Cleveland, OH
Why Your Team Sucks 2024: Cleveland Browns | Defector
Some people are fans of the Cleveland Browns. But many, many more people are NOT fans of the Cleveland Browns. This 2024 Defector NFL team preview is for those in the latter group. Read all the previews so far here.
Your team: Cleveland Browns.
Your 2023 record: 11-6. These guys beat the 49ers, Ravens, Texans, and a handful of other real teams during the regular season. They even got to rest their starters in Week 18, because they had a playoff spot locked up. Somehow they managed to do this without their best running back, their best offensive tackle, and the starting QB they sold their damp brown soul for. They had to rely on a formerly couchbound Joe Flacco leading them down the stretch, and Flacco ended up winning Comeback Player of the Year, presumably by default, for it. Relative to their past, one can only describe this past Browns season as “triumphant.”
That’s pretty much the last nice thing I’ll say here. You genuises yoked your future to a $230 million anchor that’s marinated in 60 gallons of Dior Sauvage. You sported a championship defense last year. That’s not hyperbole. By every advanced metric, this Browns defense was as a good as … oh, I dunno, let’s say the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. All they needed was a modern Trent Dilfer (no, not that one) to safely game-manage them deep into the playoffs. Instead, they were forced to cycle through four different QBs, with Flacco somehow managing to be the best of them by FAR. Not good.
Also not good: Losing to the “rival” Steelers on a T.J. Watt scoop and score; letting Geno Smith beat them on a last-second TD pass that WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught behind the line of scrimmage; getting crushed by Denver in a game where Russell Wilson passed for a whopping 134 yards, and then getting destroyed by the Rams a week later. All of that should have clued you into the fact that this team wasn’t quite the sum of its parts. Well, that and the fact that THEY’RE THE CLEVELAND FUCKING BROWNS. The Browns couldn’t turn on a lamp without watching a YouTube tutorial first. So when these guys traveled down to Houston for a wild card game against the AFC South champs, did YOU think they stood a chance? Did anyone? Did they even think it was possible?
Judging by the 45-14 final score, they didn’t. Because hoo doggie, you boys got LIT THE FUCK UP down in Texas, by the same guys who tricked you into trading the deed to your city for Deshaun Watson. That’s right: Jack Easterby‘s team fleeced you. Now the Texans have an incredible young passer who makes them an instant annual Super Bowl threat, and you have … whatever this is.
Your coach: Two-time Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski. Stefanski has never led these Browns past the divisional round, but all Browns coaches are graded on a curve that bends more than the GateKeeper at Cedar Point. In any other city, Kevin Stefanski would have had Cam Cameron’s career. Here, he’s the greatest head coach the New Browns have ever had. If he loses just one more playoff game, they’ll rename the entire city after him.
Everything bad about the 2023 Browns could be traced back to their shortcomings on offense, so Stefanski dumped offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt after the season and brought in this man to make everything better:
That’s former Heisman winner Ken Dorsey, who hates running the ball and whose Bills ripped off six wins in their final seven games after they fired him in November. Imagine YOU being the problem in Buffalo and not Sean McDermott. Dorsey must have pinned 500 photos of Timothy McVeigh to his office wall to be the bad guy in Orchard Park. He also couldn’t run a consistent offense with Josh Allen at his disposal. Now he has to do it with…
Your quarterback: Deshaun Watson, who ended last season on IR thanks to a broken glenoid bone in his shoulder. I don’t know what a glenoid bone is, and I won’t be asking Deshaun to show me where it is on his body. When this man gets injured, every physical therapist within a 100-mile radius has a nervous breakdown. But now he’s healthy (sure he is) and ready to live up to the unprecedented (still!) amount of guaranteed money that Cleveland offered for his services three years ago.
There’s just one small problem there, which is that he sucks.
Now I’ve done my fair share of wishcasting on other QBs whom I’ve found personally repugnant. I said Jordan Love was a flop, but he wasn’t. I said Ben Roethlisberger was never all that good, but he 100 percent was. But this time, I’m don’t have to pretend that Deshaun Watson sucks, because he actually does. According to the FTN Almanac, “Watson has yet to produce a positive season-long passing DVOA with the Browns.” He’s also never played a full season in Cleveland, has 14 passing TDs to nine picks, and the 2,217 total passing yards he’s amassed in two seasons with the Browns are less than half the passing yards he notched in his final season with the Texans alone. His completion percentage is way down. His yards-per-attempt average is way down. And reports out of preseason joint practices were that he was fucking terrible. NICE.
So this isn’t the Deshaun Watson you knew in Houston, and not just because he’s a monster. He’s washed, and will never regain his old Pro Bowl form. As such, the Browns were better off with Flacco at QB, but Flacco left for Indy this offseason. They better have replaced him with someone who knows what they’re doing. What’s that? Who’d they sign? Oh you gotta be shitting me…
This is the stupidest organization in football.
What’s new that sucks: Guess which team still didn’t have any first-round picks this spring because they traded for eternal infamy? To fix their offense, the Browns had to dig into the market for RBs D’Onta Foreman and Nyheim Hines, and then traded for Broncos washout Jerry Jeudy to be their WR2. They even gave Jeudy a contract extension worth $41 million guaranteed. Can I get a fat payday from this team? Like Watson and Jeudy, I too can’t play football for shit. Where’s MY golden parachute, Jimmy Haslam? How do I qualify for your Fuckhead Welfare Initiative? Do I need to dry hump an unsuspecting cashier and then fumble a can of soup down her shirt? Would that get me a bag? You fucking idiot. I hope you get run over by a semi.
Anyway, the roster. Even with Jeudy in the wideout room, Amari Cooper and the literal charred remains of David Njoku remain your only decent receiving threats. Hines and Foreman will be forced to assume too heavy of a workload should star RB Nick Chubb need extra time to recover from tearing every intact fiber inside of his knee last fall. But the defense? The defense is still insane. Free agent LBs Devin Bush and Jordan Hicks join an already loaded front seven, and the secondary remains talented enough for DC Jim Schwartz to play man coverage anytime he feels like it. Imagine if this team had a QB to pair with that defense. The mind reels.
Regardless, the schedule is soft enough that Cleveland could easily stage a repeat of last season, 57 QBs and all. Haslam is hoping that will be enough to get him the trophy he really wants:
Notice anything missing from those mock-ups? If you said “the city of Cleveland,” you win a free biscuit. Haslam and the Browns have already initiated the process of stadium grift, complete with vaguely threatening statements to move the team to the Ohio equivalent of Cobb County if Cleveland proper doesn’t hand them an attaché case filled with million-dollar bills. You’ve seen this movie many times over. The fact that it’s set in Cleveland this time makes the movie even longer, and more boring. I’d rather give a free stadium to the Proud Boys.
What has always sucked: By the time the Browns have gotten out from under Watson’s deal, their defense will be a shell of its former self. Good. This was precisely what you guys deserved for acquiring that man in the first place. You have everything in place: a good coach, an incredible defense, and a fanbase that’ll stay loyal even while you’re pissing down their leg. All you need is a QB. You thought Deshaun Watson would be that QB. SURPRISE, MOTHERFUCKER. He sucks forever, and so do you. You were already a pathetic franchise when you crawled back out of Lake Erie in 1999. Now you’re doomed to be hamstrung, both morally and football-wise, until the moon crashes into the Earth.
Browns fans are just as dumb as Steelers fans, only without the hardware to make it all worth it.
What might not suck: I really like that Zak Zinter pick they made in Round 3. Say what you will about this team (I just did), but they sure know how to put together an O-line.
HEAR IT FROM BROWNS FANS!
Jamie:
Our QB room increasingly looks like the guys who catcall you on your way to interrogating Hannibal Lecter.
Joey:
The team’s name is a color, but the logo is a different color.
Richard:
After the Browns traded for OBJ, my dad asks me if he should reserve a hotel room in Tampa during Super Bowl weekend in case the Browns make it. I talked him out of it. The Browns went 6-10 that year.
David:
See attached. I mean come on.
Rob:
We sold our soul, and the team’s future, for a rapist who isn’t even that good.
Kevin:
Imagine being able to legitimately argue that Joe Flacco is the best quarterback your team has had in *checks notes* decades. Fuck Haslam with an icicle made from Lake Erie’s nastiest industrial runoff.
Ed:
Jacoby Brissett in ‘22 and Joe Flacco in ‘23 outplayed our $230M, masseuse-abusing QB1.
Alexander:
I will never forgive the Browns for this. It will always leave a battery-acid taste in my mouth knowing we sold our souls for a chance to win and couldn’t even do that. The Haslams will move the stadium to the suburbs, and the Brads and Chads of Strongsville and Parma won’t have to trouble themselves with seeing a single black person on their way to drinking their morning 12-pack.
Don:
My best friend and I talked ourselves into traveling to the playoff game in Houston. This would be the first chance the two of us (mid 40s) could watch a Browns playoff game in person since 2003. Cost was not a factor.
The Browns trailed by 10 at half before Flacco threw TWO pick sixes in the second half. In summation, we paid $400 a ticket plus airfare and lodging to watch Paul Wall, Mike Jones and Slim Thug perform at halftime.
Dennis:
A fun fact about the Haslems is that Dee has managed her MLS club in Columbus to two titles in five years of ownership, while Jimmy is still polling hobos for Browns roster advice.
Isaac:
Right around the time the Browns clinched their playoff spot, a local singer dropped this ear-bleeder:
That right there should be enough to have the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame yoinked out of Cleveland and shipped to a more deserving city.
What made it worse is that local news anchors kept filming random fans (including one who looked a little too much like Kevin Stefanski) singing it and driving my poor dog up the wall.
Vince Guerreri:
I watched the Browns-49ers game last year with my friend and mentor, the Rev. Dr. Joe Boyle, at the Cleveland Clinic. I met Joe at the college newspaper when I arrived there in the fall of 1995. We bonded over our shared ire at the Browns moving. He bought Andre Rison and Eric Metcalf jerseys on closeout, and regularly wore them for decades afterward. He was an absolute lunatic as a Browns fan. We went to a game in 2013 against the Jaguars, and last three possessions ended with two Brandon Weeden interceptions and a Brandon Weeden fumble for a safety. Joe got so mad that the usher came to check on him. “I’ve been working here since the place opened, and you’re the angriest fan I’ve ever seen.”
By then, Joe’d been fighting cancer for more than two years. The five-year survival rate was grim, but he passed it. He passed the ten-year survival rate. But things started catching up to him. That summer, he had a stroke, losing vision in one eye. (The text I got from him that morning read as follows: “I can’t see out of one eye. Jacking off finally caught up with me.”)
In October, he went to the Clinic in a helicopter, but he was feeling well enough to take visitors. I came to see him for the Browns game, a stunning victory. When San Francisco’s Jake Moody shanked the kick, we yelled so loud that the nurse came and checked on us.
Joe actually rallied and left the hospital. He lived what passed for a normal life for another month. But he went back into the hospital, and it soon became clear he wouldn’t come back out. He died the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, two days after a stirring win over the Steelers and a day after the Browns signed Joe Flacco to the practice squad. I told the story of the Jags game for his news obit and wore a Browns tie to his funeral.
Joe watched Flacco torture the Browns. He never got to see Flacco rip off four straight wins as Browns quarterback, culminating in a playoff-clinching win over the Jets right after Christmas. That was the game where the Browns’ new sponsor, Dude Wipes offered a jersey exchange. They did not fully anticipate the demand. Every time Browns radio voice Jim Donovan had to say, “Dude Wipes: We Love Our Browns,” I could hear him die a little on the inside. But it was a time to believe in a little magic. Maybe the fates owed Joe one.
Instead, the Browns got the doors blown off against the Texans. Serves me right. I should have remembered that there is no mercy in the universe for the Browns. They haven’t been to a conference championship game since the 1980s. They haven’t won the division since the 1980s. In fact, the Browns haven’t had back-to-back winning seasons since the 1980s. And the Haslams do fundraisers for JD Vance.
Joey J:
Cleveland pundits still out here pretending the nasty man doesn’t exist.
John:
To say this franchise has mystique is like saying that tightly coiled pile your dog leaves on my lawn has aura. This team is a prison. But instead of fearing the hell I’m in, I’m beginning to appreciate the industrial decor.
Matt:
Being a Browns fan is a series of ironic punishments. Did you make fun of the Ravens for employing Ray Rice? Now you have Kareem Hunt as your RB. Did you make fun of Big Ben’s allegations and post that “Local Heroes Nab Sex Offender” meme? Now your QB has 23 victims (at least). Did you make fun of the Bengals’ white alternate helmets? Now you have them, and they’re even more generic looking. Did you make “elite” jokes about Flacco? Now he’s your savior.
Jared:
I think I preferred the team I watched most of my life: hapless, loveable lovers that everyone felt sorry for. Now I watch a moderately competitive team that hasn’t won anything but that everyone still hates.
When the Rams went with a “fuck them picks” strategy, they won a Super Bowl. My team tried that and got a serial abuser who’s only redeeming quality is that he was a good QB four years ago.
I guess it could be worse. At least I don’t have to convince myself JJ McCarthy is the answer, since we haven’t had a first round pick in 30 years.
Kyle:
Not much more can be said about why this team sucks, but I’ll try:
They fucking suck.
Thanks.
Submissions for the NFL previews are now closed. Next up: Dallas Cowboys.
CLEVELAND, Ohio — OHSAA boys basketball scores from Friday in Ohio, as provided by The Associated Press.
Akr. Firestone 76, Akr. North 44
Alliance 72, Minerva 51
Alliance Marlington 61, Salem 45
Arcadia 70, Bloomdale Elmwood 48
Arlington 60, Mt. Blanchard Riverdale 25
Ashland 77, Millersburg W. Holmes 62
Ashland Crestview 60, Collins Western Reserve 53
Avon 76, Amherst Steele 65
Beaver Eastern 48, Latham Western 35
Beaver Local 63, Cadiz Harrison Cent. 58
Bellville Clear Fork 45, Galion 36
Berea-Midpark 79, Olmsted Falls 75
Bloomingdale, W.Va. 48, Belpre Christian 32
Brecksville-Broadview Hts. 63, Macedonia Nordonia 51
Bridgeport 75, Steubenville Cath. Cent. 39
Brookville 55, Eaton 38
Brunswick 77, Mentor 56
Caledonia River Valley 63, Ontario 57
Cambridge 46, Belmont Union Local 43
Can. Glenoak 64, Green 63
Canal Fulton Northwest 52, Can. South 38
Canfield 48, Fitch 44
Canfield S. Range 58, Struthers 43
Carey 59, New Washington Buckeye Cent. 25
Castalia Margaretta 67, Willard 55
Centerville 56, Springboro 43
Chillicothe Zane Trace 59, Williamsport Westfall 45
Cin. Aiken 97, Cin. Taft 71
Cin. McNicholas 74, Day. Carroll 37
Cin. Moeller 56, Cin. La Salle 55
Cin. Princeton 49, Hamilton 45
Cin. Sycamore 53, Middletown 48, OT
Cin. Turpin 57, Cin. Anderson 45
Cle. E. Tech 98, Bard Cleveland 65
Cle. Rhodes 71, Cle. Lincoln W. 21
Cols. Africentric 49, Cols. Eastmoor 35
Cols. Bishop Watterson 53, Cols. DeSales 44
Cols. Centennial 78, Columbus International 50
Cols. Mifflin 74, East 62
Cols. Upper Arlington 57, Dublin Coffman 49, OT
Cols. Walnut Ridge 95, Cols. Marion-Franklin 29
Convoy Crestview 45, Bluffton 42
Coshocton 85, Crooksville 53
Crestline 67, Mansfield St. Peter’s 63
Creston Norwayne 73, Rittman 27
Cuyahoga Falls 67, Barberton 57
Day. Christian 46, Carlisle 40
Day. Northridge 86, Milton-Union 26
Defiance 40, St Marys 35
Delphos St John’s 76, New Knoxville 56
Doylestown Chippewa 65, West Salem Northwestern 42
Dresden Tri-Valley 46, McConnelsville Morgan 42
E. Palestine 75, Salineville Southern 40
Fairport Harbor Harding 96, Warren Lordstown 22
Fairview 83, Beachwood 24
Fayetteville-Perry 63, Peebles 60
Findlay Liberty-Benton 52, Ada 21
Frankfort Adena 61, Chillicothe Huntington 49
Fredericktown 62, Centerburg 9
Gibsonburg 67, Elmore Woodmore 36
Glouster Trimble 65, Stewart Federal Hocking 60
Hamilton Ross 57, Bellbrook 52
Hartville Lake Center Christian 49, Louisville Aquinas 35
Haviland Wayne Trace 50, Defiance Ayersville 47
Holland Springfield 76, Fremont Ross 59
Huber Hts. Wayne 49, Clayton Northmont 40
Hunting Valley University 74, Gates Mills Gilmour 64
Huron 53, Vermilion 50
Ironton St. Joseph 64, Portsmouth Clay 39
Jackson 56, Hillsboro 39
Jackson Center 50, Anna 36
Jefferson Area 61, Ashtabula Edgewood 57
Jeromesville Hillsdale 60, Dalton 46
Kalida 39, Ft. Jennings 35
Kidron Cent. Christian 68, Lucas 26
Lakeside Danbury 74, Fremont St. Joseph 57
Lancaster Fairfield Union 55, Baltimore Liberty Union 47
Lewis Center Olentangy Orange 66, Hilliard Bradley 47
Lewistown Indian Lake 59, Bellefontaine Benjamin Logan 45
Liberty Twp. Lakota E. 40, Cin. Oak Hills 34
Lima Cent. Cath. 63, Columbus Grove 56
Lima Shawnee 73, Lima Bath 60
Lorain Clearview 46, Oberlin Firelands 45
Lucasville Valley 67, Waverly 55
Mansfield 62, Dover 55
Mansfield Temple Christian 37, Christian Community School 31
Maria Stein Marion Local 59, Rockford Parkway 34
Marion Pleasant 44, Sparta Highland 39
Martins Ferry 82, Bellaire 50
Mason 65, Cin. Colerain 42
Massillon Tuslaw 69, Navarre Fairless 46
Massillon Washington 77, Can. Cent. Cath. 59
McGuffey Upper Scioto Valley 53, Waynesfield-Goshen 45
Medina Buckeye 53, Parma Hts. Valley Forge 33
Medina Highland 59, Aurora 52
Milford Center Fairbanks 67, N. Lewisburg Triad 34
Monroe 61, Franklin 33
Monroeville 77, Ashland Mapleton 30
Morgan 74, Cle. Max Hayes 21
Morral Ridgedale 72, Mt. Victory Ridgemont 49
Mt Gilead 69, Cardington-Lincoln 13
N. Baltimore 62, Marion Elgin 40
N. Can. Hoover 63, Massillon Perry 37
N. Robinson Col. Crawford 67, Attica Seneca E. 34
N. Royalton 72, Wadsworth 44
New Albany 58, Pickerington North 48
New Bremen 52, Ft. Recovery 38
New Concord John Glenn 70, Philo 46
New Franklin Manchester 85, Wooster Triway 57
New London 56, Greenwich S. Cent. 52
New Philadelphia 52, Lexington 37
Newark 70, Ashville Teays Valley 26
Newton Local 58, Ansonia 39
Ohio Deaf 60, Ky. School for the Deaf, Ky. 29
Old Fort 50, Kansas Lakota 27
Oregon Clay 63, Napoleon 29
Orwell Grand Valley 71, Southington Chalker 44
Ottoville 59, Delphos Jefferson 47
Painesville Harvey 66, Perry 55
Paulding 71, Antwerp 49
Plymouth 63, Norwalk St Paul 52
Poland Seminary 64, Niles McKinley 54
Port Clinton 60, Milan Edison 42
Portsmouth Notre Dame 45, Franklin Furnace Green 44
Powell Olentangy Liberty 69, Hilliard Davidson 48
Racine Southern 70, Reedsville Eastern 63
Rootstown 67, Wickliffe 53
S. Webster 41, Portsmouth W. 36
Sandusky St. Mary 48, Northwood 28
Sheffield Brookside 59, LaGrange Keystone 56
Shekinah Christian 63, Northside Christian 23
Shelby 54, Marion Harding High School 45
Sherwood Fairview 58, Hicksville 21
Sidney Lehman 55, Troy Christian 54, OT
Smithville 90, Apple Creek Waynedale 68
St Clairsville 68, Barnesville 38
St. Xavier (OH) 54, Cin. Elder 30
Steubenville 74, Gnadenhutten Indian Valley 63
Stow-Munroe Falls 49, Twinsburg 42
Sugarcreek Garaway 44, Newcomerstown 42
Sullivan Black River 60, Columbia Station Columbia 46
Sycamore Mohawk 59, Bucyrus Wynford 58
Tiffin Calvert 61, New Riegel 50
Tipp City Tippecanoe 68, Greenville 51
Tol. St. Francis 59, Detroit UD Jesuit, Mich. 45
Tol. Start 87, Tol. Waite 36
Troy 54, Sidney 48, OT
Uhrichsville Claymont 65, Strasburg 48
Upper Sandusky 70, Bucyrus 28
Urbana 57, New Carlisle Tecumseh 44
Van Wert 40, Celina 32
Van Wert Lincolnview 75, Spencerville 73
Versailles 67, Minster 43
W. Chester Lakota W. 58, Fairfield 41
W. Lafayette Ridgewood 62, Bowerston Conotton Valley 52
W. Liberty-Salem 60, W. Jefferson 40
Wapakoneta 47, Ottawa-Glandorf 45
Warren Howland 51, Warren Harding 50
Waterford 52, Belpre 46
Wellsville 64, Hanoverton United 53
West 66, Cols. Independence 50
Westerville Cent. 61, Grove City Cent. Crossing 54
Westlake 68, N. Olmsted 38
Wheelersburg 60, Minford 43
Willow Wood Symmes Valley 62, Oak Hill 37
Woodsfield Monroe Cent. 69, Hannibal River 42
Yellow Springs 49, Bellefontaine Calvary Christian 37
Youngs. Mooney 53, Warren JFK 42
Zanesville Maysville 72, Byesville Meadowbrook 33
Zanesville W. Muskingum 59, New Lexington 26
Zoarville Tuscarawas Valley 56, Tuscarawas Cent. Cath. 26
POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS=
Galion Northmor vs. Loudonville, ppd.
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said ICE arrested more than 280 people during a recent immigration enforcement crackdown.
Operation Buckeye took place throughout the state from Dec. 18 to 21.
The DHS described those arrested as “illegal aliens” and said some are criminals convicted of aggravated assault against a police officer, robbery, criminal possession of a firearm, and drug trafficking.
“While Americans were attending Christmas parties and shopping for gifts for their loved ones, ICE law enforcement was hard at work arresting the worst of the worst,” the DHS stated.
The results of Operation Buckeye was announced on Thursday, the same day anti-ICE protests gathered around Northeast Ohio following the deadly shooting of a Minneapolis woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.
The DHS highlighted these suspects as “some of the worst arrested during Operation Buckeye:
“Emanuel Guijosa-Nonato, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico convicted of aggravated assault against a police officer, disorderly conduct, driving under the influence of liquor, and illegal re-entry,” the DHS described.
“Andres Blanco Hernandez, a criminal illegal alien arrested for assault and domestic violence,” the DHS said.
“Wilmar Edgardo Lozano-Alcantara, a criminal illegal alien from El Salvador convicted of drug possession, robbery, and trespassing,“ the DHS listed.
“Erick Jose Ramos-Boscan, a criminal illegal alien from Venezuela convicted of criminal possession of a firearm,“ according to the DHS.
“Edilmiro Pedraza Quinones, a criminal illegal alien convicted of drug possession, shoplifting and contempt of court,“ the DHS stated.
“Marco Antonio Clemente Picazo, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico convicted of driving under the influence of liquor and drug possession,“ the DHS shared.
“Melvin Alejandro Rodriguez Rodriguez, a criminal illegal alien from Venezuela previously arrested for assault,“ according to the DHS.
“Fernandez Flores, a criminal illegal alien from Honduras convicted of making a false police report and arrested for larceny and obstructing police,“ the DHS described.
“The American people can be so proud of their ICE law enforcement for their hard work arresting the worst of the worst even during the holiday season,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated. “Operation Buckeye resulted in the arrest of more than 280 illegal aliens, including criminals convicted of assaulting a police officer, criminal firearm possession, and drug trafficking. Thanks to our law enforcement, Ohio neighborhoods are safer with these criminals behind bars where they belong.”
Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.
An event where leaders, educators, instructional designers and others mingle, discuss e-learning technology and learn from an audience broader than their own.
— Pat Cassella, CEO and Executive Director
WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, January 6, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The United States Distance Learning Association is proud to open registration for its 39th annual global distance learning conference. The event is being held in Cleveland, Ohio and the theme is “Universal Harmony: Exploring the Melodic Chords of Distance and Digital Learning.” The host location will be the Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Tower from June 22 – 25th, 2026.
The USDLA National Conference has long been an event where leaders, educators, instructional designers and others mingle, discuss e-learning technology and learn from an audience broader than their own. Past attendees have enjoyed the in-person interactions, hands-on networking and personal relationships made with one another. All registrations include access to the the virtual conference, with sessions being held June 16th-17th, 2026.
The Conference and Events committee is well established and known each year for providing the best experience possible for personalized networking and cutting-edge session tracks. Past attendee feedback plays an instrumental role in planning the details for subsequent events. Universal Harmony: Exploring the Melodic Chords of Distance and Digital Learning focuses on tracks that are in high demand as educators continue to navigate both remote and in-person learning strategies. These tracks include:
– The Digital AI Groove: Exploring Innovative Techniques and Technologies Education
– Backstage Pass to Policy: Navigating Governance and Regulation in Distance Education
– The Headliners: Distance and Digital Leadership on the Higher Education Mainstage
– Open Mic, Open Minds: Ensuring Quality, Flexibility, and Access in Online Learning
– The ID Set List: Curating Best Practices in Instructional Design
– Amplify Every Voice: Ensuring Accessibility and Inclusivity in Online Education
– The K-12 Playground: Curating Best Practices in the K-12 Space
ALL concurrent sessions are end-user led, and share best practices within the world of distance and digital learning. These presentations will be focused “power sessions” that eliminate fluff and get right into the important details on the topic. Offering more than 30 sessions, topics for 2026 include Reframing Bloom’s for the Age of AI, ADA Compliance for Instructional Designers, Leveraging AI to Design Online Course Modules, AI Roleplay in the Classroom, Composing AI Policy for Responsible, Effective Digital Learning, Digital Harmony and more.
There are also several free pre and post-conference workshops with daily complimentary breakfast and lunch, making this a very cost effective event.
***Conference Registration Rates***
Member Early Bird $495 (Valid until 1/31/2026)
Member Standard $550 (Valid 2/1/2026 through 6/21/2026)
Member On-site $595 (after 6/21/2026)
Non-Member Early Bird $595 (Valid until 1/31/2026)
Non-Member Standard $650 (Valid 2/1/2026 through 6/21/2026)
Non-Member On-site $695 (after 6/21/2026)
All USDLA members providing their membership username (email) at time of registration will receive the USDLA Member rate.
Please send any questions to membership@usdla.org
***For-Profit and Not-For-Profit Discount Special (Bundle Savings)***
Purchase 2 registrations, get the 3rd for free ($495 savings)
Purchase 3 registrations, get the 4th and 5th for free ($990 savings)
**Single Day and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame event Rates**
One-Day Pass – $299 (Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday)
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Event – $199 (includes private tour and cocktail hour)
**Presenter Rates**
On-Site Presenter fee $300 (includes full on-site conference pass)
Virtual Presenter fee $100 (if presenting remotely)
Contact Harriet Watkins for presenter registration code at harriet.watkins@iconnect-na.com
Full details can be found at the national conference registration website.
Keynote: Dr. Michael Torrence, President, Motlow State Community College
Dr. Michael Torrence is a nationally recognized strategist, visionary, writer, and thought leader
in higher education who has redefined institutional excellence through innovation, inclusion, and transformative leadership. Since becoming the seventh President of Motlow State Community College in May 2018, he has transformed the institution into an award-winning, cutting-edge model of academic and workforce innovation.
Featured Presenter: Robbie Melton, Associate Vice President – SMART Global Technology Innovation Strategist
Presenting on “The Tools Shaping the World of Artificial Intelligence”, Dr. Melton has published and presented globally on the impact and value of mobile devices for education and the workforce. Her study of the pedagogy and best teaching practices with mobile devices, quality standards for the utilization of mobile apps, and her creation of the Mobile App Education and Workforce Resource Center has resulted in numerous awards.
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Event
Join us for an exclusive, private evening of exploring, heavy apps (enough for dinner) and cool beverages. We will kick everything off at 6:30 with shuttles taking attendees to the event from the hotel. Attendees will be given VIP passes (lanyards) with information on what is on each level of the hall. The R&R HOF staff will be our guides for the evening.
Sponsorship Opportunities
If you are tired of large shows with limited attendee engagement, our national conference is an intimate environment where partners are part of the production from the very start, demonstrating their gear as part of the conference production.
The dramatic growth of the distance learning industry makes our market attractive to a variety of technology, content, and service providers. Conference partners proudly support the distance education community and make lifelong contacts in the process.
Full details can be found on the sponsorship opportunities page.
Distance Learning Awards
As the premier organization promoting the use and practice of distance learning, USDLA recognizes “the best of the best” each year with its series of individual and organizational awards. Open to member and non-members alike, nominations are submitted in January, judged by committees of peers, and then awarded as a highlight of USDLA’s National Conference.
A unique aspect of the competition is that the various categories are open on an equal basis to all forms of distance learning platforms, addressing the gamut of distance learning audiences, and from anywhere in the world. That range is illustrated by past awards years where top honors went to a major US university for its innovative design of an online computer science course, “Quantitative Methods for Information Systems” and to a videoconferencing provider in Ghana for expanding the horizons of that country’s K-12 students.
Learn more at the distance learning awards page.
Pat Cassella
United States Distance Learning Association
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