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Date | May 13, 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||
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Kickoff time | 8:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4) | ||||||||||||||||||
Stadium | Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas | ||||||||||||||||||
MVP | Luis Perez, Arlington | ||||||||||||||||||
Favorite | DC by 8.5 | ||||||||||||||||||
Referee | Michael VanderVelde | ||||||||||||||||||
Attendance | 22,754 [1] | ||||||||||||||||||
TV in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
Network | ABC | ||||||||||||||||||
Announcers | Tom Hart, Greg McElroy, Cole Cubelic and Katie George | ||||||||||||||||||
Nielsen ratings | 0.8 (1.44 million viewers) |
The 2023 XFL Championship Game was an American football game on May 13, 2023, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. [2] [3] [4] The contest determined the champion of the 2023 XFL season and was played between the South Division title winners Arlington Renegades and the North Division title winners DC Defenders. [5] The game began at 8:00 p.m. EDT and was aired on ABC. [2]
The game was the first and only championship game of the second stint of the XFL as a standalone league. In the first stint of the XFL, there was only one championship game held, the Million Dollar Game in 2001. The league folded shortly after the game was played. A championship game was scheduled for the end of the 2020 XFL season but was forbidden from taking place due to stay-at-home orders and gathering restrictions tied to the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the premature end of the 2020 season after five weeks of play. [6] [7]
On February 19, 2023, the Alamodome was selected as host for the first edition of the championship. [2] [8] The Alamodome is a 64,000-seat venue in the southeastern fringe of Downtown San Antonio. Opened in May 1993, the stadium is home to one of the XFL's own teams, San Antonio Brahmas. The stadium is also known as the home stadium for the UTSA Roadrunners football program and the annual Alamo Bowl.
The four teams competing in the Playoff clinched their spot during their regular season during different times of the overall season of the league. The top two placed teams in each division would face against each other for the division title. Whichever division title game team won, would then face the other champion from the other division in the XFL Championship Game. Both DC Defenders and Houston Roughnecks clinched their spot after Week 8. [9] Lastly, both Arlington Renegades and Seattle Sea Dragons clinched their spot after Seattle won their last regular season game and San Antonio lost their last regular season game. [10] Controversy began as St. Louis Battlehawks were eliminated from the playoffs at the end of the season and had a higher overall record than Arlington Renegades (yet being in two separate divisions), the Battlehawks placed third in the North division after failing the tie-breakers against the Seattle Sea Dragons. [11] [12]
The Division Finals were played on April 29 and April 30, 2023. In the South Division Final title game, Arlington Renegades upset Houston Roughnecks as 6.5 point underdogs, 26–11. In the North Division Final title game, DC Defenders defeated Seattle Sea Dragons 37–21. [13] [14]
Division Finals April 29–30, 2023 | XFL Championship May 13, 2023 | ||||||||
N1 | DC Defenders | 37 | |||||||
N2 | Seattle Sea Dragons | 21 | |||||||
N1 | DC Defenders | 26 | |||||||
S2 | Arlington Renegades | 35 | |||||||
S1 | Houston Roughnecks | 11 | |||||||
S2 | Arlington Renegades | 26 |
Arlington Renegades finished their second overall season under head coach Bob Stoops, going 4–6 and advancing to their first playoff berth to the division title game against Houston Roughnecks (South Division leaders). [15] [16]
DC Defenders finished their second overall season under head coach Reggie Barlow, going 9–1 and advancing to their first playoff berth to the division title game against Seattle Sea Dragons. [17] [18]
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Arlington Renegades | 14 | 6 | 12 | 3 | 35 |
DC Defenders | 0 | 6 | 14 | 6 | 26 |
at Alamodome • San Antonio, Texas
Game information | ||
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Renegades quarterback Luis Perez, previously named to the all-XFL team, was named the game's Most Valuable Player. In accordance with the XFL's incentive-based pay structure, Perez and the rest of the Renegades roster won $12,500 per player for their victory. [19]
After the game, ABC has officially announced that the league would return in February 2024, featuring the same eight teams that competed during the 2023 season. On December 31, 2023, the XFL merged with a competing league, the United States Football League, to form the United Football League, thereby contracting four of the teams from each league but keeping each entity alive as separate conferences; on February 5, 2024, the league announced along with its schedule that separate USFL and XFL Championship Games would continue to be held as part of its playoff structure, with the winners of each moving on to the 2024 UFL Championship. [20] [21]
James Donald Haslett is an American football coach and former linebacker who was most recently the head coach of the Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL. He played college football for the IUP Crimson Hawks before being drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of the 1979 NFL Draft; he went on to be named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
The Seattle Sea Dragons were a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. The Sea Dragons competed in the second incarnation of the XFL. The team was founded by Vince McMahon’s Alpha Entertainment as the Seattle Dragons, and were owned-and-operated by Dwayne Johnson’s Alpha Acquico. The Sea Dragons played their home games at Lumen Field.
The Arlington Renegades are a professional American football team based in Arlington, Texas. The Renegades compete in the United Football League (UFL). The team was founded as the Dallas Renegades by Vince McMahon's Alpha Entertainment and are owned-and-operated by Dwayne Johnson's Alpha Acquico and Fox Corporation. The Renegades play their home games at Choctaw Stadium. The Renegades had a franchise regular season record of 4-6 and were 2-0 in the playoffs. They move over to the UFL and will start the 2024 season against the USFL Champion Birmingham Stallions.
The Houston Roughnecks were a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The Roughnecks competed in the XFL football league. The team was founded by Vince McMahon’s Alpha Entertainment and were an owned-and-operated by Dwayne Johnson’s Alpha Acquico. The Roughnecks played their home games at TDECU Stadium. The Roughnecks had a franchise regular season record of 12-3 (.800), the highest win percentage among all XFL teams.
The St. Louis Battlehawks are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. The Battlehawks compete in the United Football League (UFL) as a founding member of the XFL Conference. The team was founded by Vince McMahon’s Alpha Entertainment and are owned-and-operated by Dwayne Johnson's Alpha Acquico and Fox Corporation. The Battlehawks play their home games at The Dome at America's Center. The Battlehawks have a franchise regular season record of 10–5 (.667), the third highest win percentage among UFL teams as of its 2024 season.
The DC Defenders are a professional American football team based in Washington, D.C. The Defenders compete in the United Football League (UFL). The team was founded by Vince McMahon’s Alpha Entertainment and is owned and operated by Dwayne Johnson's Alpha Acquico and Fox Corporation. The Defenders play their home games at Audi Field. The Defenders have a regular season record of 12–3 (.800), the second-highest win percentage among UFL teams as of its 2024 season. They were also the top team in the 2023 XFL, boasting a 9–1 record and scoring 49 more points than the next closest team, the St. Louis Battlehawks.
The Birmingham Stallions are a professional American football team based in Birmingham, Alabama. The Stallions compete in the United Football League (UFL). The Stallions are owned-and-operated by Dwayne Johnson's Alpha Acquico and Fox Corporation. They play their home games at Protective Stadium. They have won both of the USFL championship games since its founding, defeating the Philadelphia Stars 33–30 in 2022 and defeating the Pittsburgh Maulers 28–12 in 2023.
The 2023 XFL season was the second season in the reboot of the XFL, the first under its new ownership group of Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, and Gerry Cardinale, and the third in the history of the XFL brand created and originally owned by Vince McMahon.
The San Antonio Brahmas are a professional American football team based in San Antonio, Texas. The Brahmas compete in the United Football League (UFL) as a member of the XFL Conference. The team is owned-and-operated by Dwayne Johnson's Alpha Acquico and Fox Corporation. The Brahmas play their home games at the Alamodome. The Brahmas have a franchise regular season record of 2-1 (0.666), the highest win percentage among UFL teams as of its 2024 season.
The 2023 DC Defenders season was the second season for the DC Defenders as a professional American football franchise. The Defenders played their home games at Audi Field and were led by head coach Reggie Barlow.
The 2023 Arlington Renegades season is the second season for the Arlington Renegades as a professional American football franchise. They are charter members of the XFL, one of eight teams to compete in the league for the 2023 season. The Renegades play their home games at the Choctaw Stadium and are led by head coach Bob Stoops.
The 2023 Houston Roughnecks season was the second season for the Houston Roughnecks as a professional American football franchise. They played as charter members of the XFL, one of eight teams to compete in the league for the 2023 season. The Roughnecks played their home games at the TDECU Stadium and were led by head coach Wade Phillips.
The 2023 Orlando Guardians season was the second season for the Orlando Guardians as a professional American football franchise. They played as charter members of the XFL, one of eight teams to compete in the league for the 2023 season. The Guardians played their home games at the Camping World Stadium and were led by head coach Terrell Buckley.
The 2023 San Antonio Brahmas season was the first season for the San Antonio Brahmas as a professional American football franchise. They are members of the XFL, one of eight teams to compete in the league for the 2023 season. The Brahmas played their home games at the Alamodome and were led by head coach Hines Ward.
The 2023 Seattle Sea Dragons season was the second season for the Seattle Sea Dragons as a professional American football franchise. They played as charter members of the XFL, one of eight teams to compete in the league for the 2023 season. The Sea Dragons played their home games at the Lumen Field and were led by head coach Jim Haslett.
The 2023 St. Louis Battlehawks season was the second season for the St. Louis Battlehawks as a professional American football franchise. They played as charter members of the XFL, one of eight teams to compete in the league for the 2023 season. The BattleHawks played their home games at The Dome at America's Center and were led by head coach Anthony Becht.
The 2024 XFL season was the planned third season of the rebooted XFL and the second under its new ownership group of Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, and Gerry Cardinale.
The 2023 XFL rookie draft was the player selection process to fill the rosters of the eight teams for the 2024 XFL season, and the only rookie draft in the rebooted version of the XFL's history.
The 2024 Arlington Renegades season is the ongoing third season for the Arlington Renegades as a professional American football franchise and their first as part of the United Football League. The Renegades will play their home games at the Choctaw Stadium and are led by head coach Bob Stoops.
The 2024 UFL season is the first season of the United Football League (UFL), which was created following the merger of the XFL and USFL, and the fifth season in the combined history of the two leagues, following the 2020 XFL season, 2022 USFL season, and separate 2023 seasons for both the USFL and XFL.