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Photos: Playoff football returns to St. Louis, but Battlehawks fall to San Antonio

From left to right, Paula Anna, Josh Boelcesch, and Dominic Bledsoe from St.Louis, taunt the players from the San Antonio Brahmas on Sunday, June 9, 2024 during the Battlehawks UFL Conference Championship.
Sophie Proe
/
St. Louis Public Radio
Michael Guignon, from Belleville, cheers for the Battlehawks during the UFL Conference Championship game on Sunday at the Dome at America's Center in St. Louis.

Local football fans waited 20 years for St. Louis to host another professional playoff game, but they'll have to wait longer to see the home team win one.

The St. Louis Battlehawks lost 25-15 to the San Antonio Brahmas in the 2024 UFL Conference Championship game on Sunday.

The Battlehawks faithful, some donning knight helmets and blue hair, flocked to the Dome at America’s Center, which had an announced attendance of 30,237.

St. Louis had secured home-field advantage for the playoff game by defeating San Antonio 13-12 on June 1. The Battlehawks, who debuted in 2020 in the XFL, ended their third season with the team’s first loss on home turf this year and an overall record of 7-4.

The San Antonio Brahmas will be back in St. Louis on June 16 to play the Birmingham Stallions in the UFL Championship Game.

See photos of the game-day festivities and action:

The “Battle Mix” group poses for a pregame tailgate at the north side of the Dome at the America’s Center on Sunday, June 9, 2024 for the UFL Conference Championship.
Sophie Proe
/
St. Louis Public Radio
The “Battle Mix” group poses for a pregame tailgate at the north side of the Dome at America’s Center on Sunday for the UFL Conference Championship game in St. Louis.
Zack Fiudo, 29 years old from Collinsville, and Mary Doom, 64 years old, caregiver, from Marine, Illinois, tailgate near the Dome at America's Center on Sunday before the UFL Conference Championship.
Sophie Proe
/
St. Louis Public Radio
Zack Fiudo, 29, of Collinsville, and Mary Doom, 64, a caregiver from Marine, Illinois, tailgate near the Dome at America's Center on Sunday before the UFL Conference Championship game.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators chant during the St. Louis Battlehawks tailgate east of the Dome at America’s Center on Sunday, June 9, 2024, in downtown St. Louis.
Sophie Proe
/
St.Louis Public Radio
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators chant during the St. Louis Battlehawks tailgate on Sunday in downtown St. Louis.
St. Louis Battlehawks wide receiver Hakeem Butler tries to secure the football during at the UFL Conference Championship on Sunday at the Dome at the America’s Center in St. Louis.
Sophie Proe
/
St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis Battlehawks wide receiver Hakeem Butler tries to secure the football during at the UFL Conference Championship game on Sunday at the Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis.
Paula Anna (left), Josh Boelcesch (middle), and Dominic Bledsoe (right) from St.Louis, taunts the players from the San Antonio Brahmas on Sunday, June 9, 2024 during the Battlehawks UFL Conference Championship game.
Sophie Proe
/
St. Louis Public Radio
From left, Paula Anna, Josh Boelcesch and Dominic Bledsoe of St. Louis taunt the players on the San Antonio Brahmas on Sunday during the UFL Conference Championship game.
Fans cheer for the Battlehawks on Sunday, June 9, 2024 during the Battlehawks vs San Antonio Brahmas XFL Conference Championship.
Sophie Proe
/
St. Louis Public Radio
Fans cheer for the St. Louis Battlehawks on Sunday in the UFL Conference Championship game against the San Antonio Brahmas.
Pita Taumoepenu (7) grabs the football at the UFL Conference Championship on Sunday, June 9, 2024 in the Dome at the America’s Center.
Sophie Proe
/
St.Louis Public Radio
Pita Taumoepenu (7) grabs the football in the UFL Conference Championship game on Sunday at the Dome at America’s Center.
Darrius Shepherd (11) sits on ground from getting hit during the game at the UFL Conference Championship on Sunday, June 9, 2024 in the Dome at the America’s Center.
Sophie Proe
/
St. Louis Public Radio
Darrius Shepherd (11) sits on ground after a hit in the UFL Conference Championship game on Sunday.
The San Antonio Brahmas team celebrate after winning the UFL Conference Championship.
Sophie Proe
/
St. Louis Public Radio
The San Antonio Brahmas celebrate winning the UFL Conference Championship on Sunday.

Sophie Proe is a visuals intern at St. Louis Public Radio and a recent graduate from the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Lauren Brennecke is a general assignment reporter at St. Louis Public Radio and a recent graduate of Webster University.