The 2025 season marks the 13th year of the newly re-branded Great Lakes Football League, and it kicked off in style on Thursday, September 4th. Last year’s champions, the Tucson Sugar Skulls, clashed with their division rivals, the Los Angeles Wildcats, in one of the most thrilling opening night games the league has seen. Both teams shattered their projected scores as the win probability swung back and forth until the final horn, with Los Angeles pulling out a 213.1 to 191.5 victory.
The season’s journey culminated on Monday, December 29th, in a thrilling Lakefront Bowl showdown between the Tucson Sugar Skulls and the Boston Brawlers. In a shocking outcome, the Brawlers claimed victory 134.85-131.90, capturing their first title in franchise history.
No front office drama to report this year—every GM is back at the helm, ready to run it back for another wild ride. The reigning champions, the Green Bay Blizzard, stunned the league with a full rebrand to the Tucson Sugar Skulls heading into the 2025 season.
Some say it’s a bold move to shed a championship identity, others think it’s just an intimidation tactic—because nothing says “we’re coming for you again” like trading snowflakes for skulls. Either way, the Sugar Skulls enter 2025 with a target on their backs and plenty of swagger.
League insiders were quick to react:
The 2025 draft kicked off on Monday, September 1st at 7:30 PM. The league shifted as an experiment to an auction-style draft versus the traditional snake format. Nominations were determined randomly one hour before kickoff, giving Los Angeles the #1 pick and Vegas the final nomination of the evening.
The auction draft delivered everything fans love: bold moves, surprise reaches, and a handful of outright steals. Highlights included:
League insiders had plenty to say:
For the full auction results and a complete breakdown of every roster move, click here.
The 2025 season spanned 14 weeks and 168 games, kicking off on the Thursday night following Labor Day—a staple tradition for the league’s opening night. Each team squared off twice against division rivals and once against all other teams, with the final week subject to flex scheduling to keep playoff races and divisional championships competitive.
For those still nostalgic about the experimental days, the league maintained three individual defensive positions (IDP) in lieu of team defenses—a nod to the innovation introduced back in 2022, though many GMs might barely remember the switch at this point.
Continuing a long-standing trend, the league embraced flex scheduling for the final week of the regular season, a strategy that added drama to playoff seeding and divisional matchups. “Nothing spices up Week 14 like moving games around and watching the standings shuffle,” quipped one anonymous GM. Another added, “Flex scheduling is basically fantasy football’s version of musical chairs—and I live for it.”
| East | W | L |
|---|---|---|
| Boston 🏆 | 8 | 6 |
| Philadelphia | 7 | 7 |
| Brooklyn | 4 | 10 |
| Miami | 3 | 11 |
| Central | W | L |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | 9 | 5 |
| Cedar Rapids | 8 | 6 |
| Chicago | 7 | 7 |
| Cleveland | 6 | 8 |
| West | W | L |
|---|---|---|
| Tucson | 12 | 2 |
| Los Angeles | 9 | 5 |
| Northern Arizona | 7 | 7 |
| Vegas | 4 | 10 |
The 2025 postseason kicks off on December 11, 2025, culminating in the Lakefront Bowl on December 29 in Santa Clara, California. Seven teams earned the right to compete: divisional winners claimed automatic spots, while the remaining four slots went to the best non-division winners.
The playoff structure gives the #1 seed a first-round bye, while matchups for the opening weekend are as follows:
Home teams enjoy a small advantage with a 5-point bonus to start each week, adding a layer of strategy and excitement to the matchups.
The opening act of the 2025 playoff spectacle unfolded on December 11, 2025. Last year's champion, now rebranded as the Tucson Sugar Skulls cruised through the entire season finishing at 12-2, earning the top seed and the bye that comes a long with it.
Philadelphia left Soul-less
The Philadelphia Soul got the luck of the tie-breaker with Chicago and eeked into the playoffs as the 7th seed ending a 1-year drought on playoff appearances. The reward for their performance was a showdown with the Central Division champions, the Milwaukee Mustangs
The matchup began close after the Thursday night games however come Sunday night the Mustangs held a 30-point lead and held on to take the win 232.9-207.4. The loss ended Philly’s season early in the playoffs once more.
Jared Goff led the charge for the Mustangs with a monstrous 70-point performance, propelling his team to its third consecutive divisional round appearance and solidifying their position as the team to beat in the 2025 playoffs.
Los Angeles runs Wild on the Titans
In the second playoff showdown, the #5 seed Cedar Rapids Titans squared off against the #4 seed Los Angeles Wildcats. The Titans started off slow during the season however, they finished at a strong 5-2 finish including wins over top playoff teams.
The Wildcats, on the other hand, were the opposite, starting off a flaming hot 6-1 through the first seventh weeks onlly to cool down considerablly after taking a close loss to the Sugar Skulls in week 8. Finishing out the season 3-4 they fell to the 4th seed looking pretty vulnerable against arguably one of the hottest 2nd half teams in the league.
Though they brok a 2-year playoff drought, Cedar Rapids just couldn't capitalize, as the only playoff team in the Wild Card round to put up fewer than 200 points while LA set the highest mark for the weekend at 263. Thus ending the Titans' season early.
Brawlers brawl-out against the Wranglers
The weekend’s finale featured the #6 seed Northern Arizona visiting the #3 seed Boston Brawlers in a clash teams looking to build on recent success.
For Boston, this season marked the first time they've made the playoffs in consecutive seasons since 2016-2017. Claiming their 2nd consecutive division championship, they hosted a Northern Arizona team who was just two years removed from consecutive title game appearances. Falling to the eventual champs last year they would not be denied again cruising to a 249.7-208.4 victory over the Wranglers.
The Wranglers stumbled out of the gate before eventually putting up a measly 207 points putting an end to the season for GM Richmond and the league MVP Christian McCaffrey.
Tucson cruises to the Lakefront Bowl
Round 2 on December 18, 2025, brought a divisional matchup between the top-seeded Tucson Sugar Skulls and the #4 seed Los Angeles Wildcats. The game marked the third meeting between these two teams with the teams splitting the regular season matchup 1-1. Behind standout performances from Jahmyr Gibbs (50 points), the Sugar Skulls jumped out to an early lead on Thursday night and they never looked back sealing a 209.9-116.65 victory. The win secured the Sugar Skulls’ fourth visit to the Lakefront Bowl and their third in the last four seasons.
For the Wildcats, the loss was a bitter end to their season. Josh Allen led the charge with 43 points, but his supporting cast failed to deliver, collectively falling 30% short of their projections.
Boston punches their ticket to the Big Game
The second playoff matchup of the weekend saw the #3 seed Boston Brawlers travel to Milwaukee to face the 2nd-seeded Mustangs. Fresh off their playoff victory in Wild Card Weekend, Boston squared off against Milwaukee for the first time in the playoffs. Historically, Milwaukee has dominated this matchup, boasting a 8-4 record including five straight victories since 2021, the entire tenue of GM Cholka.
Not only from a playoff seed but historically, the Brawlers pulled off a huge upset, defeating Milwaukee 204-197. The Brawlers’ offensive trio of Jonathan Taylor, Marvin Harrison, and Trevor Lawrence accounted for an astounding 119 points, driving the team to its first-ever Lakefront Bowl appearance. For Milwaukee, another stellar season ended in heartbreak. Despite securing another divisional crown, the Mustangs exit in the Divisional Playoffs for the second straight season.
Brawlers Upset Sugar Skulls to Claim First Lakefront Bowl in Epic Showdown
Santa Clara, California hosted the 2025 Lakefront Bowl which ended on December 29, 2025, featuring the #1 seed Tucson Sugar Skulls and the #3 seed Boston Brawlers. Tucson entered the matchup as major 18-point favorites, aiming for their third championship under GM Mason Bautch’s leadership, having previously secured the title in 2022 and 2024. For Boston, the game capped off their best two-season run that saw GM Cholka achieve multiple firsts, including the franchise’s first conference championship and Lakefront Bowl appearance.
In addition to their underdog status, the Brawlers historically struggled against Tucson, losing four of their previous five meetings, including three straight over the last couple seasons and last year's record-setting Wild Card matchup. True to form, Tucson came out swinging, with Jahmyr Gibbs and Jaxon Smith-Njugba combining for a massive 76 points on Thursday night. The Sugar Skulls held the lead through Sunday afternoon, buoyed by consistent scoring from their roster.
Boston, however, had their own heroes waiting to rise. Jonathan Taylor erupted for a season-high 50 points, supported by Kyren Williams’ 36, cutting Tucson’s lead to 36 points heading into Monday night. With Trevor Lawrence left to play, the Brawlers' hopes rested squarely on their star quarterback. Lawrence delivered in the clutch, posting just enough (39 points) to complete the comeback and secure a 134-131 victory for Boston. The win marked Boston’s first Lakefront Bowl Championship in team history.
The Milwaukee Mustangs continued their stranglehold on the Central Division, claiming their seventh division title, solidifying their status as perennial powerhouses. Meanwhile, the Tucson Sugar Skulls celebrated their fourth division crown. Over in the East, the Boston Brawlers claimed the throne for second consecutive season.
The spotlight of the 2025 season belonged to running back Christian McCaffrey, who earned the coveted GLFL MVP honor. McCaffrey was nothing short of spectacular, claiming MVP honors for the third time overall and the second in the previous three seasons. His impact on the Wranglers was undeniable, as his stellar play fueled the team into the 6th seed in the playoffs.
High expectations loomed over the defending champions, the Tucson Sugar Skulls, but GM Mason Bautch proved once again he thrives under pressure. Bautch guided the Sugar Skulls to a league-best and record-tying 12-2 record, securing the top seed in the playoffs. His outstanding leadership earned him the GM of the Year award for the first time in his short career.
The Tucson Sugar Skulls clinched their fourth conference title. On the other side, the Boston Brawlers made history by capturing their first-ever conference championship and Lakefront Bowl, finally breaking through after years of postseason heartbreak. Their long-awaited trip to the Lakefront Bowl marks a turning point for a franchise that had been plagued by playoff struggles.