ST. LOUIS – Déjà vu? The St. Louis Battlehawks will host the San Antonio Brahmas for the second straight weekend at the Dome at America’s Center. This time, it’s a playoff match.
The Battlehawks and Brahmas are set to battle in the XFL Conference Championship on Sunday. The winner will advance to the United Football League championship. The loser will see their season come to an end.
It’s the first playoff game for the St. Louis Battlehawks franchise in three spring football seasons.
With big stakes ahead for the Battlehawks, here’s a closer look at what to expect for their playoff opener.
When is the XFL Conference Championship?
The XFL Conference Championship is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. CT on Sunday, June 9 at the Dome at America’s Center.
How can I watch?
If you’re unable to attend the XFL Conference Championship on a ticket, FOX 2 will carry the game broadcast.
The XFL Championship will also air on local radio station 97.1 FM Talk (KFTK-FM).
Are tickets still available?
Event organizers have listed tickets to Sunday’s matchup directly through Ticketmaster. There are some listings as low as $18 before fees. There are also ticket listings for the 100, 300 and 400 sections available through Ticketmaster.
For listings and more information, CLICK HERE. Ticket listings are not available though most other third-party ticket platforms.
Fan festivities
Pregame celebrations near the Dome will likely begin in the early afternoon hours. Some fans will have the opportunity to set up tailgates. Others may congregate near the Dome to welcome players ahead of the game.
Gates for the matchup will open at 4:30 p.m. CT. The first 15,000 fans to enter the Dome will receive a free rally sign, courtesy of Explore St. Louis.
How did they get there?
The St. Louis Battlehawks and San Antonio Brahmas clinched two available playoff spots for the XFL Conference Championship. Both finished the 2024 UFL regular season with a overall record of 7-3.
St. Louis earned the right to host the matchup by defeating San Antonio in a 13-12 nailbiter last weekend, pushing them ahead in one key tiebreaker. The victory gave the Battlehawks a 2-0 head-to-head record against the Brahmas, the only tiebreaker needed to decide the top seed.
Oddly enough, this factor came down to the Battlehawks using a “super challenge” on a play that otherwise may have caused them to lost last week. The super challenge determined there was a violation on San Antonio’s end for an ineligible wide receiver who was downfield during a two-point conversion attempt. Instead of taking a late 14-13 lead, San Antonio had to re-attempt the play, which was unsuccessful.
More times than not, the games proved tight for St. Louis in the regular season. One possession proved to be the difference in six of their ten games. Their most complete victory of the year, arguably, came Week 5 against the division-rival D.C. Defenders, during which the Battlehawks scored 45 and only allowed 12 points.
Wide receiver Hakeem Butler led the UFL in receiving yards with around 65 per game. Running back Jacob Saylors made great strides later into the season, finishing second in the UFL for rushing touchdowns (5) and rushing yards (460).
Lead quarterback A.J. McCarron battled through an ankle injury and is expected to be ready for Sunday. He finished the regular season with 1,581 passing yards and 15 passing touchdowns.
Willie Harvey and Travis Feeney enjoyed stellar seasons on defense, leading the Battlehawks with 76 tackles and 6 sacks respectively. As a unit, the Battlehawks took fewer penalties and forced more turnovers than their opponents head-to-head to help their cause.
The Battlehawks finished with a perfect 5-0 regular-season record on home grounds. Their home opener packed more than 40,000 fans into the Dome. There’s a strong possibility they could shatter their own spring football attendance record on Sunday.
What’s at stake?
The winner of Sunday’s Battlehawks-Brahmas matchup will move on the face the winner of the USFL Conference Championship game on Saturday, either the Birmingham Stallions or Michigan Panthers.
The Dome will host the UFL Championship one week after the conference championships on June 16. If the Battlehawks advance, they will close the season with three games on home grounds and a chance at their first title in franchise history.
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