Ben Fischer from the Sports Business Journal reports that The XFL is parting ways with league President & CEO Jeffrey Pollack. Effective immediately. Sources close to the situation confirm that Pollack’s departure has been in the works for quite some time now.
As @BenFischerSBJ reported. Jeffrey Pollack has departed the XFL as President/CEO.
The departure has been in the works for quite some time. Both parties are moving in a different direction.
XFL Owners RedBird Capital Partners have been in talks with a potential replacement for Jeffrey Pollack for several weeks now. They have narrowed down their list of candidates. And it is believed that the XFL’s ownership group has zeroed in on a specific candidate. Sources confirm that an announcement should be coming soon on Pollack’s replacement.
People closely associated with the situation believe that RedBird Capital Partners will replace Jeffrey Pollack with someone who holds a different title than he did as President/CEO. The new hire is expected to act as more of a football boss who oversees those aspects of the league.
What’s Next For The XFL?
The XFL plans to return to play in 2023. But no definite date has been set. However, it’s believed that the plans are for the league to start their league rollout in the coming year, leading into the relaunch to the field. Co-Owners Dany Garcia and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson have been teasing potential upcoming news on their social media channels in recent weeks.
Last Monday, the XFL owners met in New York City to iron out the details of their league plans moving forward. The one clear thing is that the league that they hope to present will bear very little or any resemblance to the XFL that existed in 2020. On and off the field, many of the key figures who helped make the XFL a successful first-year pro sports league are gone.
Jeffrey Pollack’s Impact On The XFL
XFL President and CEO Jeffrey Pollack has been with the league since 2019. Pollack adroitly led all strategic and business operations for the league through the 2020 launch, shutdown, bankruptcy, asset sale, and re-emergence under new ownership.
The shutdown of the XFL in midstream due to COVID was a dark day for so many who invested a lot of time and energy in the league being as well-received as it was. The darker period for the league took place post-shutdown. Amid a pandemic with so many limitations and uncertainties. The fact that Jeffrey Pollack successfully led the asset sale of the XFL needs to be commended. Quite frankly, finding any suitors at that time was an unenviable task.
The fact that the bankruptcy process led to RedBird Capital Partners, Dany Garcia, and The Rock was a pleasant surprise considering the harrowing circumstances.
There is a reasonable amount of uncertainty surrounding the XFL moving forward. And there is plenty of doubt that the league will be able to recapture what it accomplished in 2020. With Jeffrey Pollack’s departure, the justifiable uncertainty will continue.
I reached out to the XFL for further comment on this latest development. But as of press time. The league hasn’t responded to inquiries. More details to come on this developing story.
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I am a pro football writer who has extensively covered and reported on multiple leagues over the years. I started covering the XFL back in 2001. You can follow me on Twitter @byMikeMitchell
