isn't that kind of article, let's flip the narrative on the local marketing woes!
I, for one, am excited about the league's future and feel the league's marketing strategy has been sufficient; the league and all of the team accounts posted content daily, if not multiple times a day, throughout the season. All of the league's accounts have continued that trend as the league transitioned into its off-season. It's not just social media buzz either; EA Sports has shared new audio for their upcoming College Football 2026, being released on July 10, 2025, that references the UFL's unique extra point rules.
However, the best marketing strategy I have seen has been league-wide youth camps. Recently, the league hosted 7 youth camps over 16 days. I had the opportunity to cover the local event in San Antonio on June 26. There were representatives from the league, such as Daryl Johnston and David Dykeman, and San Antonio Brahmas representatives, such as head coach Payton Pardee, Coach Matthew Bullock, and players Caeveon Patton and Steven Stilianos. The 400-plus boys and girls ranging in age from fifth to twelfth grade were welcomed with a warm and friendly San Antonio spirit, which was also palpable to anyone in attendance.
I had the opportunity to ask UFL's Vice President for Football Operations, David Dykeman, about the importance of hosting local market events like youth camps, and he stressed the "importance of coming back to the communities to support the cities that support the team." Dykeman also spoke about the unique opportunity the student athletes had to "work out with professional players, which is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity". Caeveon Patton stated he "loved the opportunity to coach up the young athletes and the opportunity to connect with the fans in San Antonio."
If that wasn't enough star power on the field, Brahmas head coach Payton Pardee worked with the young athletes. Pardee was his well-polished professional self when speaking about how much the fans and the city of San Antonio mean to him personally and the joys of having players leaders on the field like Caeveon. When asked about his potential return to the Brahmas as their head coach next season, he stated he "would love nothing more than to be the head coach for the Brahmas next season" and that he has communicated that to the league. And if you were wondering about the possibility of a Wade Phillips return, Coach Pardee also stated, " I love coach Wade and would be happy to serve with the team in any role should he return".
Seven camps in sixteen days during the middle of June was no small feat, but the investment and the return on fan support cannot be measured. Some of those young athletes who attended the events in Michigan, Memphis, Arlington, D.C., Houston, and San Antonio may one day be players, season ticket holders, fans, or just all-around supporters of the UFL. With the new fiscal year of the UFL starting July 1, it will be exciting to see what local Brahmas events are in store for San Antonio!
References
eferences
Kummer, M. (2025, April 6). Is the UFL in Trouble? Cracks Emerge as Ratings Fall and Players Push Back. Retrieved from UFL Rumors: https://uflrumors.com/2025/04/06/is-the-ufl-in-trouble-cracks-emerge-as-ratings-fall-and-players-push-back/
Larsen, J. (2025, February 21). UFL Searching For Answers Amidst Offseason Struggles. Retrieved from PFN: https://pfnewsroom.com/column/ufl-searching-for-answers-amidst-offseason-struggles/
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