XFL future in St. Louis uncertain before Sunday’s announcement

ST. LOUIS (KMOV) -- For months, there has been speculation on whether the Battlehawks will be coming back to St. Louis.

The XFL is hosting an event Sunday night where it is expected to announce the eight franchises that will be part of its league next year. The Battlehawks were a big hit in 2020 before the league shut down due to COVID-19.

The chances for a pro football comeback in St. Louis has many talking. During a board meeting for the group that oversees The Dome, members asked St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission President Kitty Ratcliffe how talks with the XFL are going.

“We are very hopeful and we are holding some dates for them,” Ratcliffe said during the meeting.

Ratcliffe hasn’t said if those dates are still on hold. News 4 checked if there was a paper trail for the Battlehawks. Through Missouri Secretary of State filings, the team would be required to register. However, a search in Missouri didn’t turn up anything.

Searches in Florida in New York, where the XFL previously had teams, showed up under “XFL Properties.”

Earlier this year, the XFL had multiple trademarks changed to its newly created parent company. One of those includes the “St. Louis Battlehawks.” It’s still listed as active, leaving questions before Sunday.

News 4 reached out to several people connected to The Dome and Sports Authority. No one wanted to let information out before Sunday’s announcement.

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