Carl S. Ey – HMG Staff Writer
Columbus, Ohio – In an electric Friday night atmosphere, 14,810 fans poured into historic Crew Stadium to welcome the Columbus Aviators — the city’s brand-new spring professional football team — to Ohio’s capital.
The energy inside the stadium was charged as the UFL made its debut in Columbus. But while the crowd showed up in force, the Aviators couldn’t quite take flight. The defending champion D.C. Defenders soared past them, handing Columbus a 44-26 loss and dropping the expansion team to 0-2 on the young season.
“Home opener — we thought we were going to come out and showcase who we are as Aviators,” head coach Tedd Ginn Jr. said afterward. “But we didn’t get it done. It didn’t turn out like we wanted it to be.”
Ginn, a former Ohio State star and 14-year NFL veteran, faces the tough task of building a winner in a football-mad city that expects results. To help lead the charge, he brought in veteran NFL coach Todd Haley as offensive coordinator. Yet even that experienced duo couldn’t slow down the 2025 UFL champions on this night.
Jalan McClendon stood out as Columbus’s brightest spark on offense. The quarterback threw for 157 yards and two touchdowns while adding a rushing touchdown and 55 yards on the ground, making him the team’s most dangerous dual-threat weapon. On defense, cornerback Michael Lawson led the way with six tackles and a crucial interception.
The fans, however, were the real stars of the night. The buzz was so strong that UFL officials had to open the stadium’s second deck to accommodate the crowd. The first 5,000 fans received commemorative T-shirts and enjoyed a lively pregame fan festival. At halftime, Grammy-nominated multi-platinum artist Gavin DeGraw delivered a high-energy performance during the “614 Kickoff” concert, thrilling the hometown faithful.
While the Aviators came up short on the field, their home debut attendance set a new 2026 record for UFL expansion teams — a promising sign for the franchise’s future in Columbus. Now, Ginn, Haley, and the flight crew must find a way to turn that passion into victories and keep the momentum soaring in Buckeye Country.
UFL leadership offered no specific statements on the game but quietly celebrated the strong turnout as validation for bringing professional spring football to Columbus.
