SAN ANTONIO — In its return season after being cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the XFL will conclude the 2023 season from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on Saturday, May 13.
The two teams left standing are the South Division Championship winners, Arlington Renegades, versus the North Division Championship winners, D.C. Defenders.
Where/how can I watch the XFL Championship?
The 2023 XFL Championship game will air on WFAA and kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST.
If you want to attend the championship in San Antonio, you can buy tickets online here. As of May 2, tickets were as cheap as $35.50.
What they're fighting for: 2023 XFL Championship trophy
The XFL Championship Trophy features a football above a gold-treated “X” that symbolizes the XFL’s foundation as the intersection of dreams and opportunity. The panels of the football are left open, representing the aperture of what football and the XFL can make possible for its players, coaches, fans, and cities.
The trophy is made of stainless steel and aluminum, standing 24 inches tall and weighing 27 pounds.
The trophy’s design was inspired by the XFL’s core values and stated mission to provide opportunity and reward hard work and dedication. XFL officials said in a release that the league commissioned Stephanie Hoffman, a trailblazing welder, artist, and owner of the nationally renowned Underground Metalworks, to craft both the XFL Championship and Divisional Championship trophies in her New Jersey workshop.
“We were honored that Underground Metalworks was selected to create the XFL’s championship trophy,” said Hoffman. “Ownership’s vision for the League helped to shape our design and the creative process. I hope we have captured their passion to bring this historic piece to life.”
Who is playing in the XFL Championship and how did they qualify?
The Arlington Renegades and D.C. Defenders will square off for the 2023 XFL Championship.
The Defenders finished the year with the league's best regular season record (9-1) and defeated the Seattle Sea Dragons in the North Division Championship. The Renegades, on the other hand, made the championship despite having a losing record in the regular season (4-6).
How, you ask?
There are four teams in each division in the XFL, and the top two teams from each division play in their respective championship games. In the South Division, the Houston Roughnecks had the best record (7-3) and the Renegades finished in second (4-6). The other two teams in the South, San Antonio Brahmas and Orlando Guardians, finished with records of 3-7 and 1-9, respectively.
Arlington then upset the favored Roughnecks in the South Division Championship, 26-11, on April 29.
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