Baltimore Brigade to host regional rival Washington Valor in ArenaBowl XXXI on Saturday

The Baltimore Brigade will host the Washington Valor in ArenaBowl XXXI on Saturday at Royal Farms Arena at 7 p.m., the Arena Football League announced Saturday night.

The Valor, the No. 4 seed, beat the No. 1 seed Albany Empire, 47-40, on Saturday night to secure the higher aggregate score of 103-97 in their home-and-home series. The No. 3 seed Brigade swept their home-and-home series with the two-time defending champion Philadelphia Soul with a 53-41 victory Friday night.

It will be the first ArenaBowl appearance for both franchises, which are owned by Ted Leonsis’ Monumental Sports & Entertainment. The group also owns the NBA’s Washington Wizards, NHL’s Washington Capitals and WNBA’s Washington Mystics.

The Brigade and Valor debuted in the spring of 2017, with Baltimore finishing the regular-season 4-10 before losing in the semifinals to the Soul. Washington was the only team that failed to reach the playoffs in the then-five-team league. After the season, the Cleveland Gladiators announced a two-year absence while its home arena — the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Quicken Loans Arena — undergoes renovations and the Tampa Bay Storm suspended operations, putting the AFL at four teams for the first time since its debut season in 1987.

ArenaBowl XXXI will be televised live on CBS Sports Network. Tickets will be available Monday at 10 a.m. and can be purchased online at baltimorebrigade.com, at the Royal Farms Arena box office, by calling 667-930-0200 or by emailing ticketsales@baltimorebrigade.com.