The San Antonio Brahmas were a professional American football team based in San Antonio, Texas. The Brahmas competed in the United Football League (UFL) as a member of the XFL Conference. The team was owned and operated by Dwayne Johnson's Alpha Acquico and Fox Corporation. The Brahmas played their home games at the Alamodome. The Brahmas had a franchise regular season record of 11–11 (.500).
History
The XFL played its first season in 2020 with eight teams, as a reboot to the league of the same name that played in 2001. After five games, it was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the league's April bankruptcy, the XFL had begun discussions with San Antonio to relocate one of its eight teams there. It had been unavailable as a market at the time of the league's launching due to the Alliance of American Football placing the San Antonio Commanders (that league's best-attended team) there, and because of the XFL's policy at the time of preferring cities that already had NFL franchises.
After XFL founder Vince McMahon sold the league to a consortium led by businesswoman Dany Garcia and her ex-husband, business partner, and former WWE wrestler Dwayne Johnson, and the league did not play in 2021 or 2022, it was announced the league would return for the 2023 season. In March 2022, rumors of a San Antonio XFL team again emerged after the league hired Reggie Barlow, reportedly to serve as the team's coach; Barlow instead would be assigned to the DC Defenders. The league announced in July 2022 that three teams from the 2020 would be replaced, and five would return, and that San Antonio would be among the three new cities, ultimately replacing the LA Wildcats.
The July announcement revealed San Antonio's head coach as Hines Ward and their stadium as the Alamodome. On October 31, 2022, the logo was revealed and the team name was announced as the San Antonio Brahmas. The Brahma name is of Hindu origin, coming from the Hindu creator god; more directly, the Brahmas name comes from the American Brahman, a hybrid species cross-bred from sacred zebu and American cattle that Johnson has long used as a personal mascot. The XFL Brahmas team jerseys were revealed on December 8; their uniforms will be yellow-gold and grey. In the 2023 XFL draft, the Brahmas were allocated quarterbacks Jawon Pass and Anthony Russo and used their top pick to select running back Jacques Patrick. On February 22, 2023, the XFL's director of communications Jeff Altstadter announced the firing of team executive Mike Sheehan.
The 2023 XFL season began on February 18, 2023, and featured 40 regular season games. The Brahmas compiled an overall record of 3–7 during their inaugural season, missing the playoffs.
On December 28, 2023, Ward resigned from the Brahmas after finishing with a 3–7 record in 2023, in response to a change in contract structure. Houston Roughnecks Head Coach Wade Phillips replaced Ward, a maneuver that would allow the Roughnecks identity to be cleared and used for the former Houston Gamblers.
In September 2023, Axios reported that the XFL was in advanced talks with the USFL to merge the two leagues prior to the start of their 2024 seasons. On September 28, 2023, the XFL and USFL announced their intent to merge with details surrounding the merger to be announced at a later date. The merger would also require regulatory approval. In October 2023 the XFL filed a trademark application for the name "United Football League". On November 30, 2023, Garcia announced via her Instagram page that the leagues had received regulatory approval for the merger and were finalizing plans for a "combined season" to begin March 30, 2024. The merger was made official on December 31, 2023.
Though Phillips had been signed through the 2025 season, his health began a severe decline during the offseason, limiting his presence during training camp and, according to offensive coordinator A. J. Smith, creating a leadership vacuum that led to a power struggle between him and other organizational forces. Smith had made an effort to recruit A. J. McCarron, who had fallen out with the rival St. Louis Battlehawks that offseason, only to be vetoed by Brahmas upper management. Smith resigned two weeks into the 2025 season amid alleged interference in his offensive playcalling, followed a week later by Phillips being forced to take a leave of absence after suffering a health emergency midway through the April 13 game. Special teams coach Payton Pardee, the grandson of Jack Pardee (a friend and associate of Phillips's father Bum), ascended to head coach and offensive coordinator April 16; Pardee hired Jack Welch as his own replacement. Phillips would later attribute his health issues to a medication error that was eventually corrected and that he was back in good health by fall 2025.
On October 3, the UFL announced the closure of the Brahmas organization. A statement from the league explicitly cited "new owners" (Mike Repole) and an insistence that the Alamodome was too large for Repole's vision for the league, and that if the UFL were to return, it would be no sooner than 2028 and only if a new stadium were constructed (which no such stadium is planned). The closure of the Brahmas was a complete surprise, given that while multiple UFL teams had been mentioned as candidates for relocation and shuttering, San Antonio had never been included among them, and the UFL had already signed the stadium contract with the Alamodome to return to the city for 2026. Though the Alamodome had long used a strategy of keeping the upper decks closed and unlit for smaller events to provide the intimate atmosphere being sought, Repole stated in an October 7 press conference that the result "didn't look right," and this was why he relocated the team. Players under contract were transferred to the Orlando Storm.
The Continental Football League, a third-tier minor professional league positioned below the UFL, announced plans for a replacement team, the San Antonio Toros, shortly after Repole's decision.
Player history
Current NFL players SeasonPosNameNFL team2023–2024GKohl LevaoNew York Jets2023–2024LSRex SunaharaCleveland Browns2025TEThomas GordonDetroit Lions
Notable players SeasonPosNameNotes2023QBPaxton LynchFormer Denver Broncos Quarterback, 2016 1st Round Pick2023RBKalen BallageFormer Miami Dolphins Running Back, 2018 4th Round Pick2024DETarell BashamFormer Dallas Cowboys Defensive End, 2017 3rd Round Pick2024FSTeez TaborFormer Detroit Lions Defensive Back, 2017 2nd Round Pick2024WRCody LatimerFormer Denver Broncos Wide Receiver, 2014 2nd Round Pick2024CBQuincy WilsonFormer New York Giants Defensive Back, 2017 2nd Round Pick2024–2025KDonald De La HayeCurrent YouTuber, has over 5.7 million subscribers2024–2025RBAnthony McFarlandFormer Pittsburgh Steelers Running back, 2020 4th Round Pick2024CBCameron DantzlerFormer Minnesota Vikings Cornerback, 2020 3rd Round Pick2025QBKellen MondFormer Minnesota Vikings Quarterback, 2021 3rd Round Pick2025CBGreedy WilliamsFormer Cleveland Browns Cornerback, 2019 2nd Round Pick
Coach history
Head coach history #NameTermRegular seasonPlayoffsAwardsGCWLWin %GCWLSan Antonio Brahmas1Hines Ward20231037.300 – – –2Wade Phillips2024–2025 13 7 6 .538 2 1 13Payton Pardee2025 7 1 6.143 - - -
Offensive coordinator history #NameTermRegular seasonPlayoffsAwardsGCWLWin %GCWLSan Antonio Brahmas1Jaime Elizondo2023413.250 – – –2Jimmie Johnson2023624.333 – – –3A. J. Smith2024 12 7 5 .583 2 1 14Payton Pardee2025 8 1 7 .125 - - -
Defensive coordinator history #NameTermRegular seasonPlayoffsAwardsGCWLWin %GCWLSan Antonio Brahmas1Jim Herrmann20231037.300 – – –2Will Reed2024–202520812.400211
Rivalries
Houston Roughnecks The Brahmas were in-state rivals with the Houston Roughnecks. The rivalry is billed as the Lone Star Showdown (not to be confused with the Texas/Texas A&M collegiate rivalry also known as the Lone Star Showdown).
Overall regular season record vs. opponents +TeamRecordWin %Orlando Guardians2–01.000Memphis Showboats1–01.000Michigan Panthers1–01.000Dallas Renegades3–1.750Birmingham Stallions1–1.500Houston Roughnecks1–1.500DC Defenders1–2.333St. Louis Battlehawks1–5.166Seattle Sea Dragons0–1.000Vegas Vipers0–1.000Houston Roughnecks (XFL)0–2.000 Defunct teams in light gray
Season by season record
UFL champions (2024–2025)XFL champions (2023)Conference champions Division championsWild Card berth
SeasonTeamLeagueConferenceDivisionRegular seasonPostseason resultsAwardsHead coachesPct.Finish20232023XFLSouth3rd37Hines Ward20242024UFLXFL2nd73Won XFL Conference Championship (Battlehawks) 25–15Lost 2024 UFL Championship (Stallions) 0–25 Wade Phillips20252025UFLXFL4th19 Wade Phillips & Payton PardeeTotal1119All-time regular season record (2023–2025)11All-time postseason record (2023–2025)1220All-time regular season and postseason record (2023–2025)
Records All-time Brahmas leadersLeader Player Record Years with Brahmas Passing yards Jack Coan 1,471 passing yards 2023Passing touchdownsJack Coan Chase Garbers
Quinten Dormady6 passing touchdowns2023 2024
2024 Rushing Jashaun Corbin 514 rushing yards 2025Rushing touchdownsJohn Lovett6 rushing touchdowns2024–2025 Receiving Jontre Kirklin 898 receiving yards 2024–2025Receiving touchdownsAnthony McFarland Jontre Kirklin3 receiving touchdowns2024–2025 2024–2025ReceptionsJontre Kirklin91 receptions2024–2025TacklesJordan Williams232 tackles2023–2025 Sacks Delontae Scott 11.5 sacks 2023–2024 Interceptions Kameron Kelly Teez Tabor
Tenny Adewusi
Tavante Beckett
Jalen Elliott 2 interceptions2023 2024
2023
2024–2025
2025Coaching winsWade Phillips8 wins2024–p2025 Starting quarterbacks
Regular season – As of June 2, 2025 Season(s) Quarterback(s) Notes Ref 2023 Jack Coan (2–5) / Reid Sinnett (0–1) / Jawon Pass (0–1) / Kurt Benkert (0–1) 2024 Quinten Dormady (5–1) / Chase Garbers (2–2) 2025 Kellen Mond (1–6) / Kevin Hogan (0–3) Postseason Season(s) Quarterback(s) Notes Ref 2024 Chase Garbers (1–1) Most games as starting quarterback Name Period 2023 8 7 2 5 2025 8 7 1 6 2024 8 6 5 1 2024 5 4 2 2 2024–2025 7 3 0 3 2023 2 1 0 1 2023 3 1 0 1 2023 4 1 0 1
Market overview The Brahmas are the first professional football team in San Antonio since the San Antonio Commanders of the Alliance of American Football in 2019, who averaged over 28,000 fans per game. The Brahmas join the San Antonio Spurs and San Antonio FC as professional sports teams in San Antonio. The Brahmas also join the San Antonio Gunslingers as football teams located in San Antonio.
Daryl Johnston, the UFL's vice president of football operations, had been on the Commanders' staff in 2019 and had seen the potential of the market, one that could rival the UFL's strongest, the St. Louis Battlehawks, if properly managed. It remains one of the UFL's stronger markets despite declines in attendance since the Commanders' time in the city, Johnston noted the decline was partly due to business issues on the league's end that "didn’t come together the way we wanted them to at the time" of the USFL/XFL merger.
The Brahmas fan base relies on Hispanic culture and Spanish language for much of its image.
References
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