The Rock called, and St. Louis delivered.
On Sunday, the St. Louis Battlehawks set the record for most fans in attendance in XFL football history.
38,310 people.
Over 38,000 fans turned out for a BattleHawks XFL game today.
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) March 12, 2023
BRING THE NFL BACK TO ST. LOUIS pic.twitter.com/VVZ53klufd
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson had foreshadowed the large crowd last week when he tweeted: "Expecting 30,000+ this weekend for the @XFLBattlehawks home opener."
But even he missed the mark — by nearly 8,000 people.
Amid "Stan Kroenke sucks" chants, St. Louis' first home game at the Dome at America’s Center against the Arlington Renegades gives a jolt to a league still trying to find its footing. The XFL was revived in 2020, but then it was abruptly cancelled due to the pandemic. The league took a three-year hiatus before returning in 2023 with 10 teams.
Despite high TV viewership, attendance numbers have lagged behind. Heading into week four, the XFL had averaged just 12,272 fans per game. The highest total was 24,245 in San Antonio against the Battlehawks.
Then the league came through St. Louis — and didn’t just surpass the average but set the record. The previous record? St. Louis’ first home game on February 23, 2020 against the New York Guardians with 29,554 fans.
Oh right, and there was a game.
After a sluggish first half, the Battlehawks pulled away in the final seconds of the second quarter, with a 27-yard strike from quarterback A. J. McCarron to wide receiver Darrius Shepherd.
Following the touchdown, the Battlehawks never fell behind. The team rallied behind a stingy defense that snatched away three interceptions and a fumble from Arlington quarterback Kyle Sloter.
Running back Brian Hill finished with 18 carries for 89 yards and one touchdown. McCarron added 214 yards on 20 of 27 passing with two touchdowns and an interception. The Battlehawks moved to 3-1, second in the XFL North division.
But even from the players, the talk of the game wasn’t the score — it was the crowd.
“This is awesome,” McCarron told ESPN2 following the victory. “This embodies what St. Louis is about — blue-collar, hard-working people.”
The Battlehawks will return home for week five this upcoming Saturday at 6 p.m. against the D.C. Defenders.
Football has returned to St. Louis.
This post has been updated.
Follow us: Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
