ST. LOUIS–A week after a “win and you’re in” playoff scenario fell by the wayside, the St. Louis Battlehawks’ road to the postseason is, to say the very least, more complicated as the team hosts Orlando Saturday morning in the XFL team’s regular season finale.

What You Need To Know

  • Kickoff is 11am Saturday against Orlando at The Dome at America's Center

  • The "Battle Walk" of players from Baer Park to The Dome will take place at approx. 8:05am

  • The team will honor the five area high school football programs which won state championships in 2022

  • The team is the only XFL club to average more than 30,000 fans in attendance. Tickets are still available

Of the four remaining scenarios, three are fairly simple: If the Battlehawks win and Seattle loses Sunday against Las Vegas, St. Louis gets in to face DC on the road for the North Division championship. If the opposite happens, Seattle goes to Washington, DC. If both teams lose, St. Louis will advance on the basis of fewer division losses.

If both teams win, it goes to the fourth tiebreaker: St. Louis needs to have the best combined ranking among division teams (St. Louis, Seattle, Las Vegas and DC) in points scored and points allowed in all games. That’s why Seattle kicked a late field goal despite already being ahead last week St. Louis. According to the league, the Battlehawks need to score 19 more points than Seattle does this weekend.

“I’ve seen all the conspiracy theorist YouTube videos and all the scenarios and possible other potential fallouts from other scores and other games that maybe change some of the implications on the different tiebreakers but I think the most important thing is we win the game,” Battlehawks Head Coach Anthony Becht told reporters Thursday. “We’re gonna do our very best to score as many points as possible, not put our defense in a situation where they gotta make stops in bad parts of the field and hopefully they can apply enough pressure, be aggressive enough that we don’t give up close to many points at all.”

“If you worry about points, you start to press a little and do things you’re not used to so for us it’s about going out, playing the best ball we can and coming out to win on Saturday,” said Battlehawks QB A.J. McCarron. 

The 11 a.m. kickoff at The Dome at America’s Center will be the earliest of the season for St. Louis. 

Fans who want to greet players as they arrive by bus at Baer Park adjacent to the Dome will want to be in that area by 8:05 a.m. The team is asking fans to wear Battlehawk blue. There will also be an official tailgate with live music, yard games and a kids zone. 

The team will be looking to draw its fifth crowd of more than 30,000 fans this season, leading the league in attendance by a wide margin. Tickets are still available. As of Thursday afternoon, there were no plans to open the 400 level in the Dome’s upper deck for seating.

The five St. Louis-area high school football programs which won state championships in 2022 (CBC, St. Mary’s, East St. Louis, Francis Howell and Cardinal Ritter) will be recognized Saturday and the team also says 20 NFL alums are expected to attend the game.

Not goodbye?

McCarron came into this season as the most decorated quarterback in a league that’s all about giving players another chance to make another impression in hopes of getting to or returning to the NFL.

XFL ownership has already said the league will return in 2024.

McCarron told reporters this week he’s proven this year he can play at a high level, and that after the season he’ll sit down with his family and his agent to see what comes next. 

“I don’t know if it’s my last time,” McCarron said when asked about Saturday potentially being his last game here. 

“It’s been a pleasure to represent the city of St. Louis and Battlehawk nation. The fanbase has been unreal and more than I could ever imagine so it’s definitely been a pleasure to play for them and represent this organization, the league, the city so hopefully we can just go out, just play our game and leave with a W,” he said.

Becht said Thursday the XFL is where the head coach wants to be.

“The schedule is fantastic. I get to grind for 5 football months. I get to look at players throughout the year and quite frankly I can watch my son (Iowa State QB Rocco Becht) play football during the fall, so those variables, the quality of life is gonna be hard to pass up so, you’re always open to hearing things but at this point guys, I kind of like my situation, I’m thankful for it every single day I’m thankful for the opportunity the XFL has given me and it’s put me in a good place professionally and personally,” Becht said.

But first things first.  

“Whatever happens to us on Saturday, Sunday still matters, so we’ll watch the game and hopefully things align for ourselves in a positive way,” Becht said.