Dome at America's Center

The Dome at America’s Center spent more than $1 million to replace the playing surface and lights and improve the sound system.

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

The St. Louis Battlehawks and their rowdy fans are back in town after the start of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and the collapse of the first iteration of the XFL.

Professional football returns to St. Louis this weekend after a three-year absence. The Battlehawks hope to pick up where the original team left off when the pandemic forced the XFL to shut down.

Officials don’t have to spend the more than $500 million quickly because the money has fewer strings attached to it compared to other recent influxes of cash.

Some members of the panel, widely known as the RSA, wanted to place much of the $519 million in an account and possibly use interest to fund long-term projects that would help St. Louis and St. Louis County.

St. Louis gets the biggest share of the $519 million settlement — $280 million — with the rest going to St. Louis County and the board overseeing the Dome at America’s Center.

Some want to place the Rams settlement into an account that can earn more money and pay for regional projects. But questions remain about the legality of such a move.

The previous team in St. Louis played as the BattleHawks, but team names were not announced Sunday.

The Rams settlement represents a windfall with few restrictions. Ben Frederickson shared a few ideas for how to spend it.