The Ranchers finished third in their pool before a Sunday loss to the rival Dallas Flash closed out the opening weekend.
The 2026 season began the way it always seems to for this franchise: in Texas, against a hard slate, with the rivalry waiting at the end of it.
The Ranchers came through pool play in third against a field that offered nothing easy, then ran into the Dallas Flash on Sunday. The Flash — reigning Mid-Season Tournament champions and the club’s most familiar opponent — closed the weekend out, and Texas left with 8 standings points.
Opening weekends are diagnostics more than verdicts. This one showed a roster that could hang with anybody and a rivalry that had lost none of its edge.
The rematch would come in Austin. The Ranchers would not forget.
