ST. LOUIS – The XFL announced Sunday night that St. Louis will have a franchise for the football league’s 2023 season. In the wake of the Rams’ move to Los Angeles, St. Louis embraced the BattleHawks in the XFL’s reboot in 2020, leading the league in attendance before league operations stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The league has already named head coaches, offensive and defensive coordinators and directors of player personnel for its eight teams. Some of those hires have connections to the St. Louis area, including the one who will lead the St. Louis entry -- former St. Louis Rams tight end Anthony Becht.

Former NFL quarterback Bruce Gradkowski will be the offensive coordinator for St. Louis, with former NFL defensive back Donnie Abraham serving as defensive coordinator.

The other cities announced tonight include Las Vegas, New Orleans, Seattle, San Antonio, Arlington, Houston, Washington, D.C. and Orlando.

Since Dwayne Johnson and his business partner/ex-wife Dany Garcia purchased the league, fans have been left to decipher any potential clues about league cities, sometimes having to stop frame-by-frame on Instagram videos to look for a see if a nugget of information.

Officials with Explore St. Louis said earlier this spring they were holding dates open at The Dome at America’s Center in case the league came back. When pressed about whether any XFL-related contract was in place Friday, a spokesperson for Explore St. Louis told Spectrum News “You know as much as we do at this point."