UFL Attendance: A Record-Breaking Afternoon in Alabama
Saturday afternoon heralded the much-anticipated return of former Alabama Crimson Tide legend A.J. McCarron to his home state. As a result of his return to the Yellowhammer State and a pitched back-and-forth battle, the attendance at Protective Stadium proved to be successful and fruitful for the reigning USFL champions.
Per Mike Mitchell of Sports Illustrated, over 14,000 fans attended the matchup between two of the best UFL teams.
The attendance figures mark a record for the Stallions since they returned to spring play
St. Louis, helmed by the aforementioned McCarron, came into the contest with a 5-1 record, which leads the XFL conference. Birmingham, led by former Kansas State passer Adrian Martinez, the back-to-back champions of the USFL, was undefeated with a 6-0 record. The game between the two UFL heavyweight favorites more than lived up to the hype. Birmingham proved to be the better team despite some offensive miscues. As a result, they extended their lead over the second-place Michigan Panthers. The Battlehawks are now tied for the XFL conference lead with the Brahmas.
Here’s the dramatic game-winning touchdown by the Stallions’ Kevin Austin, Jr from Martinez on a slant
The coaches on each side shared a touching moment post-game after such an intensely contested Saturday matinee. Becht is a New York Jets legend who’s ascending the coaching ranks, while Skip Holtz is a brilliant coach in his own right.
What’s next for each team?
The Stallions host the struggling Houston Roughnecks (1-5) on Saturday, May 18, at 8 PM EDT on ESPN2. Next Sunday at high noon on ABC, St. Louis returns home to face a tough D.C. Defenders squad fighting for its playoff lives. At the end of the season, the two best records in each conference are eligible for the playoffs. The XFL conference is far from decided and could go down to the wire while the Stallions have a firm grip in their conference.
Joseph is a veteran writer of many publications past and present. He is a long-time Tennessee Titans fan and draft scout/analyst, along with writing about the league is a passion project. Mr. Yun has been credentialed to the Senior Bowl multiple times. Readers will find he brings the juice with a scout’s eye and analytical mind. Follow me on Twitter @2Yoon2ZeroBlitz for more good stuff!