All offseason, we’ve been wondering about where the XFL Championship will end up, and there was speculation that Las Vegas could be the destination. However, we’ve now received word from the league that the Championship game will take place in one of the XFL’s home stadiums.
Here’s a quick look at all 8 venues, ranked in order of capacity. Also, I looked at the concessions because I’m hungry right now, but it’s important. We all know that.
Metlife Stadium: New York City
Ok, it’s in New Jersey, but you get the picture-wise guy. The home of the New York Guardians, Giants and Jets can hold 82,500 fans and hosted Super Bowl XLVII. I was hoping to see gabagool on the menu, but that Jumbo Jet Sandwich looks pretty awesome. Italian sausage, Guinness beer cheese, and caramelized onions and a special house sauce…enough said.
Centurylink Field: Seattle
The stomping grounds of the 12th man would be a great location, as the Seahawks and Dragons home base holds 72,000 fans. They’ve got all your standard ballpark fare but if we’re going metropolitan, Pho Cyclo’s menu looks fantastic. You can’t ever go wrong with a hot bowl of Pho, but the Pork Belly Bahn Mi sandwich looks like the perfect game-time snack.
The Dome at America’s Center – St Louis
After the Ram’s abrupt exodus to Los Angeles, St Louis has been hungry for football with the Battlehawks. With an established fanbase and an NFL caliber stadium that holds 66,695 people. STL could be a great destination for the Championship. I’m not so sure what concessions will be there after a 4 year football hiatus, but I can tell you now they’ll have some killer BBQ on deck.
Raymond James Stadium – Tampa Bay
The Vipers and Buccaneeer’s home port could be another good location, and Tampa Bay’s field has a great open layout that holds 65,618 fans. The stadium also just announced a new line of concessions this year, and if we’re in Florida come May, I’m getting the Cubano sandwich with plantain chips. No question.
Global Life Park – Dallas
The MLB’s Texas Rangers and Dallas Renegades are now sharing a home field. While it’s a shade smaller than some of the above stadiums at 49,115 capacity, it’s a great venue with a long history of serving Lone Star fans. The food is as Texan as the Alamo, with a whopping two-pounder chicken strip and a Red White and Blue hot dog on the menu. Those both sound awesome and American, but Bacon Wrapped Wings just seems like too good of an opportunity to pass up.
TDECU Stadium – Houston
The University of Houston Cougars and the Roughnecks will be taking turns in this stadium now, and it holds a respectable 40,000 fans. An NCAA stadium, it’s still prepared for rowdy football, and the city of Houston has hosted pro football championships in the past. Its concessions aren’t as over the top as some of the pro stadiums above, but the H-Town Burger has two patties, jalapenos, chipotle mayo, and jack cheese. Not bad.
Dignity Health Sports Park (formerly Stubhub Center) – Los Angeles
The home of the Wildcats, Chargers, and Galaxy (MLS) may not be the biggest stadium, at 27,000 seats, but it’s used to handling pro football games. It’s on the smaller side, so it might not be a top choice, but damn their tacos look delicious. Also, Hawaiian brewery Kona sets up there, and that’s a good beer.
Audi Stadium – Washington DC
It’s set up to be a soccer field for the DC United, but the offseason star Defenders will be playing there. It only holds 20,000 fans, but I think there’s a good chance Cardale Jones will carry his team to the Championship, so it’s not worth ruling out. They also get points for having elotes, and I’m interested in the DC homegrown “half-smoke”. It’s essentially a souped-up chili dog, made with a unique half pork, half beef sausage that’s a local classic. Count me in.
With teams in Dallas, DC, Houston, LA, New York, Seattle and St. Louis, there are some intriguing spots for the league to pick from. Will the team with the best record get a home game, like how the NFL does in the playoffs? Will the XFL choose a stadium that can hold more fans? Stay tuned, we’ll be the first to tell you.