The Michigan Panthers and star UFL kicker Jake Bates will play their biggest game of the 2024 season on Saturday when they take on the Birmingham Stallions.
The Panthers and Stallions will meet on Saturday, June 8, at 3 p.m. ET for the USFL Conference Championship game, with the winner advancing to the UFL title game next week. The game will be broadcast on ABC and ESPN Xtra on SiriusXM.
These two teams have met twice this season, with the Stallions coming out on top in both matchups. This will be the second game between the two in as many weeks after they closed out the regular season against one another.
The Panthers came up just short after a missed 53-yard field goal by Bates, who saw his season end on a low note. Bates did make two other field goals in the contest, but he enters the playoff game having missed three of his last five attempts.
In all, Bates went 17-of-22 during the regular seasonn, with six makes from 50-plus, including three from 60-plus.
Those long kicks reportedly drew the interest of NFL teams, including the Detroit Lions, but Bates hasn't been allowed to talk to any NFL teams because of his contract. That embargo will be lifted once the regular season ends.
It remains to be seen if any teams have soured on Bates because of his recent struggles but all of that will be erased with a strong showing in the playoffs.
