ST. LOUIS (June 11, 2025) – Members of the Tom Lombardo/St. Louis Chapter of the National Football Foundation hosted United Football League President & CEO Russ Brandon and St. Louis Battlehawks player Travis Feeney at their monthly luncheon Wednesday at Lombardo’s Restaurant.
Brandon and Feeney were part of a roundtable discussion, hosted by longtime St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports writer Jim Thomas.
Thomas, who noted how much he enjoys attending UFL games at The Dome At America’s Center as a fan now that he’s retired, said grassroots efforts like the appearance at Wednesday’s luncheon are important.
“I think any kind of outreach that the league does in any city, not just St. Louis, is just very valuable,” Thomas said. “I think it's fantastic. This group is very passionate about football, so this was great for them to educate and kind of tell them a little bit about how the league operates. They can see a face, and in the case of Travis Feeney, meet a player, and many of them took pictures (with Feeney and Brandon) afterwards.”
“We really appreciate the UFL being here today,” said luncheon attendee Bart Sullivan, who noted he has had Battlehawks season tickets for three years now. “For a group like ours that supports and loves the game of football, it was great to be able to hear directly from the league and get their perspectives on the UFL and the importance of St. Louis to the league.”
For Brandon, continuing to spread the word of the league is always a welcome opportunity.
“Any time we can get in front of a group of people and give them insight into what we’re building at the UFL, it’s important,” Brandon said. “To have the opportunity to do so with a chapter of the National Football Foundation was an incredible opportunity. The National Football Foundation is an important part of the football ecosystem and we were honored to meet with the great Tom Lombardo/St. Louis chapter this afternoon.”
The 2025 United Football League Championship Game presented by Underdog is slated for Saturday at The Dome at America’s Center. Kickoff between the USFL Conference Champion Michigan Panthers and XFL Conference Champion DC Defenders is slated for 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT. The 2025 UFL Championship Game will air nationally on ABC.