St. Louis Has Just Become America’s Number 1 Sports City

With the addition of a new soccer team and the return of football at the dome, St. Louisans are going wild.

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City Park’s pitch lies 40 feet below street level, bringing attendees closer to the action. Every seat is within 120 feet of the pitch, and the closest seats just 15 feet from the sideline.

The people of St. Louis are living through history, and everyone is trying to be a part of it. With the return of The BattleHawks after a three year pause, over 38,000 fans were in attendance at the “Battledome” last Sunday. This number broke the XFL’s attendance record, and set a new bar for all spring football leagues.

 

“It was an amazing thing to be a part of, definitely a top 10 moment in my life,” junior and Battlehawks fan Ty Parks said. “I’d recommend anyone who has the chance to go to a game. It would make your sunday.”

 

The Hawks are looking to get their fourth win this Saturday, March 18, against the DC Defenders, who currently sit first in the XFL North. In their second home game of the season, fans will try to match energy, even bring more, that they had before.

 

“We’re Saint Louis baby!” Junior and season ticket holder junior Braden Ulsas said. “Of course we’re going to show up, show out, and show some freaking energy.”

 

The return of Football to STL has become a huge phenom, but fútbol has also become the talk of the town. STL City SC, Saint Louis’ brand new soccer team, has started their MLS career 3-0. They have become the first team in MLS history to start a season with three come-back victories.

 

“I went to their first home match. It was pretty good,” junior Vivi Echeverria said. “The whole time I was comparing it to a champions league atmosphere. It was that interesting.”

 

St. Louis CITY matches against San Jose on Saturday March 18 as well. Start expecting downtown Saint Louis to get rowdy as they look to break the record for most wins to start the season by an expansion team. The record is currently shared with the 2009 Seattle Sounders.

 

“I’m extremely excited to go to this game. I want to witness history,” senior Dominic Oldani said. “Considering how long this city has been waiting for a team, this is the perfect way for us to experience it.”

 

Saint Louis has been waiting for the debut of this team ever since the MLS started considering an expansion team in 2017. However, attempts to bring the MLS to Saint Louis date back as far as 2007, when an investment group unsuccessfully attempted to bring the Real Salt Lake City team to the city.

 

Following a 2018 meeting between officials with the Missouri Department of Economic Development and MLS representatives, plans were made to build a new stadium for an expansion team. In 2020, the ownership group proposed to build a two hundred million dollar soccer-specific stadium right next to union station.

 

The bid that was offered did not require taxes from the city, or the public, but through investors like Enterprise Rent-A-Car and a number of other St. Louis based firms and businesses.

For more information, go to XFL.com to research the BattleHawks, and STLSC.com for STL CITY details.