Dan Barnes of the Calgary Herald had a chance to talk to XFL chair and co-owner Dany Garcia along with XFL president and CEO Jeffrey Pollack about today’s CFL and XFL Partnership news.
Garcia addresses the concern that this partnership is a cash move by the CFL, which was in financial troubles due to their canceled 2020 season.
“That’s the farthest thing from the truth, the money concept”
The XFL co-owner then talks about why the CFL was on their radar.
“The truth is that like the CFL, we are deeply invested in adding innovation, adding opportunity and expanding on the football experience in a major way. So during this time since we acquired the XFL, that has been our daily activity, looking for incredible partners to collaborate with, to align with, to see what the future of this incredible property could be. And the CFL, quite simply, was doing the same thing.”
“Randy, working with the board of governors, has been on a path of growth, which I’m sure you know as they have their global conversations and expansion initiatives,” said Garcia. “And all of a sudden there were like-minded similarities in what the football experience could be and can be for athletes and for fans in the community. That’s really where the alignment is, on the vision, the future and the possibility.”
The path of growth, Dany Garcia is referring to is the CFL’s working partnerships with football leagues in Mexico, Europe, and Asia. Something CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie has been working on.
Jeffrey Pollack had already been in regular conversations with Ambrosie for months, now was the time to formalize it.
“We have, I think, a shared sense of possibility and potential, and there is a common desire to grow the game, and that’s a nice place to start the conversations ahead,” said Pollack. “We’re honored to be talking to the CFL. We have tremendous respect for what the CFL has accomplished over the years. It has a rich history, and legacy and tradition that we respect and we love. And there is a lot to still discuss and explore.”
