The St. Louis Battlehawks of the United Football League (UFL) have demonstrated the city of St. Louis remains a fervent supporter of football, eagerly awaiting the return of an NFL team.
Despite the relocation of the St. Louis Rams to Los Angeles post-2015 season, football fans continue to rally behind the Battlehawks, signaling to the NFL that the city is still a viable contender for future league expansion. The Battlehawks’ fan support can be best measured by their impressive UFL attendance numbers last season.
In their first home game of the 2024 season in Week 2, the Battlehawks reported a whopping 40,317 fans filling The Dome at America’s Center in downtown St. Louis. To put this into perspective, the combined attendance for the home openers of three other teams – the Michigan Panthers, Memphis Showboats, and DC Defenders – was 31,318 fans.
Further analysis reveals that all of St. Louis’ home games attracted more than 31,318 fans, with the lowest turnout being for the Battlehawks’ Week 4 face-off against the Showboats, which they won 32-17. This game saw an attendance of 31,757 fans.
Over five home games, the Battlehawks averaged over 34,000 fans per game, clocking in at 34,365 fans per game – a number that far surpasses other teams’ home figures. The team with the second-highest average attendance was the Defenders, who drew an average of 14,143 fans per game, a full 20,000 fewer than the Battlehawks.
DC’s home games last season attracted the second-highest number of fans, with over 70,000 attendees. The Battlehawks drew in over 171,000 fans last season, demonstrating St. Louis’ readiness to support any football team that chooses to call it home.
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Getty Images)
Given the city’s consistent support for its football team, regardless of the league, it raises the question: Could St. Louis accommodate another NFL team? In short, yes – if the NFL decides to expand further. However, there are a few hurdles to clear before St. Louis can secure a football team.
The first issue would be attendance numbers. While averaging over 34,000 fans in the UFL is an achievement in itself, it falls short of the average number of fans attending a regular season game in the NFL.
The average per-game attendance in the 2023 season was just over 69,500 fans per game, with the Dallas Cowboys boasting the highest average attendance of all teams with over 93,000 per game. If St. Louis wants to demonstrate its viability as an NFL city once again, its attendance numbers must align with those of other teams.
The decision to expand the league and select St. Louis as the next team location would ultimately rest with commissioner Roger Goodell and the other owners. However, given the past conflict between the city, Goodell, and Rams owner Stan Kroenke, it might be a while before NFL football returns to St. Louis.
Overall, St. Louis has the necessary infrastructure to host an NFL team. Yet, it’s uncertain whether the NFL would consider returning to the city or if fans would support a new franchise in St. Louis.
The Battlehawks will kick start the new UFL season on Friday, as they face the Houston Roughnecks on the road. The team’s first game in St. Louis this season will be against the San Antonio Brahmas on April 6.
