Is the XFL Done for Good or Just Delayed?

The XFL canceled all of the remaining games in the 2020 season due to the massive Coronavirus outbreak that plagued the world.

This was a bummer but at least ticket-holders were issued credits toward upcoming games or refunds for their unused tickets. This happened in the first part of March, 2020. On the heels of the cancellation, the league stated that they would be committed to playing a full 2021 season and subsequent seasons moving forward.

But it looks like that is out the window now as well. So, will the XFL ever be back?

This summer, WWE and Hollywood superstar, Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson, his ex-wife, business mogul, Dany Garcia, and RedBird Capital Partners LLC (an investment firm) bought the XFL in the summer of 2020 for the rock-bottom price of 15 million dollars. I’m sure that seemed like a killer deal at the time, especially after Vince McMahon injected upwards of 200 million dollars to breathe new life into the XFL. Sure, there were questions up in the air, but MLB baseball had restarted, the NBA was finalizing their plans for a finale to the regular-season with a bubbled playoffs, and the NFL had already been putting their 2020-2021 plan into action.

Now the earliest we’ll see any XFL action is 2022.

XFL to Skip 2021 in its Entirety

Dwayne Johnson tweeted, “It’s an uphill battle, but we’re hungry, humble and no one will outwork us.”

Although I don’t fully believe that the XFL can endure almost two full years of idleness and come back successfully. After all, the league has only operated for two seasons. The first was a total flop back in 2001, then in 2020, it was gaining popularity and doing fairly well in its return, nearly two decades later, but Coronavirus ruined that season as well.

Is there anything left in the tank for the XFL? There is only so much ‘this is going to be awesome … oh, just kidding’ that the public can take. Will people even pay attention at a third reboot following two unsuccessful launch attempts? There were literally some sports betting going on in Vegas as to whether the XFL would fold in 2020.

At least they have remained active on Social Media, right? That’s a good sign. The XFL is still investing the monthly salary of a few social media community managers and some marketing budget.

Hell of an effort, 4️⃣

👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/4GjxVitRfk

— Washington Football Team (@WashingtonNFL) January 10, 2021

League Leaders Last Time Around

Top four in the XFL standings, all other teams ended with losing records:

1. Houston Roughnecks, 5-0
2. St. Louis Battlehawks, 3-2
3. Washington DC Defenders, 3-2
4. New York Guardians, 3-2

The Latest Betting Odds Around an XFL Return

Props odds were released in August of 2022 and the outlook isn’t great, according to the bookies.

Will the XFL Play a Game in 2022?

• No -220
• Yes +155

Will the XFL Play a Game in 2023?

• No -500
• Yes +300

Now, I’m not sure if this will happen by 2022. But I love those three to one odds for a game played in 2023. If there is one thing that we can count on, it’s Dwayne JOhnson’s word that no one will work harder than him. He has an incredible work ethic and makes things happen. Plus, he loves the game of football. He made the cut with the Miami Hurricanes on a full-ride football scholarship and after graduating in 1995, played in the CFL for a brief stint with the Calgary Stampeders as a professional linebacker on their practice squad.

Making it to the pros, no matter if it’s the CFL or NFL takes serious dedication and talent, even if you’re only there for a hot minute. If anyone has the drive, dedication, and love for the game to get the XFL on the field again, it’s Dwayne Johnson and the teams in place around him. So, despite the odds being against it happening, I believe we will see the XFL again in the near future.