The new XFL season is still months away, but the league is buzzing with activity. Right now, XFL management is busy organizing regional scouting reviews for players. The league is assisted by NFL legend and Jackson State coach Deion Sanders in working with historically black educational institutions. XFL co-owners Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia personally attend most of the events.
This is the third version of the XFL awaiting us in 2023 after the 2001 and 2020 variants. Here’s what’s known about the new season right now. If you are a betting or best online casino UK fan, this article is for you.
The first game of the regular season is scheduled for February 18, 2023
The XFL is planning for an early spring season – the regular season is scheduled to start the week after the NFL Super Bowl and end in April. That means the league does not plan to compete directly with the USFL, which recently completed its debut season and has announced its intention to host a second.
The league plans to introduce eight teams in the near future
XFL-2023 is not entirely a continuation of XFL-2020. The new league inherited all intellectual property from its “predecessor” after its bankruptcy. In August, Garcia/Johnson and investment fund RedBird Capital bought the league for $15 million. But the rights to some clubs as trademarks still had to be renewed, as well as negotiations for stadium leases.
The XFL has already announced which cities will receive teams for the 2023 season: Arlington (Choktau Stadium for 48,000), Washington (Audi Field for 20,000), Houston (TDECU Stadium for 40,000), Las Vegas, Orlando (Camping World Stadium for 65,000), San Antonio (Alamodome Stadium for 72,000), Seattle (Lumen Field for 72,000), St. Louis (Dome for 67,000). The names of the clubs have not been revealed, but the league has kept the cities that have been best received by the new teams.
Teams will train in the same city
XFL-2020 teams would train and play matches in their own cities. If the league had waited until after the first season, the 2021 season would have adopted the “bubble” structure of having games and training in the same city.
XFL-2023 takes both of these approaches. Clubs would train in one city, then travel back and forth to their respective cities for matches. The central location for all teams will be Arlington, Texas.
Coaching staffs continue to be filled
All eight head coaches are already known – enough veterans of their craft as well as newcomers. For example, former NFL head coaches Wade Phillips and Jim Haslett will lead the XFL clubs. They will be joined by former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, who previously worked for Dallas Rangers. Former NFL players Terrell Buckley, Hines Ward, Rod Woodson, Reggie Barlow and Anthony Beckett will also try out for coaching positions.
The most notable assistant was Greg Williams, who will serve as defensive coordinator on Barlow’s staff. Four XFL game staff directors (Randy Muller, Joey Klinskales, Dave Boller and Will Lewis) have already worked for the league in 2020.
XFL owners are promoting the league, but it will be run by NFL spokesmen
The XFL’s main media asset at the moment is co-owner Dwayne Johnson. He promotes the league both live and through his social media accounts along with Garcia. It is their duo who have taken on ambassadorial roles at various events, including open shows for scouts.
But other people are in charge of preparing the league for the new season. First and foremost is president Russ Brandon, a former Buffalo Bills functionary. The following NFL ex-pats will also hold senior positions within the XFL’s structure:
- Mark Ross, executive vice president. Was an NFL football operations consultant. Before that, spent 11 years with the Giants and won two Super Bowls with the team. At New York, he was vice president of player evaluation and director of university scouting.
- Doug Whaley, senior vice president. Served as director of university scouting for the NFL union, working for the XFL since 2018. Served as general manager of the Bills from 2013-2017.
- Dean Blandino, vice president and head of the officiating committee. Served as head of the XFL officiating department for the 2020 season, prior to which he worked with the NFL officiating staff for nearly 20 years.
All XFL games will be shown on TV or streaming platform
The league plans for teams to play 10 games each in the regular season, with three games in the playoffs. All games will be shown on ABC, ESPN or FX. Details of the partnership with the streaming platform will be announced at a later date, with Disney to partner with the XFL.
The XFL will not be merging with the CFL…
The league had been in talks with the Canadian League for three months in 2021 about a partnership. The parties decided not to make any deal until the XFL relaunches in 2023. It is likely that the time to sign agreements has not yet come – the CFL was negotiating with the XFL amid a cancelled 2020 season, the XFL was then just emerging from the legal bankruptcy process.
… but will collaborate with the NFL
In February, the XFL announced that it would work with the NFL to develop innovative programmes that would primarily focus on player safety. At the same time, the XFL president expressed the hope that his league would become a proving ground for the NFL to experiment with new rules and equipment, as well as training referees and coaching staff.
In April, the XFL agreed on a partnership agreement with the NFL academy to train players. All participants in this programme will automatically receive a contract with the XFL.
