SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio has fumbled several opportunities in the past when it comes to professional football, but there’s new hope as the XFL relaunches its league.
The league kicks off its new season this weekend and the marquee matchup is between the San Antonio Brahmas and the St. Louis Battlehawks.
There’s already been a groundswell of support for the Brahmas on social media including an all-female football fan group called the Brahma Mammas.
“What we’re really trying to do is increase interaction between the fans, between females, children and the community,” said RC Woods, Brahma Mammas member and co-host for the Smokin’ Gunz podcast.
“My excitement level is across the top. I’m excited to bring the community community together, and all the camaraderie that goes along with tailgating and then the excitement for the team,” said fellow member Anita Parker.
Woods and Parker are optimistic about the new XFL despite San Antonio’s history with professional football.
The San Antonio Commanders folded four years ago after the Alliance of American Football League fell apart during its first season. They believe the star power behind the league will give it lasting power. The league is co-owned by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Former Pittsburgh Steelers great Hines Ward is the Brahmas head coach.
“We have The Rock, we have Dany Garcia, we also have Disney and we have really great players,” Woods said.
“We also don’t want to leave out head coach Hines Ward. He is our key to the momentum and where we’re going to go with the Brahmas,” Parker said.
The Brahma Mammas also hope to make game day a family friendly experience starting with a food drive to benefit the San Antonio Food Bank on Sunday.
“What I can envision is every time we tailgate, we have some sort of a community event, collecting blankets, toys, just have something to give back to the community,” Parker said.
Woods co-hosts her local football podcast with Phillip Higginbotham and Leo Llamas. The trio along with fan groups like the Brahma Mammas have been on a mission to build the local XFL community.
“We have the Spurs, the Missions and we also have soccer, but we really need a football team,” Woods said. “We wanted to do something to increase the fan interaction and also increase females supporting the XFL in San Antonio.”
Kickoff for the Brahmas home opener is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday at the Alamodome. You can find more information here.
The game will also be telecast on KSAT 12.