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The stage is set for the 13th edition of the Pepsi University Football League (UFL), with this season promising more excitement, more teams, and a refreshed competition format modeled after the UEFA Champions League.
The draws for the 2025/2026 season were officially conducted on Thursday, September 18, 2025, at Kati Kati Restaurant in Lugogo, bringing together representatives from universities, sports tutors, and top officials from the Association of Uganda University Sports (AUUS). This year’s edition, the largest since the league’s inception in 2012, will feature a record 29 university teams, up from 23 in the previous season.
The league will officially kick off on Thursday, September 25, 2025, at Hamz Stadium, Nakivubo, with reigning champions Uganda Martyrs University playing the opening game against one of their Group A opponents. The full fixture list is expected to be released later this week.
Five universities will be making their debut in the league namely King Censor University (Ggaba Road), Soroti University, Lira University, Mountains of the Moon University, Africa Renewal University (Buloba)
The 2025/26 season also marks the return of Kyambogo University and Bishop Stuart University, who were suspended in previous seasons, with Kyambogo notably serving a two-year ban due to hooliganism.
However, Victoria University, which featured in previous campaigns, will be absent from this year’s tournament for undisclosed reasons.
In a major format shift, this season’s competition will adopt a UEFA Champions League-style group stage Teams will face each other only once either at home or away unlike in previous seasons where home-and-away ties were standard.
The 29 teams have been divided into five groups three groups of six teams and two groups of five based largely on geographical proximity.
Group winners will automatically qualify for the quarterfinals and they will be joined by the three best runners-up across all groups, making up the final eight for the knockout stage.
Group A
Uganda Martyrs University (Reigning Champions)
Kampala University (Two-time Champions)
Mountains of the Moon University (Debutants)
University of Kisubi
Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST)
Kampala International University (KIU)
Group B
Kabale University
Bishop Stuart University (Returning)
Muteesa I Royal University
Bugema University
Africa Renewal University (Debutants)
International University of East Africa (IUEA)
Group C
Nkumba University (Former Champions)
Busitema University
Soroti University (Debutants)
YMCA
ISBAT University
Kyambogo University (Returning)
Group D
St. Lawrence University
Muni University
Lira University (Debutants)
Gulu University
Makerere University Business School (MUBS)
Group E
Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU)
Kumi University
Makerere University
Uganda Christian University (UCU)
Ndejje University
King Censor University (Debutants)
