The story about XFL isn’t done just yet. The league that had many unsuccessful launches might be getting the overhaul that it needs for success.
The XFL is an American professional football minor league, that is constructed by eight teams divided equally between an East and West division. The season is scheduled to run from February to April, with each team playing a ten-game regular season.
What makes the XFL special is that it was founded by wrestling executive Vince McMahon in 2018 as a reboot of the successor to the league he founded way back in 2001.
Compared to the NFL odds, the XFL had fewer off-field controversies, and faster-paced gameplay, and did not include the wrestling-inspired features and other odd entertainment elements of a football league from its predecessor.
In the beginning, all the teams were owned by McMahon’s Alpha Entertainment, but with all the recent changes, the teams are now represented by an NFL Franchise.
The road of getting back on track after failing multiple times was hard. On top of that, after only a few weeks of play in the 2020 season, the league’s operation slowly came to an end and filed for bankruptcy on April 13.
At this time, all hope of the XFL was lost. However, former Miami Hurricane defensive lineman, Dwayne Johnson, and ex-wife Dany Garcia led a consortium with Gerry Cardinale’s RedBird Capital in order to purchase the XFL for $15 million. Now with the new ownership, the XPR plans to return in February 2023 and many people wonder will it be successful this time around.
Well, in order to succeed the league needs to go through some big changes, and fortunately, the new owners are on the same page.
What’s Different about XFL 2023?
One thing is for sure, the league will be dramatically different from the one we fell in love with two years ago. It seems like the new owners are putting their stamp on the league they want to present moving forward. Even though the chance is inevitable, the new owners need to think about how abandoning the real spirit of XFL will impact its viewership.
After all, if we look at the new owners, they could have started their own pro football league, but instead, they bought the XFL for pennies on the dollar out of bankruptcy, which means that they know its worth and are concerned about reviving its spirit.
There are a couple of changes to the XFL we know that is certainly going to happen. Sources indicate that there will be three new cities among the XFL’s eight teams in 2023. There are also rumors that LA and Tampa are also among the 2020 league’s extinct list. They could be replaced by Orlando and Las Vegas, mentioned as strong possibilities.
The new start of the league introduced many new coaches to the table, which was one of the biggest factors why it failed. We’ve seen rumors about now-former State head coach Reggie Barlow, who will become the league’s head coach.
There are other rumors that Terrel Buckley has signed to coach in the XFL with Orlando, making the league more serious.
Will it be Successful This Time Around?
Well, despite the new owners and big changes that are coming to the league, the success of XFL will not be an easy task. There are a few reasons why many people think that the XFL will have a tough time reaching success, such as:
It is a direct competitor of the NFL
Even though we are talking about expanding the entire football market and introducing a new league into the system, still the XFL is a direct competitor to the NFL. Competing against a giant like the NFL is a tough task, especially for a new league that had many failed launches.
American football is dropping in ratings
Many people think that American football is declining and the overall viewership of NFL matches is dropping in ratings over the past couple of years. This may indicate some advantages and disadvantages for XFL coming as a new league.
The drop in ratings might mean that people are looking for something new in the sport, or it might indicate that the entire market is shrinking leaving less space for a new league.
The idea of bringing new teams to various cities is problematic
As we all know, there are rumors of new cities and teams joining the XFL, which can be a bit problematic. First of all, the idea of bringing the XFL to a city that hasn’t got a professional team in sports might be beneficial and could result in a boost in revenue for the city.
However, for those cities that already have multiple teams across different sports, it is tough to find people that are ready to invest in another franchise.
Final Words
There are some big changes coming in the XFL 2023 and its success or failure cannot be predicted. We just have to wait and see whether the new owners will take the XFL on the right path to success.
