There will be no pre-season cups such as the Dr McKenna Cup, O'Byrne Cup, McGrath Cup or FBD League in the 2025 Gaelic football season.
Part of this decision has come as part of player-welfare, with the congested calendar squeezing in a number of competitions and matches during winter, a time where pitches are often deemed unsafe and the risk of injuries is very high.
However, the ulster Council has revealed that this decision has more consequences that one might think, and admits that it has left them feeling "disappointed".
While disappointed that there will be no pre-season competitions in 2025, Ulster GAA accepts the decision of Ard Comhairle," said in a statement.
"We fully understand the issues around player welfare articulated by the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) and others and we recognise the importance of the proper balance being struck between the welfare of our players and the overall games programme."
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Given the loss of sponsorship, gate receipts and income from streaming, the body warned there will be a "curtailment" of programmes in the absence of the McKenna Cup.
“We were surprised at the decision of Ard Comhairle, given that the results of a recent survey of counties, which was presented to Ard Comhairle members, indicated a preference for the retention of pre-season competitions.
"The decision will result in the curtailment of some of the programmes that Ulster GAA offers.
“However, the decision has been made and there is now a clear onus on the GPA to ensure that the return to train protocols and date are strictly adhered to by their members."
Initially when this decision was announced, people only really thought about player-welfare or the fact that fans have nothing to look forward to in January.
However, Sligo manager Tony McEntee made the point that the pre-season cups would have been extra important this season, given that teams need time to trial the new rules that will be introduced by Jim Gavin's Taskforce.
Others maybe didn't consider the loss of revenue that gate receipts, and sponsorship would have brought in again, so there is a bigger knock-on effect than some may have first thought.
