The Rock’s return to WWE for the road to WrestleMania 40 is not the only iron he has in the fire. He is still part-owner of the UFL, and he’s open to have a conversation about the league’s innovative approach.

The XFL announced in September 2023 that it was merging with the USFL to form the United Football League. The UFL’s season is set to kick off on March 30. 

Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Seinfeld) may tune in to see what the UFL has to offer, because he has some ideas for football. Those ideas got him a phone call one-on-on with The Great One.

Larry David Phone Call With The Rock

David has a lot of ideas, and one of them pertains to football. He wants to have the goalposts removed from the situation. It seems he believes that kicking the ball through the uprights has nothing to do with the game of football itself.

During an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show, Larry David explained how his quest to remove goal posts from the game of football got him a call from The Rock.

“I have a little update, because I’m still obsessed with it, and I heard about this UFL and I said, ‘let me talk to someone in the UFL.’ So, my agent got me on the phone with Dwayne Johnson.”

“I went straight up [the flag pole] and then he called me, and he had a conversation. He didn’t know [what I was calling about], but he was nice enough to call back. We had a conversation, and I pitched him my no goal post idea, and I thought it was gonna happen — he was completely into it.”

Larry David said there is a no reason for a goal post, and he argued that there should be no kick for an extra point. He had no idea that the XFL already had a rule like that.

Larry David, known goalposts hater, took his hatred to the top of the new #UFL food chain — he called @TheRock and made his pitch for change:@XFL2023 #NFL pic.twitter.com/71QvR38szn

— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) March 21, 2024

The Rock Responds To Larry David

The Rock saw David’s appearance on the Rich Eisen Show, and he had to reply. While expressing his love for the Seinfeld creator, he also remarked about the innovative rules that they implemented into the XFL.

LOVE my guy Larry David. He hates goalposts and field goal kicks [LOL emoji] – we had a spirited and very productive conversation. At the end of the day, like me and all of us fans – he loves the game of football. We at the XFL had already implemented new innovative rules last season that we carry over to our new @XFL2023 league that starts this month. I’m considering creating THE LARRY BOWL in his honor

LOVE my guy Larry David.
He hates goalposts and field goal kicks ? – we had a spirited and very productive conversation. At the end of the day, like me and all of us fans – he loves the game of football. We at the XFL had already implemented new innovative rules last season that… https://t.co/eMKnfPeJpW

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) March 22, 2024

UFL’s Opening Day & League Details

The UFL’s first game on opening day is scheduled for Saturday, March 30, 2024, where the Arlington Renegades and Birmingham Stallions, both previous champions in other leagues, will battle it out on the gridiron.

Four teams originated from the XFL, while three teams originated from the USFL. In the USFL Conference, teams include the Birmingham Stallions, the Houston Roughnecks, the Memphis Showboats, and the Michigan Panthers.

Meanwhile, the XFL Conference consists of the Arlington Renegades, the DC Defenders, the San Antonio Brahmas, and the St. Louis Battlehawks.

For more information on the UFL and this season’s details, please click here to find their official webpage.

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has given fans their first glimpse at the teams that will make up the newly formed United Football League. 

Last week, the Brahma Bull announced that his XFL would be uniting with the USFL to form the UFL, which aspires to cement the future of spring football. It is hoped that the joining of the leagues will improve the quality of football and give a better product to fans and players. Johnson and business partner Dany Garcia  acquired the XFL in 2020 after Vince McMahon’s second attempt at the world of professional football was snuffed out by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The UFL Teams

This week, the UFL announced the eight teams that will compete in the first season of the new league. The roster will consist of four teams from the XFL and four teams from the USFL. They are as follows. 

USFL Conference

• Birmingham Stallions

• Houston Roughnecks

• Memphis Showboats

• Michigan Panthers

XFL Conference

• Arlington Renegades

• D.C. Defenders

• San Antonio Brahmas

• St. Louis Battlehawks

Houston was the one overlapping market for the XFL and USFL and was one of the strongest markets for both leagues. As a result, the USFL’s Houston Gamblers have been rebranded as the Houston Roughnecks.

Coaches

Here are the Head Coaches for the UFL teams, They include returning names from both the XFL and USFL. 

• Skip Holtz (Stallions)

• Curtis Johnson (Roughnecks)

• John DeFilippo (Showboats)

• Mike Nolan (Panthers)

• Bob Stoops (Renegades)

• Reggie Barlow (Defenders)

• Wade Phillips (Brahmas)

• Anthony Becht (Battlehawks)

Kicking Off

The UFL’s 10-game regular season will start on Saturday, March 30, 2024. The opening game will see USFL champions Birmingham Stallions take on XFL champions Arlington Renegades. Players will report to training camp on Saturday, February 24, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. Season tickets for all eight markets are available for purchase.

Johnson and Garcia also discussed the launch of the UFL on ESPN. You can check out their comments in the video below. 

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson hopes to usher in a new era of football following the merger of the XFL and the USFL. 

Johnson acquired the XFL in 2020 after Vince McMahon’s second attempt at the world of professional football was snuffed out by the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest season kicked off in February of this year. 

The United Football League

It was recently reported that Dwayne Johnson had a huge announcement about the XFL and the Brahma Bull has delivered. Johnson, alongside business partner Dany Garcia, appeared on FOX’s NFL pre-game show. The former WWE Champion acknowledged Jimmy Johnson to kick things off, as he was inducted into the Dallas Cowboys Ring Of Honor last night this week. 

Johnson and Garcia then announced the merger of the XFL and the USFL to form the UFL. Johnson spoke about joining the leagues together to improve football and give a better product for both the fans and players. Johnson hopes that by combining leagues they can cement the future of spring football after it stopped and started over the previous decades. Johnson added that he always wanted to play in the NFL but said he’d be the 54th man when the rosters are cut at 53. 

The UFL will air on FOX and ESPN. The first game will take place on March 30, and see the champions of the XFL and USFL face each other in the opener. The merger and launch of the UFL shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise for fans. In September, it was announced that the XFL and USFL were looking to merge. 

Today marks the official announcement regarding the launch of the United Football League (the “UFL”), the premier spring football league that will result from the merger of the XFL and USFL.

Read more: https://t.co/PuA21cLW6L pic.twitter.com/JFHiQKmmCd

— UFL Communications Department (@UFL_PR) December 31, 2023

The Rock is teasing a big NFL announcement on the last day of 2023.

The Fox Sports NFL Twitter account recently teased a big news coming our way. Interestingly they tagged XFL in the photo they posted, followed by The Rock promoting the announcement:

Pumped.
Tune in tomorrow 12PM ET
FOX NFL SUNDAY
See you then, my friends. @NFLonFOX https://t.co/oWKTghO0Xn

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) December 31, 2023

A consortium led by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson purchased the XFL brand from Vince McMahon back in August 2020, with intentions to once again relaunch the football league.

This came after a relaunch attempt by Mr McMahon himself failed due to the COVID-19 pandemic halting the 2020 season after only five weeks of play.

The league under The Rock’s ownership returned to play in February 2023. They announced a merger with USFL earlier this year, aiming to play a combined season next year.

Now the latest tease suggests that things may be changing once again and we may see XFL and NFL joining hands in some form before the 2024 season.

The Great One is also rumored to make his return to WWE for the WrestleMania 40 build-up. He made a lone appearance back in September taking out Austin Theory in a segment.

His return may take place as soon as this Monday’s Day 1 special of Raw for which Triple H has been teasing the return of a former WWE champion.

Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia are hoping that the third time’s the charm ahead of the launch of their version of the XFL.

Johnson and Garcia purchased the league from former WWE CEO Vince McMahon in 2020 after his second attempt at a football league was thwarted by Covid-19.

McMahon’s first foray into the world of professional football kicked off in 2000 but low ratings led to the league not getting a second season.

Kick-Off

The new XFL will kick off on Saturday, February 18, 2023 at 3 pm Eastern a statement from the league has confirmed.

That game will see the Vegas Vipers face the Arlington Renegades at Choctaw Stadium in the first of four matches for the opening weekend.

That evening will see the Orlando Guardians face the Houston Roughnecks at the TDECU Stadium, and will be aired on ESPN and FX.

The next day will see the St. Louis Battlehawks Vs. the San Antonio Brahmas (3 pm. ABC) and the Seattle Sea Dragons against the D.C. Defenders (8 pm. ESPN.)

XFL 2023

The XFL will feature a total 43 games: 40 regular season games, two playoffs and one championship game.

The games will be split across four channels, with ABC airing seven, ESPN and ESPN22 getting 22 games each, and FX airing 15.

All XFL games will be streamed on ESPN+ and simulcasted in 142 countries around the world.

The eight XFL teams are split into two divisions: XFL North (D.C. Defenders, Seattle Sea Dragons, St. Louis Battlehawks, Vegas Vipers) and XFL South (Arlington Renegades, Houston Roughnecks, Orlando Guardians, San Antonio Brahmas.)

The XFL football league will feature 8 teams when it returns in 2023. On Monday, the league announced the 8 team names, host cities, head coaches and home stadiums. They also revealed the official logos for each team.

The XFL Draft takes place next month, with kickoff scheduled for Feb. 18, 2023, the weekend after the NFL’s Super Bowl LVII.

• XFL & NFL Partner For Innovation Opportunities & Player Development

“Countless hours of creative sessions and collaboration went into bringing these team brands to life,” the league’s chairwoman and owner, Dany Garcia, said in a statement.

“Each team’s identity represents the fabric of their local community while also embodying the XFL’s vision and ethos: they are authentic, dynamic, modern, and unapologetically bold.”

• Details on the XFL’s TV/Streaming Deal With Disney, ESPN, ABC, FX

Here’s the full list of XFL teams, head coaches and home stadiums:

• Arlington Renegades
  • Head Coach: Bob Stoops
  • Home Stadium: Choctaw Stadium

• Houston Roughnecks
  • Head Coach: Wade Phillips
  • Home Stadium: TDECU Stadium

• Orlando Guardians
  • Head Coach: Terrell Buckley
  • Home Stadium: Camping World Stadium

• Vegas Vipers
  • Head Coach: Rod Woodson
  • Home Stadium: To be announced

• San Antonio Brahmas
  • Head Coach: Hines Ward
  • Home Stadium: The Alamodome

• Seattle Sea Dragons
  • Head Coach: Jim Haslett
  • Home Stadium: Lumen Field

• St. Louis Battlehawks
  • Head Coach: Anthony Becht
  • Home Stadium: The Dome

• D.C. Defenders
  • Head Coach Reggie Barlow
  • Home Stadium: Audi Field

XFL Team Logos

Next year, the XFL will kick off for the third time, after failed runs in both 2000 and 2020.

During the Attitude Era, poor ratings ultimately killed Vince McMahon’s vision for an alternative to the NFL.

The second iteration would stop halfway through the first season due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Now, The Rock and Dany Garcia are attempting to make the league successful with a name from WWE on board.

The Departure

It’s been confirmed that WWE Strength and Conditioning Coach Sean Hayes is leaving the wrestling promotion and joining the XFL.

In a post on Instagram, NXT 2.0 Superstar Xyon Quinn broke the news while praising Hayes for his work.

“The OG of @wwenxt ? Best wishes on your next adventure with @xfl brother, they’ve gained a beast of a trainer and an absolute legend of a bloke.???? @fla_hayes #youareNXT.”

Prior to coming to WWE in May 2016, Hayes was a Harvard Crimson linebacker was a member of the Houston Texans’ coaching staff.

The XFL

The Rock and Garcia purchased the XFL in August 2020, mere weeks after the second iteration of the league was terminated early due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eight teams have been confirmed for the first season of the new league, representing Arlington, Texas, Houston, Texas, Las Vegas Nevada, Orlando, Florida, St. Louis, Missouri, San Antonio, Texas, Seattle, Washington, and Washington D.C.

The league has a current deal with ESPN to broadcast games through 2027.

The 2023 season will kick off on Saturday, February 18.

Vince McMahon has been named in yet another lawsuit over XFL.

Per PWInsider, a man named David Adrian Smith filed a lawsuit before the District Court for the Northern District of Texas on July 20. People such as Vince McMahon, Dani Garcia, The Rock, current WWE CFO Frank Riddick, Riddick’s wife Carol and others has been named in the lawsuit. Both WWE and ESPN have also been mentioned.

Smith has claimed that he had an email exchange with Carol Riddick in May 2016 in which he “disclosed confidential trade secret information,” including market and opportunity analysis regarding the concept of a minor league or developmental football league. He is alleging that the Riddicks disclosed this information, and it was brought to Vince McMahon. McMahon further shared it with former NBC executive Dick Ebersol as well as ESPN.

Per the claims made in the lawsuit, the “trade secret information” were used in production of the ESPN 30 For 30 documentary This Was The XFL. Smith is alleging that WWE sold the rights to XFL over to McMahon’s Alpha entertainment because they knew the ‘trade secrets.’ Ebersol also launched the AAF league in part because of his knowledge of the said secrets.

When The Rock, Dani Garcia and others purchased XFL, the trade secrets were “disclosed / conveyed to and acquired / received” to the new ownership without the authorization of smith. David Smith is requesting damages for the misappropriation of his trade secrets with an estimated figure greater than $15 million as well as a declaration that defendants’ actions were unlawful, among other things.

Neither Vince McMahon, nor any other involving parties have responded to these claims publicly. We’ll keep you posted on any development in the story.

• Good News for Vince McMahon as lengthy Lawsuit Ends

The Rock has revealed the new logo for XFL.

XFL is gearing up for a return under new management. Vince McMahon had been adamant about making his own football league work after a dismal attempt in 2001. He revived the XFL and the regular season began in Feb. 2020.

While the XFL was declining in the ratings after week one, many applauded Vince for stepping aside and letting actual football people run the show. The league ended up being canceled amid the COVID-19 pandemic, however.

The Rock Ushers In New Era For XFL

A consortium led by The Rock, Dany Garcia, and Gerry Cardinale now own the XFL. Rock took to his Twitter account to post a video hyping up the 2023 XFL season. Included in the clip is a look at the new logo.

“Pumped to reveal our new XFL logo as we build our organization and shape our one-of-a-kind, hungry XFL culture. X represents the INTERSECTION OF DREAMS & OPPORTUNITY. To all our XFL players, coaches, fans; You bring the dreams – we’ll bring the opportunity. Now LFG!”

The XFL and the National Football League (NFL) are partnering to expand opportunities for player development both on and off the field.

The leagues will work together on innovation opportunities, testing rules for player protection and officiating technology.

XFL co-owner Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson released a video statement, which you can watch below. Johnson maintains that his top priority is the health and safety of the players. This working relationship will hopefully benefit players from both leagues and the entire sport of professional football.

XFL President Russ Brandon tells ESPN the partnership gives the NFL a “petri dish” to experiment with new rules, test new equipment and develop prospective officials.

The XFL is scheduled to relaunch in February 2023 under the new ownership of Dany Garcia, Dwayne Johnson and RedBird Capital Partners.

This will not be a talent sharing relationship, but this agreement is a stark comparison from Vince McMahon’s initial vision for the XFL, which was adversarial towards the NFL. Co-Owner

Danny Garcia maintains that the XFL will not sharing talent or developing talent for the NFL. “That’s a no,” she said to ESPN. “We are a spring league. We will play at the highest level in the spring. There is not the anticipation of any player sharing that changes the dynamic. That’s not how we’re executing our vision.”

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson had a short career with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He signed with the team in 1995 and was assigned to its practice squad before being cut 2 months later. Now, the football league he co-owns, the XFL, is exploring possible opportunities to align with the CFL.

Both leagues released statements on their plans today. The XFL announced it is putting plans for its 2022 season on-hold while these discussions takes place.

The XFL and CFL Release Statements

XFL owner Dani Garcia released the following statement:

“Since we first acquired the XFL, we have focused on identifying partners who share our vision and values on and off the field. A vision filled with opportunity, innovation and the highest level of entertainment value for the benefit of our athletes, fans and communities,” Garcia said. “The CFL has expressed that similar sentiment and jointly we recognize a great opportunity to build exciting innovative football experiences that make the most of each league’s unique strengths. I look forward to our continued discussions and we will update the sports community as we have more to share.”

The CFL released a statement regarding the talks between the two sides. They noted

“We ended up having this conversation with the ownership group with the XFL,” said CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie. “Somewhere in all of that we ended up reaching a point where we think there’s a common vision, a lot of common DNA. What we really wanted to do today was not have those discussions in the shadows, we wanted to have a more transparent conversation.”

As for what a possible partnership between the two leagues could mean, only speculation can be made. What is being discussed is significant enough, however, that the XFL is postponing plans for its 2022 season.

There is currently the belief amongst some that the XFL’s second death is still not the final nail in the coffin for the league. Vince McMahon’s twice ill-fated football league filed bankruptcy earlier this year after the global pandemic hit.

According to a report from the Athletic’s Daniel Kaplan, some XFL creditors believe Vince McMahon’s plan is to wait out the pandemic before buying the league back at a “fire sale” price.

It is also being reported that XFL President Jeffrey Pollack has contacted stadiums in St. Louis and Seattle about reinstating lease agreements.

Creditors have also been led to this conclusion based on a plan to repay $3.5 million to season ticket holders. The XFL’s creditors believe this is a goodwill gesture to ticket holders in the attempt to win them back when McMahon buys back the league.

McMahon would then have to completely rebuild the league from scratch in order to start over again. This would also involve hiring a new league commissioner after McMahon fired Oliver Luck shortly before filing for bankruptcy. Luck has since filed suit against McMahon for money he says he is owed on the remainder of his contract.

Luck’s team contends that his contract states he is owed the remainder of his contract if he is terminated without just cause. McMahon’s team is arguing that Luck was terminated with cause.

• Lawsuit Filings Reveal Why Vince McMahon Fired Ex-XFL Commissioner Oliver Luck

The XFL cancelled the remainder its season on March 12th, 2020. The league then filed for bankruptcy on April 13th.

Vince McMahon has fired back in a lawful manner at former XFL Commissioner Oliver Luck, who is using the owner of the sporting league. 

In April it was revealed that Luck is suing for money that he was guaranteed upon accepting the position to run the league in May of 2018. His XFL contract was believed to be worth $20-25 million over 5 years. 

On Wednesday, the Sports Business Journal provided some more details on the situation. The firing took place four days before it shut down operations.

McMahon’s legal team noted in the pre-trial filings that the reasons of Luck’s firing were due to the “gross neglect of his job during the COVID-19 pandemic”, “personal use of a league-assisted cellphone”, and the signing of a former NFL receiver with previous legal issues despite McMahon previously telling him that he was against the signing. 

McMahon also claimed in the filings that Luck left the XFL’s Connecticut headquarters for his home in Indiana and “disengaged” from the league’s operations.

The lawsuit also noted, “Put simply, at the very moment when his leadership as CEO was needed most, Luck did not devote substantially all of his business time to the XFL, as required by his contract.”

• XFL Files Bankruptcy, WWE Had Significant Equity Stake

AEW broadcaster and Senior Advisor Jim Ross discussed the XFL going into bankruptcy on a recent episode of his Ross Report podcast.

The rebooted league was Vince McMahon’s second attempt to establish an ‘alternative’ to the National Football League (NFL) and bring high-level football to fans during the traditional off-season.

JR has said in the past how much Vince McMahon invested into the original XFL concept, both financially and emotionally. Even after the league folded back in 2001 after just one season, McMahon hinted that he would give it another shot one day.

“I had the first meeting with Vince after the XFL went belly-up [in 2001]” Jim Ross said on an older episode of Grilling JR. “I talked with [McMahon’s personal assistant] Beth Zazza, ‘Is the boss gonna want to meet today?’ She said, ‘Oh yeah, yeah. He’s fine.’ He [Vince] just lost $50 million, I think it was, something like that. I said basically the same thing. ‘What could we have done differently?’ Vince said, ‘Not a god damn thing, JR. The way it was laid out? We did the best we could with what we had, but I wouldn’t change a thing. It was a calculated risk. And I would do it all over again. Because I believe in the concept.’”

XFL 2.0

It appeared as though this second attempt was at least on course to be viable. The games had been met with generally positive reviews and the quality of the football on show was solid.

The issue with this iteration of course stemmed from the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, which has seen the majority of sports leagues cancel or postpone their seasons. The NFL, NBA, MLB and MLS have all stopped play, and the XFL had to follow suit. The big issue for the XFL, unlike these other leagues, is that due to its infancy it was operating on a loss.

McMahon was hoping to get strong television rights following the initial success of the opening part of this season, but without the potential revenue coming in from networks? The brand was doomed to fail for a second time, albeit due to matters outside his control.

JR On The XFL Folding (Again)

When asked about the XFL filing for bankruptcy earlier this month, Ross admitted he was “a little bit shocked” by the news.

“I can see suspending play, much like the NFL has and other leagues,” he said on a Patreon Exclusive episode of Grilling JR. “MLB so forth and the NBA Playoffs. All these things that are being suspended based on, ‘Are we going to be able to proceed at some point in time, sooner than later?’ And of course we don’t know that. I think it’s absurd for [government] officials to talk about May 1st or June 1st. They’re just bullsh*tting us. Yeah, come on. They don’t know, right?”

Do you think that the XFL had a chance to succeed if not for the pandemic? Let us know in the comments

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Also Check Out:

• WWE Filmed Money In The Bank Footage on the Roof of Corporate Headquarters
• John Morrison Comments on Backstage Morale in WWE
• Tommy Dreamer on Recent WWE Releases: “You Can’t Hate Vince McMahon”

The hits continued for the XFL as on Monday, the pro football league filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy. 

The bankruptcy statement noted that the economic impacts and uncertainties caused by the coronavirus forced the XFL to close down. 

This comes after the XFL had suspended operations last week. The season was postponed after week five. The XFL issued a statement to TMZ: 

“Unfortunately, as a new enterprise, we were not insulated from the harsh economic impacts and uncertainties caused by the COVID-19 crisis. Accordingly, we have filed a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. This is a heartbreaking time for many, including our passionate fans, players and staff, and we are thankful to them, our television partners, and the many Americans who rallied to the XFL for the love of football.”

It should be that once the relaunch of the league was made official, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon stated that WWE wasn’t part of his new project. Instead, WWE would be a separate company from the XFL, which was owned by McMahon under Alpha Entertainment. 

The listing for the bankruptcy revealed that wasn’t the case. Instead, WWE owned 23.5 percent of the XFL’s Class B stock while McMahon owned the remainder of it. 

As recently as February, WWE’s Interim CFO Frank Riddick stated on a conference call that WWE had no plans of investing in the XFL. 

WWE is slated to release its quarterly financial report on April 23 and will hold a conference call for investors. WWE having an equity stake in the XFL could be brought up.

McMahon had sold nearly $300 million in WWE stock in order to fund the league. 

• XFL Suspends Operations, All Employees Laid Off

Since the announcement of the XFL relaunch, people had been speculating as to how long the league would last. 

It turns out that it didn’t make it through its first season under the revised pro football league. On Friday, it was reported that the XFL will cease all operations immediately.

It was also reported that the league will not be returning for the 2021 season. This is due to the league being halted just like every other sports league in the world due to the outbreak of the coronavirus. 

The season was postponed after week five. At the time, the XFL had announced that all fans will be allowed a return of their 2021 ticket investment.

Vince McMahon, the owner of the XFL and WWE Chairman, had sold nearly $300 million in WWE stock in order to fund the league under a separate LLC, Alpha Entertainment. 

The league was able to reach TV deals through ESPN, ABC, Fox, FS1 that saw the first five weeks have strong ratings that dwindled as time went on. The idea was that they would be eventually able to get TV deals for guaranteed money.

• Donald Trump Gives Vince McMahon & Others Timeline For Return Of Fans To Events

XFL was no exception to the sporting world’s ravagement by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Pretty much every professional and top collegiate organization has shut down its activities during the outbreak for the foreseeable future.

Vince McMahon’s football league began play in late winter 2020. On March 12, 2020, the league had to cancel the remainder of its regular season games due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The teams got to play five games only, but the players will be paid their base salary for the rest of the season according to an announcement by XFL. Ticket holders will be given refunds or credit that they can redeem for attending future games.

Read more: Vince McMahon Expected To Lose $375 Million On XFL In First 3 Seasons

The company has also announced that players who receive a “credible contractual offer” from the NFL (National Football League) or the CFL (Canadian Football League) would be allowed to sign with those teams, and if the offer is submitted to the XFL. There’s a clause to this, however, and that being that the players would be required to return to their XFL squads if the league could hold its own championship games.

Originally, XFL contracts said that the players could not sign with NFL teams until after the XFL playoffs are over.

“The XFL is committed to playing a full season in 2021 and future years,” the league said in a statement.

The XFL kicks off its 2020 season on Saturday when the Seattle Dragons take on the DC Defenders. The 2020 season begins 19 years after the conclusion of the XFL’s first season in 2001.

Vince McMahon’s league is the second attempt in recent years to create another pro football organization in the United States. The Alliance of American Football was not able to last through its first season, however.

Additionally, WWE and Vince McMahon are being sued by WWE stockholders in regards to the XFL. WWE stock-holders from the Oklahoma Firefighters Pension Fund has filed suit against Vince McMahon and the WWE seeking transparency in the relationship between WWE and the XFL.

• Vince McMahon & WWE Being Sued By Shareholders Over XFL Ties

How Much Money Will The XFL Lose?

With the XFL’s season about to get underway, one has to wonder what Vince McMahon’s plan is to make his league more successful than the AAF was. The belief is that Vince plans on funding the league for multiple seasons until they are in a position to get a big-money TV rights deal as both RAW and Smackdown currently enjoy. The TV rights deal would then hopefully be enough to cover the losses McMahon is expected to experience the first few seasons.

Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez discussed Vince McMahon’s strategy with the XFL on a recent edition of Wrestling Observer Radio.

“Vince has earmarked $300 million and that’s going to get them through 2.5 seasons and he’ll put up more later,” said Dave Meltzer. “The way this whole thing is structured is Vince is probably going to lose about $375 million over the next 3 years on this league and he will and he knows and that’s what he’s going to do.”

“Then at the end of those 3 years, the idea is he’ll be able to get television deals that will total over $125 million a year which would cover his losses and then he’s okay. There’s a lot of factors involved in that and again, the ratings are one of them. If these stations feel that it’s valuable enough to pay that much, it’s not as long a shot as everyone thinks.”

In 2018, ESPN’s Darren Rovell noted that Vince McMahon is prepared to spend as much as $500 million on the league.

“People were focused on the $100 million, but the truth is that doesn’t even get us to the 20-yard line,” league CEO and commissioner Oliver Luck told ESPN.

“There are very few participants who underwrite for this market anymore and it is obviously costly,” he continued.

The XFL continues to make progress as they prepare for their inaugural season.

All of the teams that will be part of the relaunch of this pro football league has been revealed. New York, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Seattle, Tampa Bay, and Washington D.C will host teams.

The last coach to be announced by the XFL was for the team based in Houston, Texas as June Jones will serve as the Head Coach and General Manager. Here is a list of the teams and the Head Coaches:

• June Jones – Houston
• Winston Moss – Los Angeles
• Jon Hayes – St. Louis
• Bob Stoops – Dallas
• Kevin Gilbride – New York
• Jim Zorn – Seattle
• Marc Trestman – Tampa Bay
• Pep Hamilton – Washington D.C.

The relaunch season for the XFL kicks off in 2020 on Saturday, February 8 and Sunday, February 9. Earlier this month it was announced that the league had reached broadcast deals with ESPN, Fox, and Disney/ABC

It’s been reported that WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon declined the request offered by the AAF (Alliance of American Football) to merge with his second attempt at launching the XFL. McMahon, who owns the XFL under Alpha Entertainment, shot down the offer in December 2018.

When the XFL re-launches next year, more than half the games will be broadcast on a major network. The new league announced broadcast deals with ESPN, Fox, and Disney/ABC this morning.

“We are thrilled to partner with ESPN and FOX Sports, two innovative media companies with extensive experience in world-class football production that will undoubtedly help us reimagine football,” said XFL Chairman Vince McMahon. “The XFL broadcast schedule provides us with incredible reach and makes it easy for fans to watch our games consistently every weekend.”

No fee was paid for the rights to air the broadcast but the networks will pick up some of the production costs:

The XFL is scheduled to begin play on February 8th, 2020. Dallas, Houston, LA, New York, St. Louis, Seattle, Tampa, and Washington will all have teams in the league.

XFL Announces Broadcast Partners

• XFL Rival League Files For Bankruptcy

“We look forward to showcasing the XFL on ESPN and ABC, including the kickoff game and championship during the league’s inaugural season,” said Burke Magnus, ESPN Executive Vice President, Programming and Scheduling. “We believe in their vision for the XFL, which will be a great addition to our year-round commitment to football.”

The league noted they were looking for maximum exposure with their broadcast deals.

“We wanted maximum reach, and these deals provide us with that,” said XFL President & COO Jeffrey Pollack. 

The full broadcast schedule for the league can be viewed here.

The AAF (Alliance of American Football) has filed for bankruptcy. This comes after the AAF only lasted eight weeks before the league suspended operations earlier this month.

Front Office Sports reported on Wednesday that the AAF filed for bankruptcy. You can see the filing here:

The league was in trouble before it started due to former USFL player Reggie Fowler, who was the AAF’s primary investor not coming through with a $28 million payment around Christmas. NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon then came aboard as the primary investor and funded it.

Dundon gave $250 million in funding and also became the league’s chairman. They couldn’t make it work as the AAF was reportedly losing $10 million per week before pulling the plug.

The Sports Business Daily reported this month that the AAF “was already running out of money” and “was on life support” before the season started back in February, which led to the suspension of football operations taking place.

It’s been reported that WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon declined the request offered by the AAF to merge with his second attempt at launching the XFL. McMahon, who owns the XFL under Alpha Entertainment, shot down the offer in December 2018.

The relaunch season for the XFL kicks off in 2020 on Saturday, February 8 and Sunday, February 9. 

WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon reportedly declined the request offered by the AAF to merge with his second attempt at launching the XFL.

This comes after the AAF only lasted eight weeks before the league suspended operations last week. McMahon, who owns the XFL under Alpha Entertainment, shot down the offer in December 2018, according to the Sports Business Daily.

Per the report, the AAF “was already running out of money” and “was on life support” before the season started back in February. It was added that XFL representatives did not immediately return a request for comment on the report.

The league was in trouble before it started due to former USFL player Reggie Fowler, who was the AAF’s primary investor not coming through with a $28 million payment around Christmas. Thus, it forced Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon to then come aboard as the primary investor and fund it.

Dundon gave $250 million in funding and also became the league’s chairman, but they couldn’t make it work as the AAF was reportedly losing $10 million per week before pulling the plug.

The relaunch season for the XFL kicks off in 2020 on Saturday, February 8 and Sunday, February 9. It should be noted that this is the weekend following the NFL’s Super Bowl.

The Alliance of American Football (AAF), which was expected to be a rival league to the XFL, has suspended all football operations today (Tues. April 2, 2019). The AAF was in the eighth week of its inaugural season. Kickoff was just six days after Super Bowl XLIII in February.

According to reports, the AAF was struggling financially and was in danger of missing payroll. NHL Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon had pledged $250 million to initially save the league. However, it became clear very quickly that his vision for the league was much different from co-founders Charlie Ebersol and Bill Polian. Polian released the following statement on the matter:

“I am extremely disappointed to learn Tom Dundon has decided to suspend all football operations of the Alliance of American Football,” Polian said.

“When Mr. Dundon took over, it was the belief of my co-founder, Charlie Ebersol, and myself that we would finish the season, pay our creditors, and make the necessary adjustments to move forward in a manner that made economic sense for all.

“The momentum generated by our players, coaches and football staff had us well positioned for future success. Regrettably, we will not have that opportunity.”

The Action Network reports that Dundon wanted to immediatley make the AAF a minor league feeder system for the NFL. However, Ebersol and Polian wanted to develop the league over the next three years before doing so. Thus, Dundon made the decision to cease all football operations.

Other issues also plagued the league, such as the Orlando Apollos being forced to move their practices to Kingsland, Georgia – three hours away – and the scheduled league championship game later this month being moved from Las Vegas to Texas. If the AAF does eventually fold, which seems likely, it will have done so before the completion of its first season.

The XFL plans to kick off in 2020, alongside other startup leagues kicking off the same year; such as the American Patriot League, Pacific Pro Football, and the Freedom Football League.

What do you think of the XFL’s competition folding before finishing its first season?

WWE CEO Vince McMahon is cashing in even more of his WWE stock to help fund the upcoming relaunch of the XFL.

McMahon sold off 3 million shares of his WWE stock — valued at approximately $270 million — as he continues to funnel money to Alpha Entertainment, which is the entity he created to help bring his football league back.

McMahon still owns over 36-percent of the WWE with over 80-percent voting rights when it comes to decision making for the professional wrestling organization.

When he first announced plans to relaunch the XFL, McMahon sold off another $100 million worth of his WWE stock to help get the company off the ground.

At the initial meeting to announced that the XFL would be coming back, McMahon stated that it would take a lot of money invested to get the football league off the ground. The original version of the XFL came out in 2000 but after an initial interest from fans, the league floundered and failed.

Now McMahon is determined to bring back the XFL in 2020 while promising to keep the focus on the game and giving fans a chance to watch more football during the entire year.

The timing of McMahon selling off his WWE stock to fund more money into Alpha Entertainment/XFL comes on the heels of the news that the Alliance of American Football (AAF) could be in serious trouble.

On Wednesday it was revealed that the AAF may considering shutting down its operations without additional support from the NFL Player’s Association.

“If the players union is not going to give us young players, we can’t be a development league,” AAF chairman Tom Dundon told USA Today Sports. “We are looking at our options, one of which is discontinuing the league.”

Obviously, McMahon would likely jump at the opportunity to fill that void with the XFL launching next year.

Regardless of the future of the AAF, McMahon is definitely putting the full brunt of his financial power behind the XFL with this latest cash injection.

Two new XFL Head Coaches have been announced by the league.

Pep Hamilton has been announced as the Head Coach for the XFL’s Washington D.C. team while Jim Zorn will serve as the Head Coach for Seattle. The football league made the news public on Monday.

Hamilotion left Michigan Football Coaching staff as the Assistant Head Coach of the Wolverines earlier this week for this opportunity. Previously, he served as the offensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts from 2013 to 2015 and Assistant Head Coach and Quarterbacks Coach for the Cleveland Browns in 2016.

On the flip side, Zorn is the former Seahawks quarterback and former NFL head coach for the Washington Redskins from 2008 to 2009. He was also the assistant head coach for the Seattle Seahawks.

Quarterbacks, team names and logos are expected to be announced in the next couple of months.

They join former Head Coach of the Oklahoma Sooners Bob Stoops as coaches of XFL teams thus far announced. Stoops will not only be the head coach but also general manager of the team based in Dallas, Texas.

The relaunch season for the XFL kicks off in 2020 on Saturday, February 8 and Sunday, February 9. It should be noted that this is the weekend following the NFL’s Super Bowl.

All eight teams playing in the inaugural season of the XFL reboot was revealed on December 5th. The following cities will host teams of the rebooted XFL:

• Dallas
• Houston
• Los Angeles
• New York
• St. Louis
• Seattle
• Tampa Bay
• Washington, DC

Introducing the head coach and general manager of our @XFLSeattle team: @JimZorn10. #XFL2020 pic.twitter.com/K8Q7SzduGn

— United Football League (@TheUFL) February 25, 2019