The 2024 UFL championship game was an American football game played on June 16, 2024, at The Dome at America's Center in St. Louis, Missouri. The contest determined the champion of the 2024 UFL season and was played between the USFL Conference title winners, the Birmingham Stallions, and the XFL Conference title winners, the San Antonio Brahmas. The game began at 5:00 p.m. EDT and aired on Fox.[3]
 The Dome at America's Center, where the game was played, in 2003. | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | June 16, 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Kickoff time | 5:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | The Dome at America's Center, St. Louis, Missouri | ||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Adrian Martinez, Birmingham | ||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Birmingham by −3.5[1] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Adam Savoie | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 27,396[2] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Ceremonies | |||||||||||||||||||
| National anthem | Charles Glenn | ||||||||||||||||||
| Halftime show | Marquette King | ||||||||||||||||||
| TV in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | Fox | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Curt Menefee (play-by-play), Joel Klatt (analyst) and Brock Huard (sideline reporter) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Nielsen ratings | 0.8 (1.60 million viewers) | ||||||||||||||||||
Background
editThe championship game was the first UFL championship game following the merger of the XFL and the USFL. Before the merger, the USFL had two championship games, in 2022 and 2023, where the Birmingham Stallions defeated the Philadelphia Stars and the Pittsburgh Maulers in back-to-back seasons. The XFL held one championship game in 2023 when the Arlington Renegades defeated the DC Defenders. The two leagues merged before the 2024 season.
Host selection
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On March 14, 2024, The Dome at America's Center was selected as host for the first UFL championship.[4] When discussing the selection, UFL President and CEO Russ Brandon said, "selecting the championship game location is more than just the stadium, but the community and the fanbase that surrounds it. This is why we are proud to bring our Championship to St. Louis – a city that has loved and embraced spring football from the start."[4] St. Louis set the XFL's five highest league attendance records in 2023.[4]
Of those known to have submitted competing bids, Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, host of the 2022 and 2023 USFL championship games, was known to have made an "aggressive" bid.[5]
UFL playoffs
editThe four teams competing in the playoff clinched their spot during their regular season during different times of the overall season of the league. The top two placed teams in each division would face against each other for the division title. Whichever division title game team won, would then face the other champion from the other division in the UFL championship game.
Bracket
edit| Conference finals June 8–9, 2024 | UFL championship June 16, 2024 | ||||||||
| USFL1 | Birmingham Stallions | 31 | |||||||
| USFL2 | Michigan Panthers | 18 | |||||||
| USFL1 | Birmingham Stallions | 25 | |||||||
| XFL2 | San Antonio Brahmas | 0 | |||||||
| XFL1 | St. Louis Battlehawks | 15 | |||||||
| XFL2 | San Antonio Brahmas | 25 | |||||||
Teams
editBirmingham Stallions
editThe Birmingham Stallions finished their third overall season under head coach Skip Holtz, going 9–1, their lone loss having occurred at the hands of San Antonio in week 9.[6] The Stallions advanced to the USFL Conference championship against the Michigan Panthers, in which they rallied from an 18–3 second quarter deficit, scoring the final 28 points in a 31–18 victory to secure their third consecutive USFL title.
Birmingham made their third consecutive spring football championship game appearance, winning both of the USFL championships as part of the original rebooted league over the Philadelphia Stars in 2022 and the Pittsburgh Maulers in 2023.
San Antonio Brahmas
editThe San Antonio Brahmas finished their second overall season and their first season under head coach Wade Phillips, going 7–3 and advancing to the XFL Conference championship against the St. Louis Battlehawks. The Brahmas led wire-to-wire behind a rushing attack that amassed over 200 yards, upsetting the Battlehawks on their home field, 25–15, to secure their first-ever XFL Conference championship.[7]
San Antonio was the second consecutive Texas-based team to appear in a spring football championship game, following the Arlington Renegades winning the 2023 XFL title as part of that rebooted league. Wade Phillips was also seeking his first outright championship as a head coach, having won Super Bowl 50 with the Denver Broncos as their defensive coordinator in 2015.
Game summary
editScoring summary
edit| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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| Birmingham Stallions | 0 | 8 | 14 | 3 | 25 |
| San Antonio Brahmas | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at The Dome at America's Center • St. Louis, Missouri
- Date: Sunday, June 16, 2024
- Game time: 5:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 93 °F (34 °C)
- Game attendance: 27,396
- Referee: Adam Savoie
- TV announcers (Fox): Curt Menefee (play-by-play), Joel Klatt (analyst) and Brock Huard (sideline reporter)
- [1]
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Statistics
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Broadcasting
editFox carried the championship, with its lead team of play-by-play broadcaster Curt Menefee, analyst Joel Klatt and sideline reporter Brock Huard, along with a guest appearance from Tom Brady, who is scheduled to become its lead NFL analyst in September.
A Spanish language simulcast was carried on Fox Deportes, with Jamie Motta and Jorge Carlos Mercader as the broadcast team.[9]
Entertainment
editCharles Glenn, the anthem singer for the St. Louis Blues, performed the national anthem.[1]
Marquette King, a former St. Louis Battlehawk who currently plays for the Arlington Renegades, performed the halftime show.[1]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c "What to know & where to watch Sunday's UFL Championship in St. Louis". FOX 2. 2024-06-15. Retrieved 2024-06-16.
- ^ "UFL 2024 Season Attendance Numbers". Archived from the original on March 30, 2024. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
- ^ Reports, Staff (2024-03-14). "UFL championship game Location Revealed for 2024". Sports Illustrated UFL on FanNation News, Analysis and More. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
- ^ a b c "St. Louis Selected to Host 2024 UFL Championship". www.theufl.com. 2024-03-14. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
- ^ Byer, Kelly (January 5, 2024). "New UFL passes on Canton, but Hall of Fame Village vies for championship game". Canton Repository. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
- ^ Inabinett, Mark (2024-06-14). "Birmingham Stallions get a 'do-over' in UFL championship game". Alabama Media Group. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
- ^ "San Antonio Brahmas head coach Wade Phillips reaches First League Title Game in his 55-year football coaching career and loses: Birmingham Stallions shut out Brahmas, 25-0". Greensboro Sports. 2024-06-17. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
- ^ "Birmingham Stallions vs. San Antonio Brahmas – Box Score". UFL. June 16, 2024. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
- ^ "Curt Menefee, Joel Klatt and Brock Huard Call Inaugural UFL Championship on FOX". Fox Sports. June 13, 2024. Retrieved June 16, 2024.