Will Jerry Jones allow NFL team in San Antonio? Wild XFL game with 24,000 in attendance sees sports columnist deliver verdict
Although the NFL season concluded last week, football fans only had to go one week without watching a game.
The XFL opened up play this weekend, and the attendance in some host cities was incredible. One of those cities was San Antonio, Texas. On Sunday, the San Antonio Brahmas hosted the St. Louis Battlehawks at the iconic Alamodome and had 24,000 fans in attendance.
It was the largest attendance of any XFL game in the opening weekend and was considered a sellout. The Alamodome's capacity is 64,000, but only the lower level seating was open for the game.
Mike Finger, the San Antonio Express-News sports columnist, tweeted about the size of the crowd, saying that San Antonio quickly supports any team they get. Finger said that the fan support reminded him of Dallas Cowboys team owner Jerry Jones and why San Antonio can never get an NFL expansion team.
"The way San Antonio completely, immediately and unskeptically embraces every one of the ~dozen pro football start-ups who've ventured into town just reminds Jerry Jones why he'll never allow an NFL team here."
The way San Antonio completely, immediately and unskeptically embraces every one of the ~dozen pro football start-ups who've ventured into town just reminds Jerry Jones why he'll never allow an NFL team here. twitter.com/GregLuca/statu…
Not only did San Antonio Fans pack the Alamodoome, but they were also fully engaged and loud during the game, even doing the wave. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who purchased the XFL when it went into bankruptcy in 2020, announced during the game that San Antonio will host the XFL Championship game on May 13, 2023.
San Antonio has been mentioned as an expansion city if and when the National Football League decides to add another team. However, it has always been rumored that Jerry Jones would stop it in fear of losing a significant number of fans to a rival team.
San Antonio mayor doesn't think Jerry Jones would block NFL expansion team
The Dallas Cowboys and a possible San Antonio NFL team would be just down the I-35 corridor from each other.
San Antonio residents are Cowboys fans, and team owner Jerry Jones is well aware of that. In recent years, it has been said that Jones would try to stop the National Football League from adding an expansion team in San Antonio so that he wouldn't see a decrease in his fan base.
Last summer, though, Ron Nirenberg, mayor of San Antonio, said that he believes that two NFL teams can both be successful:
"You know, I think that is way overblown. Nobody owns the 35 corridor. The people of Texas own the corridor, and if Aggies and Longhorns can coexist there, the Dallas Cowboys share that with other fans as well, and they currently do."
Talked some sports with @Ron_Nirenberg and told him I've always heard that Jerry Jones will never allow an @NFL franchise to establish in SA because he knows he owns the 135 corridor south of Dallas all the way to Mexico. Here's the Mayor's response. @NFLtoSanAntonio @COSAGOV https://t.co/gOevlMTqRC
While he said that he wouldn't speak for Jerry Jones, Nirenberg doesn't believe that the longtime NFL team owner would prevent the city from getting an expansion team, insisting that those rumors are 'overblown'.
If the success of the San Antonio Brahmas continues, the league may be even more eager to explore the city as a possible franchise, and fans will get to see how Jones reacts.