St. Louis’ XFL team last played in 2020, but is eyeing a return in March. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
Steven Millbrook
Staff Writer
FOX 2’s Andy Banker is reporting “there’s big news about when St. Louis will host its first game in the revamped XFL, along with keeping the “Battlehawks” team name.”
There were unexpected developments at a recent meeting of the Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority (RSA) board, which oversees the Dome at America’s Center, where the St. Louis Rams used to play and the new XFL team will play in 2023.
Rev. Earl Nance Jr., chairman of RSA board said he wants the St. Louis XFL team to keep its name.
“It’s common sense. That was an exciting name, the BattleHawks,” Nance said. “They even had their own ‘sound: ka-kaw, ka-kaw.’”
St. Louis officials said they expect the name BattleHawks to remain, but they have not received confirmation from the XFL.
The XFL new season will begin in February 2023, and it is expected for the St. Louis team to have its first home game in March at the dome.
The effort is underway to hire 200-300 game day staff and to prepare the turf which has been in storage below the dome floor since the final BattleHawks last game in 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the league.
“It’s just kind of really the hydraulics, bringing the (turf) field in and out,” senior vice president and general manager at America’s Center Matt Dewey said. “Just giving it a once comb over and just make sure it’s more aesthetically appropriate for the team: repainting, removing paint, more of the aesthetics of things.”
The RSA board also voted to look into investing the $514.1 million from the NFL/Stan Kroenke settlement into a higher interest fund that could earn an estimated $28,000 per day. As the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, and the RSA continue secret negotiations to split the money.
The money is currently in a low yield account which has earned a modest $1.5 million in interest since April, boosting the total amount from $513.6 million. Reinvesting the money would bring more than $10 million in interest per year.
The board also voted to meet monthly, instead of quarterly, for the next six months to deal with settlement issues.
“It’s all about getting a settlement. It’s all about pushing our way to a settlement right now,” Nance said. “If the next six months or less, hopefully less, can bring us to that, then all the better.”
“We just don’t want (the settlement money) to be wasted,” RSA Board vice-chairman Dave Spence said. “Hopefully, everybody’s thinking that same way. Once it’s gone it’s gone. This is a once in a generation fund that we can hopefully use to be a catalyst for our community… projects that would be meaningful, that you’d look back 10 years from now and say, ‘Wow, that was a great project. That really moved the needle,’ or it could be seed money for things that need a little push over the goal-line.”
The board members expect the RSA to get less than a “one-third” share of the money. They are calling for cooperation among all parties.