The 2026 UFL Football season has concluded as the Columbus Aviators took another loss at home to the Louisville Kings on Sunday night.

The Columbus Aviators have finished their inaugural UFL Football season with a 3-7 record following a 42-27 loss to the Louisville Kings.

Disaster struck for the Aviators from the beginning as quarterback Jalen Morton threw a pick-six to Louisville’s Eric Gerror on the first play of the game. The Aviators would regroup in their second series, marching down the field and scoring a field goal, courtesy of Jonah Dalmas.

Disaster struck for the Kings on the very next play as returner Tyler Hudson fumbled the kickoff, giving Columbus the ball. The Aviators took advantage, and Jalen Morton found Keke Chism for the touchdown, cutting the deficit to 10-7.

The Kings’ offense started to find its rhythm on the next possession before eventually setting up for a field-goal attempt. Louisville received new life when a Columbus defender encroached on the attempt, giving Louisville a new set of downs. The Kings’ offense took advantage,e and quarterback Chandler Rogers took it himself for the touchdown, giving Louisville a 14-10 lead.

As the contest wore on, tensions built as the physicality increased. A scuffle would break out towards the end of the first quarter, resulting in the ejection of the Kings’ defensive back Cameron Dantzler after he struck running back John Lovett. Louisville’s Eric Garror and Columbus’s Tay Martin were both assessed personal fouls for their role in the scrap.

Columbus came back on the field following the brawl, and kicker Jonah Dalmas nailed his second field goal of the day to tie the game at 14 at the end of the opening quarter.

With a playoff spot secured, Kings’ quarterback Chandler Rogers exited the game, handing it over to backup N’Kosi Perry. After an exciting first quarter, offenses stalled for much of the second frame. The Kings finally broke the seal loose as running back Ian Wheeler plowed his way in for the score, putting the Kings on the throne 21-14.

Columbus, however, marched right down the field and responded courtesy of running back Toa Taua to once again tie the game at 21. All of a sudden, both offenses found new life, and the scoring brigade wasn’t over. The Kings would march right down the field once again, following an acrobatic catch by star wideout Isaiah Winstead with less than one minute left in the half.

The Aviators would do themselves no favors as a key penalty by linebacker Tony Fields II set the Kings up in a better position to finish the half strong. Isaiah Winstead would once again come through, this time for a touchdown. The Kings went into halftime with a 28-21 advantage.

The two offenses came out in the second half sluggish, following the scoring brigade, trading punts in each of its first two series. Louisville decided to waste no time in sitting backup quarterback N’Kosi Perry in favor of third-string Mike DiLiello to start the second series of the third quarter.

Offenses continued to bore until Aviators kicker Jonah Dalmas nailed a field goal for the first score of the half, putting Columbus closer at 28-24. The Louisville offense could not respond, and the Aviators marched down the field, yet before Dalmas made his third kick of the game, ending the third quarter with Columbus down 28-27.

The fourth quarter opened with much of the same until the Aviators started find it’s rhythm again offensively. After marching down the field, Columbus would be forced to attempt another field goal, which Jonah Dalmas missed.

The Kings would start to break away as running back Jaden Shirden burst through for the touchdown with less than 7 minutes remaining. The touchdown gave Louisville a 35-27 lead.

The Aviators’ woes continued as a fourth-down miscue gave the Kings possession once again. Running back Ian Wheeler burst through the Columbus defensive line and set up Louisville following the 61-yard run. Jaden Shirden finished off the drive and the game as the Kings emerged victorious in Columbus by a score of 42-27.